I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do on Saturday night of my girls’ weekend. I knew what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to dress slutty and drink from penis straws and barhop around downtown. No way. So what do you do? I started researching a few alternate things and decided to do a cooking class at The Chopping Block.

Who could it be now?

Jess?

Jess?

Jeannette, Jessica, Rachelle

The recipes

Jessica, Jeannette & Amanda picking out a wine

This was really good! Gougenheim Malbec 2009

Pervy Jeannette

The first (of many) toasts!

Nothing like lots of wine then big knives!

Jessica B & Rachelle B

Jessica B & Rachelle B

Amanda & Rachelle

Rachelle, Amanda, Kelly

Allez cuisine!

Swiss chard is pretty!

Our instructor, Chef Paul

Cory, Rachelle, Caroline

Soup Fixins

All portioned and ready.

Chop! Chop!

Jeannette & Rachelle

Kristin & Jeannette

Jeannette making the soup.

Soup Base

Kelly making ribbons of swiss chard.

Kelly taking notes.

Amanda making soup and drinking wine.

Potatoes gratin ingredients.

Potatoes gratin ingredients.

Jess B, Jeannette, Rachelle

Chef Paul & Rachelle

Browning shallots.

Caroline getting ready to add rosemary.

Bread pudding ingredients.

Presenting: Bread pudding.

Buttering the pan.

Kelly & Amanda

Jess G.

Kristin

Group Effort: Jess B. & Cory

Cooking class.

Serving the soup.

Cutting up pork tenderloin.

White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup With Sage

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fruit and Port Wine Reduction

Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin

Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin

Finished Meal: White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup With Sage, Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin, Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fruit and Port Wine Reduction, Spiced Apple Bread Pudding

Spiced Apple Bread Pudding

Sitting down for dinner.

Kelly, Amanda, Jeannette, Cory, Rachelle, Jess B, Jess G, Caroline, Kristin

Final Kitchen Shot: Back: Caroline, Jess G, Kristin, Rachelle, Kelly, Amanda, Cory. Front: Jeannette, Jess B

Kissy face!

Bread Pudding Face (we didn’t like it)

Cooking is something I’m really interested in and that I do a lot, so it was fun to do it with 8 of my closest friends. The class we took was actually supposed to be a couples cooking class, but we totally crashed that. The Chopping Block was awesome. They gave us two large tables in the class and pushed them together with 4 people working at each table. Kristin, Kelly, Amanda and Caroline were working at one table and Jessica B, Jeannette, Cory and I were at another table. Jessica G. brought the magic to both teams, helping out wherever needed.

For dinner we made:

• White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup With Sage
• Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fruit and Port Wine Reduction
• Spiced Apple Bread Pudding

Here is a link to all of the recipes (PDF).

By “we,” I mean, most of the rest of my team! I did stuff, but Jess and Jeannette really held it together while I talked a lot, floated around and drank a lot of wine out of whatever glass was the nearest to my hand.

Luckily The Chopping Block made it easy by pre-measuring a lot of things and by having 3 instructors going around making sure everything goes smoothly. At the end we all got to sit down and eat the meal we prepared. I loved the potatoes we made. The soup and pork were very good too.

Most people did not really care for the bread pudding, though. I don’t know if we made it wrong or what. At the end of the night we were getting our group photo taken and Jess G said “bread pudding face!” and we all made a horrible face!
The Chopping Block class was a great time. Everyone was saying how much fun they had. I think it’s good for parties or couples or anyone. Any occasion .. or even just a random night. Check it out.