How do you feel about cooking? For me, it is a pleasure! I love cooking and though I never thought of joining a cooking class before, Chef Sally Jane tempted me with her offer!
Chef Sally, an American living in Beirut. Passionate about food since her early ages, she used to play the host preparing family dinners. Her trips around the world reflected in her culinary knowledge and she appreciated the difference in cultures that was translated in food. Her mother was her inspiration, and she eventually pursued her passion in cooking in the French Culinary Institute in New York; she worked as a private chef and caterer in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Amman, Beirut, and on a grand sailboat in the Mediterranean.
In Beirut, Chef Sally Jane has created on the fourth floor of an apartment nestled in an old building in Ashrafieh (expect no elevator there!) the Pantry . A space offering different culinary services. It became the space where the chef prepares the catering orders for her clients, the new recipes she works on as a menu consultant and hosted on Wednesdays a buffet for a different lunch break.
This Saturday, chef sally did her first cooking class, and needless to say it was a bit different. At 10 am, the group met at Souk el tayeb where we shopped the groceries we need for the fall inspired menu.
A drive back to the pantry, where the space pumps with hospitality and soft breeze!
It was time to season that chicken
For the appetizer we opted for goat cheese bruschettas ( bread from bread and salt)
For the salad: kale and lettuce with figs,roasted beetroot, some walnuts in an apple cider- mustard vinaigrette
As a side dish, we roasted kabocha and butternut squash: seasoned with salt, pepper and roasmary.
And the sweet tooth would be pampered with tahini frangipane apple galette.
First here is the pie crust recipe:
And here is the tahini frangipane:
Team work, easy instructions and welcoming hosts made time pass so quickly, and here we had a beautiful spread in chinaware from morocco, russia and other finds of the chef!
We talked and enjoyed our meal in the perfect atmosphere. Food reunites and binds!
If you are looking for different experiences, chef sally is also hosting supper club Thursdays,check it out!
Always fabulous
La Petite
XOXO
Style, Travel and Lifestyle blogger 