I always wanted to learn something American, addition to the language (English). And I found this lady Krista's American cooking lesson in Encinitas and joined the lesson.
We, the students of five, learned
- Shepard's Pie
- Classic Roll Bread
- Lacy Oatmeal Cookies
Shepard's Pie is originally from Britain. Despite of its name, there is no pie crust in it. This is a layer of bround beef, carrot and persnip puree, mushed potato and medium chedder.
Before
After
Classic Roll Bread. According to Krista, her grandma would often bake this bread for sunday dinner.
I tasted freshly baked bread for the first time in a couple of years. I used to bake bread often in Japan- I had this smart bread baking machine, which is called Home Bakery" by Panasonic. He kneads, ferments, and bakes! All I had to do was to put all the ingredients in the case! Yes, even I could bake a variety of yummy fresh bread. He knows when yeast has to be mixed with the dough and how long the bread has to be baked depending on the weather. Quite smart guy. I miss him.
Lacy Oatmeal Cookies. I didn't expect much to this cookies because oatmeal can be a bit tough, but it turned out just right. I liked how oatmeal textured.
I got to meet the type of people who I wouldn't normally meet- mainly the housewives of expats from Japan. Also, interestingly there was a Korean mom attended to the class and I played a role as a bridge between her and other students. (I speak Korean just as much as I do English) This was appreciated by the teacher too and she sent me thank you note since the lady could have been a bit isolated. It is funny how I run into Korean people at where I go.
Anyway, I liked this class because I get to learn where those ingredients are found and which brand would be good.
Okay, I learned American cooking. Cool. So I cooked Shepard's pie the very next day and brought it to the potluck party, which doubles as a gift for Hideaki, my classmate who has recently got a job. Practice makes perfect, right?
I browned chedder so as to be looked appetizing. And guess what, people loved this dish! To my surprise, even some Americans never tried this dish. It was pretty suitable for parties. I will cook it again.
The party's hostess Becky is showing me how to cook meatloaf, my favorite American dish. I am excited to learn it.Labels: Food, Happy Happens
