Studio of Good Living

Attend a cooking class at Studio of Good Living in San Francisco and you’ll soon discover a new world full of culinary adventures. More than just a cooking school, the Studio of Good Living shares the art of living well with all its students!

Studio of Good Living offers exceptional cooking classes and events in the Bay Area and Beyond. Want to learn how to cook or brush up on your cooking skills? Take a class with us! Escape to San Francisco for a Taste of San Francisco or indulge yourself with Cook, Shop, Spa. Burned out? Drop into Live Well, Eat Well for yoga lovers. Continue the journey with the Art of Dinner Blog and view our video classes for new ideas to spice up your dinner table. . Need a change of scenery? Join us for a total culinary and lifestyle retreat in beautiful Maine. Discover the possibilities with Chef Phoebe Schilla and the Studio of Good Living. Life is Beautiful by Design.

Waffles with Caramelized Walnuts

Posted April 2, 2010 under: Holiday Menus and Recipes, Menus and Recipes

I love lazy Sundays.   Who doesn’t?  For me that means, sleeping in a little later, strong coffee, jazz, the paper and these waffles.  These waffles are delicious and the best part about them is that the batter has to be made the night before so it is super easy to whip them up for a really quick breakfast.  If you have the time definitely make the caramelized walnuts. They are totally addictive.

Waffles with Caramelized Walnuts

Adapted from The Secrets of Success Cookbook Signature Recipes and Insider Tips from San Francisco’s Best Restaurants by Michael Bauer

½ cup warm water,

1 package active, dry yeast

2 cups of milk

2 cups of all purpose flour

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

2 eggs

¼ tsp. baking soda

Caramelized Walnuts

2 cups walnuts

1 Tbsp. water

½ cup sugar

Waffle Batter

In a large bowl, combine the water and yeast.  Set aside until the yeast dissolves and the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, flour, butter, vanilla, salt, vanilla extract and sugar to the yeast mixture. Stir to blend.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature.

Caramelized Walnuts

Oil a large baking sheet or line a baking sheet with a silpat. Combine the nuts, water and sugar in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Stir occasionally until the sugar caramelizes, about 5 minutes.  Pour the caramelized nuts onto the prepared baking tray. Allow the nuts to cool, then transfer to a storage container and store at room temperature.

In the morning:

The next morning, heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Just before cooking the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the yeast mixture. When the waffle iron is hot, pour about ½ cup of batter onto the waffle iron.  Cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Most waffle irons have a timer—if yours does not, simply crack open and check to see if your waffle has an even golden brown color.  Serve with the caramelized nuts and maple syrup.  Whipped cream and berries would be a nice touch too!

Enjoy!

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Make Ahead Holiday Spinach and Yogurt Dip

Posted November 23, 2009 under: Holiday Menus and Recipes

This is my recipe ‘find’ of the month.  It is a quick, easy and delicious dip that you can make up to two days in advance.  My clients loved this recipe I hope that you do too!

Spinach and Yogurt Dip

From ‘Big Night In’ by Dominca Marchetti

*makes about 1 ½ cups

3 Tbsp. unsalted Butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 (11oz) pkg baby spinach leaves, steamed, squeezed to remove excess water and chopped (about 2/3 cup) *You can use frozen spinach, if that is what you have on hand.  Simply thaw, drain and measure out 2/3 cup.

¾ tsp. kosher or sea salt

1 cup whole milk Greek Style yogurt

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over a low to medium heat, stirring frequently.  You want the onion to be very soft and translucent. Remove the pan from the heat, cool and add the chopped spinach.  Stir to combine.

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, salt, cinnamon, pepper and yogurt.  Fold in the spinach and onion mixture. Let the dip sit for about half an hour to let the flavors mingle.  Place in the fridge until cold.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is the cinnamon.  It sounds unusual, but the pinch of cinnamon adds a haunting quality to the flavors of the dip.

This dip is outrageous served with pita chips, sliced cucumber, carrots and celery.

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Thanksgiving Tips and Organization

Posted November 16, 2009 under: Holiday Menus and Recipes
A Thanksgiving turkey that had been soaked for...
Image via Wikipedia

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays—notice I said ‘one of’ I think that Birthdays and Christmas are pretty nice too!  It’s really easy to stress out about Thanksgiving dinner but please don’t.  It’s really no different than any other dinner party.  Here are some tips to help you organize your Thanksgiving dinner.

  1. 10 days to one week prior to T-day confirm the number of guests and double check on any food allergies and intolerances.
  2. 10 days to one week prior pull all of the recipes that you will be using for Thanksgiving.
  3. Once you have pulled the recipes, check your pantry for staples like flour, sugar, baking powder etc.
  4. One week prior to Thanksgiving go to the grocery store and get everything that you will need for Thanksgiving dinner except for the Turkey and perishable vegetables.  Cranberries, butternut squash, potatoes, onions, garlic, frozen pie crusts will all keep for the big day.   The grocery store is a zoo the day or two before Thanksgiving. I highly recommend getting everything that you can ahead of time and just running in to pick up the Turkey and odds and ends the day before.
  5. If you are using the ‘special’ plates and silverware that you only use a couple of times a year, check to make sure that the plates are clean and the silverware is polished a week or so prior to Thanksgiving. (This goes for any party that you throw.)
  6. Check platters, serving dishes and linens when your check the plates and silverware.
  7. 5 days to a week prior pick up any wine and beverages that you will be serving. Pinot Noir is an excellent choice for such a complex meal as Thanksgiving.   Chardonnay is an excellent choice for a white wine, but if you prefer something dryer go with a Sauvignon Blanc . I love Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  While you are at the wine store grab some cocktail napkins to use with any hors d’oeurves that you are serving.
  8. One week prior order any pies and breads that you want from the bakery.
  9. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, salt your turkey heavily in the body cavity and under the skin, wrap and place in the fridge.  This technique is called dry brining.  It’s my favorite way to cook Turkey.   Use about 1 Tbsp. of salt for every 4 pounds of bird.  Check out www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/dining/111trex.html for a great article.
  10. The day before Thanksgiving is here. This is what you can do ahead of time: blanch any green vegetables such as green beans or sugar snap peas.  You  can quickly reheat them by sautéing in butter just before serving.   Peel and chop your potatoes, cover them with water and put them in the fridge.  Today is a great day to bake pies if that is your thing.  If you are making biscuits, mix your dry ingredients and cut in the butter today.  Thursday morning, add your liquid, mix and bake your biscuits.   Stuffing can be made ahead of time too, and just cooked the day of.
  11. Thanksgiving day.  Ask your guests for help to pull everything together!  Most people want to take part in the preparation—they just don’t want to plan the entire meal.

Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to connect with others year after year.  That’s really what it is about, isn’t it?  Connecting.  In the end, if the turkey is a little dryer than you would like, just pass the gravy and count your blessings.

Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

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