by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
I didn’t expect the Publix Apron’s Cooking School to be so deluxe. Anyone who frequents Publix has seen the Apron cooking demos and the Apron’s cases, which feature a recipe and all the ingredients in one display. I expected something just a little more extensive than those demos I had seen, perhaps next to the bakery, with enough room for folding chairs. I wasn’t expecting the 2,000 square foot, camera ready facility with two kitchen classrooms and a full calendar of food classes. Our Apron’s Cooking School is one of three that Publix has opened, all of which are in Florida. Tampa and Sarasota lay claim to the other two.
You’ll be able to choose from demo-style classes that are set up like a cooking show, and hands-on cooking classes. With both styles of classes you get to eat what you make or what the chef makes. These meals are steal; the Couples Cooking Class is a mere $80 per couple: you get a five course meal and a few hours of entertainment as you watch the meal being cooked. It’s a charged atmosphere of fun, with an injection of upscale casual. Chefs teaching the courses will range from the staff at Apron’s and local chefs to international celebrity chefs. Most of the celebrity chefs will also bring one of their books for a book signing before or after their cooking demo.
The three Apron’s Cooking Schools grew out of the cases and demos of the Apron’s displays, which in turn came from the “Simple Meals” program. All of these programs and the new Apron’s Kitchen are the brainchild of Shelly Carroll, Director of Meals at Publix. Of the inspiration for the programs, Carroll says: “We need people to shop and we need people to cook and, as we talked to people and researched, we found that they needed help cooking. So, we developed the Apron Recipe Cards and we put all the ingredients in one display. People could get what they needed and be in and out.”
Many people are still intimidated by the kitchen and thirst for basic knowledge. They look at all the ingredients on the shelf, coming away so confused that they just stick to the few dishes they know. The most popular courses aren’t the specialty courses like Thai cooking or “Gingerbread Houses” (December 2nd, 10th,16th $35 for a family of four or less). The courses that fill the fastest are things like “Basic Knife Skills” and other courses that cover the basics. By the way, even in something like “Basic Knife Skills” you won’t miss out on the food. The four course menu for this month’s “Knife Skills” class is cream of mushroom soup, Asian pork stir fry, broiled basa with Mediterranean salsa and fresh fruit cobbler. Course prices run from an average of about $30 to $150 per person, depending on the course and whether a celebrity chef will be part of the class.
At the Apron’s Cooking School demo I attended, our celebrity chef was Rocco DiSpirito. He’s known for his cookbooks (Flavor, Rocco’s Italian American, and Rocco’s Five Minute Flavor), his involvement in Manhattan’s Union Pacific and his role in the 2003, 2004 reality series called The Restaurant. DiSpirito’s cookbook, Rocco’s Five Minute Flavor was available for purchase and DiSpirito signed copies for fans after the demo. Every dish in the cookbook is ready in five minutes or less using five ingrediants, with each serving coming in at under $5. Of cooking at Apron’s DiSpirito commented “It’s nice to cook for Publix because… [they’re] setting a new standard.” Shrimp Scampi with Grilled Bread, Chicken Braised with Martini Rosso and Dijon served with Risotto, and a delightful Martini Rosso Tiramisu were dished up at the demo.Each of the four courses on the menu was accompanied by a Robert Mondavi wine selected to compliment each course.
All of the ingredients in DiSpirito’s demo came straight from Publix’s shelves. Most of the demos and hands-on classes will feature ingredients from the store. Patrick Walley, Apron’s Resident Chef, says that food shopping is one of his “favorite things to do.” Once Walley and his staff have shopped the ingredients in the store they prep the food for demo classes as far as they can. While the demo is going on, they use the second kitchen to put the finishing touches on the dishes.
The calendar of cooking classes has a time slot for every person, from weekends to week nights. “Come January,” Walley says, “We’re going to be running two classes simultaneously.” Classes include “Girl’s Night Out,” “Kid’s Survivor Camp,” “Couples Cooking” and much, much more. For a schedule of celebrity chef appearances and classes, go towww.publix.com/aprons or call (904) 262-4187. The school is located in the Publix at 10500 San Jose Boulevard, in Mandarin.
|
