Learning Tips

LEARNING TIPS

“Success is no accident.

It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all,

love of what you are doing or learning to do”.

Pele

LEARNING TIPS is a little bonus that I like to incorporate on Urbnspice and into my cookbooks. I use LEARNING TIPS to elaborate on a technique or share tips with you that helped me throughout my career as a chef and pastry chef as well as my home kitchen.

I use the term LEARNING TIPS in a broader sense to allow for a greater scope to explain some of the finer points of baking and cooking. This can often make the difference between a good result and an exceptional one.

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Fun with Pomegranates

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

What is the best way to eat and/or use pomegranates? I have heard many versions and most people talk about struggling to get to the juicy gems (called arils) that are well hidden inside the dry pithy fruit. I thought it might be a great idea to tell you about one of the easiest (and neater) ways of tackling this unusual fruit.

: A beautiful pomegranate

Did you know that Pomegranates are considered a Super Food? They have sources of Vitamins A, D and B-12, and Calcium, Protein, Potassium and fibre, as well as it is a powerful antioxidant. And, they are delicious!

CHEF TALK: The two common methods of extracting the arils from the pomegranate is to score the outside of the pomegranate as shown in the first photo. Pry the fruit in half. Using a medium to Large size bowl, hold the pomegranate half (or pieces) over the bowl and use the back of a wooden spoon to tap firmly against the fruit and the arils will fall into the bowl.

The second method, which is a technique that I prefer, is as follows. If you try this technique, you will have a minimum of pink speckles all over your kitchen (and little faces if your children or grandchildren are helping you).

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Roast Your Nuts!

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

If you want to “step it up a notch” in your kitchen, whether a professional kitchen or a home kitchen, Roast Your Nuts before using them in your recipe. It is a surefire way to elevate the taste of your food in both cooking and baking from flavourless to outstanding.

Why bother? You would not consider having a cup of coffee with un-roasted beans, would you? Have you ever eaten a cookie, cake or bread that has the addition of nuts that really did not deliver the taste you were expecting?

Roast Your Nuts: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Pecan Cookies

For example:

A chocolate chip pecan cookie
Hazelnut Raisin Bread
Granola Bars or granola
German Chocolate Cake with traditional coconut & pecan filling
Bar nuts, candied nuts, spiced nuts, etc.

As well, other food-related items that are not baked but have nuts added, such as:

A spinach salad with goat cheese, cranberries, sliced pears and candied pecans (that were not roasted beforehand)
A pesto with pine nuts or walnuts that were not roasted

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A Frilly Frittata – An Italian Omelette

By Denise Pare-Watson

Do you love eggs? Do you love them for breakfast, brunch or dinner? Me, too! How about a recipe that can be used for all three meals? I think you are going to like this one. It is a delicious take on a frittata, which in essence is an Italian omelette. What it really could be described as is an easy way to make an omelette for a crowd. I have a trick up my sleeve to share with you that makes it easy to do.

I have made this Frittata for Mother’s Day Brunch, Father’s Day Breakfast, as well as when we have a houseful of guests for the weekend. You will find that the art of making a frittata is a very good skill to master.

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Learning Tips – Cutting the Cake

By Denise Pare-Watson

Learning Tips Series

Learning tips are something that I like to incorporate into my books. Here is one of the most popular topics: Cutting the Cake.

First, I have a story to tell a story regarding why it is so important to cut a cake properly after having taken so much effort to create a beautiful dessert.

During a volunteer trip to France, the resident chef where we were staying bought two gorgeous cakes for our final farewell dinner. The Chef took great pains to set up his station with the beautiful cakes, a cake server, plates, etc. With great aplomb, he started to cut the cakes. It was quite painful for me to watch how quickly the beautiful cakes were destroyed. Instead of a cleanly cut serving, we were each presented with an unrecognizable muddle of cake. A chainsaw may have been a better choice of cutting tools in this case.

Double Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake …

UrbnSpice Cooking Classes

By Denise Pare-Watson

Cooking Classes

PRICES:

Adult Classes: $ 90/adult – Classes of Six or Eight (minimum 5 students to hold classes) – Hands-On Classes 3 hours in length. Recipe booklets are included, light refreshments are served, and tastings of what is created in class are enjoyed and taken home (if applicable). Gather a group of six friends and family and contact UrbnSpice for an opening date.

Kids In the Kitchen Classes: $30/child – Classes of six children (minimum 5 students) – Hands-On Classes 1 1/2 hours in length. Recipe booklets are included, light refreshments are served, and the kids eat what they create in the UrbnSpice kitchen.

All Classes are held Tuesday to Thursday, 1 pm to 4 pm, unless otherwise arranged. Saturday Classes Upon Request

All Classes are located in Lower Mission, Kelowna, BC

CLASSES:

SIMPLY SOUPS

Easy, classic and hearty soups are covered in this course, including quick stocks and stock discussion. Knife skills are discussed in all cooking classes, with demonstrations and hands-on skill building.

VEGGIN’ IT – Vegetables may seem rather dull – until you take this class! There is often a waiting list.

Desserts with Fruit or Wine:

Simple Gluten-Free Desserts

OTHER DESSERTS, Including CHOCOLATE!

