MARK WARHAFT'S COOKING CLASSES 204 489-9632 Mark Warhaft is a local caterer and cook-book author. He has trained in Chinese cooking, and is experienced in Japanese, Mexican, Greek, Middle-Eastern, Thai, and Indian cuisines. Between his in-house catering and his Good Smells Invasion booth at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mark has served international delights to tens of thousands of people. SUSHI -- Sushi does not mean raw fish! Sushi means seasoned rice with a topping (which often is raw fish). In this class we will look at the basic ingredients for making sushi at home. Special attention will be given to proper making of the rice. Raw tuna and salmon will be used, as will cooked crab, cooked shrimp, tinned tuna, avocado, plus specialized Japanese ingredients such as konbu, wasabi, shoga, nori, shoyu, We will also learn about miso-shiro soup and Japanese teas. THAI FOOD 1 -- Chillis, coconut milk, lemongrass, cilantro, fish sauce, Holy basil, lime leaves. The flavours of Thai food have invaded North America -- lucky us! Bold fresh tastes coupled with the cooking techniques of China and India make this an exciting and easy cuisine to learn. We will do: the famous (and fiery) Tom Yam lemon-chilli soup with prawns; chicken cooked in coconut milk; Garlic pork with Holy Basil (if available); a Thai beef salad; and Pad Thai noodles. THAI FOOD 2 -- Chicken-coconut soup, Mee Krob (crunchy noodles in an orange-flavoured sauce, warm chicken salad (Laabe), Thai spring rolls, shrimp cakes, and a dish I discovered on a street in Bangkok: Ha Mok -- steamed coconut seafood mousse with lime leaf. SOUTH INDIAN PURE VEGETARIAN -- South Indian food is not available in Winnipeg, and that is a pity. Thin crispy crepes stuffed with dry potato curry (Masala Dosa); steamed rice dumplings served with coconut chutney (idlis); fresh rice noodles with spicy vegetable curry (idiapam with sambar); plus dal lentils, raita, onion- tomato and cilantro chutneys, and thalis -- the buffet that comes to you! BASIC WOK COOKING -- In this course we will look at the benefits of wok-cooking, how to buy and season a wok, and how to cook with a wok. Various oils will be discussed and simple light dishes will be prepared, including; fried rice, spicy cabbage, beef and broccoli, Shanghai fat-noodles, and shrimp egg foo yung. SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN -- If Northern Mediterranean cuisine is comprised of Spanish, French Provencal, and Italian foods, then Greek, Turkish, and North African dishes form the Southern Mediterranean cuisine. Learn how to make a variety of kebabs, Greek salad, tabouli, real gyros (Doner Kebabs), couscous, humus, and baba ganooj (eggplant dip extrodinaire). Tasty, easy, and full of the sun! MY TRIP TO MEXICO -- Gorditas (stuffed thick tortillas), Salsas (red and green), street enchiladas (fast and easy), chicken in mol‚ sauce, shrimp in smoked jalapeno pepper sauce (chipotle), spicy black beans, guacamole, and Mexican rice! MARK'S FAVOURITES -- Dishes that do not fit into any category and have not been taught in my other classes. Recipes will include Best Pasta Salad (sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil), chicken-apricot balls in lemon glaze, garlic-garlic chicken, fried spaghetti with black pepper steak, and others. Simple, unique, and delicious. INTERNATIONAL PITA-PIZZAS -- Using pita-bread as a base, we will make a variety of international-style pizzas not found in Winnipeg. Unique toppings and sauces should blow away any pizza lover (personally, pizza is my favourite food!). Some of the ingredients will include: curry seafood, salmon, egg, pine-nuts, potato, corn, nori (Japanese seaweed), plus lots more (maybe even some squid!). VEGETARIAN SUSHI -- For those who do not eat fish, we will learn how to make great and varied sushi dishes without any meat or fish products. Nutto (sticky beans), gobo (burdock root), ume (pickled plum), salad rolls, and more. Miso soup and Japanese teas as well, of course! EXOTIC INGREDIENTS GROCERY TOUR -- Preserved Szechuan pickle looks like green brains! Bombay Duck is a type of dried fish?!? Barbecued pork stomach -- delicious. Sound good? In this tour we will visit a few Asian and Indian grocery stores and look at exotic and not-so-exotic ingredients. Don't be scared -- people are friendly and prices are cheap. Bring your favourite (or weirdest) recipe, and we will try to unravel the mystery. CHILLIS: FRESH, DRIED, AND SAUCES -- There are so many hot ingredients available nowadays that it is impossible to know them all. In this class we will look at different chillis, sample a variety of prepared sauces, and cook a couple of dishes. Bring your heat shield -- you'll need it!