Reviews and Blog Posts: cooking demos

The great divide for many of us is the chasm between good tasting, satisfying foods and healthy, nutrient-dense fare. But the library shelves are groaning with great cookbooks that will help you bridge the perceived gap between delicious and nutritious. Here are a couple suggestions:

Click on the photo to the left to see the correct answer to these questions.

1. There is no more famous figure in Irish history than St. Patrick, but where was he actually born?

2. Non-liturgical St. Patrick's Day is always held on March 17. What is the significance of this date?

3. Before 'the wearing of the green' became ubiquitous, what color was most commonly associated with St. Patrick?

 Fresh City Life is bringing together food entrepreneurs and chefs for Battle Quick Bread – including Ellen Daehnick of Helliemae’s Salt Caramels. Though Ellen has a legion of fans who love her caramel sauces and candies, she jumped at the chance to compete for the bragging rights of Best Quick Bread. When asked about the competition, she said, “Look, I’ve got excellent recipes for quick breads with caramel in them, but maybe I’ll mix it up and do something chocolatey or with a touch of booze.

After this Saturday's cooking demo with Chef Jessica Gaydos, you'll be on your way to a truly beneficial stock portfolio. Chef Jess is going to show you how to make soup from fresh produce and short list of pantry ingredients; she'll also talk about making luxurious stocks that can be the base for great homemade meals. Stocks (and many soups) freeze well; after you learn the ins and outs of making stocks, throw a stock party for a group of friends and bank your dividends for future meals.

Whatever your favorite pundit is calling the current and ongoing economic crunch - recession, economic decline, bear market, slow down -- one thing is certain: the cost of living is going up. Groceries are more expensive and getting to and from the store is costlier as well.

Recently, a close friend said to me, "I just read an article that compares our current economic woes to some of the harbingers of the Great Depression. How are we supposed to prepare for that?"

This year has been full of amazing chefs teaching delightful dishes, and now you have access to those dishes whether you attended the class or not.

Here are some highlights of the 2010 cooking demos:

New Irish Cuisine Cooking Series in February and March- Chef Jessica Gaydos taught us about the potato famine, soda bread, and boxty, a very starchy yet delicious fried potato dish.

This Saturday KitchenCue Chef Shellie Kark will be demonstrating how to make a variety of delicious and indulgent holiday appetizers, including Roasted Baby Beets and Gently Steamed Potatoes with House Made Creme Fraiche and American Sturgeon Caviar. Now doesn't that sound fancy? You don't have to go to a five star restaurant to taste this earthly delight- learn how to make it yourself and wow your party guests while you're at it!

Saturday December 4, 1:30-3 p.m., Level B2 Conference Center of the Central Library

For more delicious appetizer recipes, nibble on these books!

RootDown is one of Denver's best healthy fine-dining restaurants, and Chef Daniel Asher is ready and willing to teach us how to make a fancy four course RootDown-style meal using local organic products! I recently had the opportunity to ask Daniel some personal questions about food, childhood and vices. Read on, reader:

You are undeniably passionate about ethical, healthy food. How did you eat as a kid? Did your passion start then, or later?