Gluten-Free Cooking

Gluten Free Chicken Dinner

Gluten-Free Desserts

Milk Chocolate Almond Torte with Praline Layer Crust from Gluten Free Chocolate Desserts

All About Pastry – Baking Class – upon request

Learn to Cook Series:

Beef Cooking Class – upon request

Fish Cooking Class – upon request

Chicken Cooking Class – upon request

Appetizers Cooking Class – upon request

This popular class is chock full of ideas for any event, including demonstrating how to use ready to buy pastries like phyllo and puff pastries with ideas for make ahead and freezing appetizers so you are ready for anything.

Italian Night – upon request

A fun night filled with Italian favourites, including making your own ricotta cheese, appetizers, pasta sauces, main dishes and dessert ideas. A lively class.

Gluten-Free Cooking Class – upon request

This is a class that is requested frequently by folks having to deal with an interested in learning about cooking gluten-free or for those with a new dietary restriction and do not know where to start. Appetizers, main dishes, and desserts – all gluten-free – all delicious!

Gluten-Free Desserts – Baking Class – upon request

You will never know that these desserts are gluten-free: including making dessert sauces, cakes, pies, and simple dessert ideas.

Denise Paré-Watson

The UrbnSpice Chef

For Details, contact: Email: [email protected]

COOKING CLASSES

Private Customized Cooking Classes or Baking Classes available upon request (fee starts at $200 per 2 hours/person). Includes private hands-on instruction, recipe booklets, and eating your creations and taking them home (when applicable).

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

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Chocolate Cookies, Brownies and Squares – A New E-Book!

By Denise Pare-Watson

Announcing the Newest Volume in the Series,

“Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – Chocolate Cookies, Brownies and Squares is here!

Nothing says “home, family and friends” like Chocolate Cookies, Brownies and Squares.

I have been busy working with new and conventional recipes that we all remember as children and perfecting them to a point where they are simple and easy to utilize, whether at home or at work.

The feedback and comments that I have received from my first book, “Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – Cakes”, has been extremely gratifying. It has been a significant motivating factor with respect to writing this new book, “Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – Cookies, Brownies and Squares”.

From the Cookbook Series: Gluten and Gluten-Free Quadruple Chocolate Brownies

Your feedback has demonstrated to me that home bakers truly appreciate a quality recipe that is simple to follow, tried, true, tested and tasted. You also indicated from your feedback that you enjoyed the additional information (Learning Tips, Definitions & Explanations) that I provided in the book as to how to make your baking experience easier and more fulfilling. After all, this book is all about making you a hero!

Once again, I have taken my favourite, most delicious and easiest to produce chocolate cookie, brownie and square recipes and have provided them for your enjoyment. Take a look and tell me what you think!

From UrbnSpice’s Cookbook Series called, “Chocolate Desserts Made Easy & Delicious:

Chocolate Cookies, Brownies and Squares

CLICK THE BOOK COVER BELOW!

Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – Cookies, Brownies & Squares

There are ten different Brownie recipes in this book, including:

Ultimate Quadruple Chocolate Brownies

From the Cookbook Series: Gluten and Gluten-Free Quadruple Chocolate Brownies

There are Thirty Cookie Recipes in the book.

Here is one of them:

Chocolate and Oat Cookies with a Creamy Filling

There are Ten Recipes for Squares and Bars in the book.

Here is one of them:

Buttertart Squares with Chocolate

There are also sections in this book covering recipes for:

Bases, Fillings and Glazes

Learning Tips

Definitions and Explanations

*****

“Never, ever refuse homemade brownies”

UrbnSpice

This book will be your go-to reference cookbook for Cookies, Brownies and Squares. I am excited about this book. I know you will be, too.

Happy Baking with Cookies, Brownies and Squares, everyone!

Denise Pare-Watson

The UrbnSpice Chef

Here is further information on UrbnSpice’s Other Books:

Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious Series of Cookbooks

Here is one of Amazon’s Top Reviewers Had to say about this book:

Top Customer Reviews

Chocolate! Need Any More Be Said?

ByGrandmaTOP 500 REVIEWERon March 16, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Those of you who follow my cookbook reviews know that it is a very hard thing to get a five-star review from me. Denise Paré-Watson hits every one of the marks with her latest, Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – Cookies, Brownies & Squares. The book is very nicely formatted and features an interactive Table of Contents that interfaces with the Kindle Navigation menu correctly. It is patently obvious that Denise knows of what she writes as she shares her expertise with the reader in more than fifty recipes for various bites of chocolate heaven.

Denise presents recipes that range from Black & White Chocolate Chips to definitely drool-worthy Quadruple Chocolate Brownies (the picture alone of that one is enough to make me gain a pound!!) and not just one but two different recipes for Chocolate Wafers – the crisp thin kind you use for Chocolate Icebox Cake and the softer kind that you use for Ice Cream Sandwiches. Each and every recipe is accompanied by a thorough description, detailed directions and often suggestion for a number of variations, storage and so on. The book includes both standard and metric measurements as well as pictures of most items. This is, without a doubt, a chocolate cookie baking primer!

If you love chocolate, this book’s for you.

Highly recommended!

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

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