Cheers and thank you!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support of The Kitchen Door Culinary Classes. As of Summer 2017 we will be wrapping up our business and discontinuing our classes both publicly and privately in order to prepare for some new adventures! After five wonderful years of getting to know so many incredible people we will certainly miss the fun of learning, cooking and eating together. The natural sense of community that has formed at each class over the years has been a wonderful tribute to the power of food and the shared meal experience. We hope you will keep cooking and find new inspirations in the future. Our future here is looking bright as we navigate the exciting waters of three kiddos eight and under, some special needs and a whole lot of crazy fun!

As we will no longer be offering Public or Private classes, we want to acknowledge that there are some folks who have yet to utilise their Gift Certificates. For this reason we will be planning on running two follow up classes later this Summer and Fall. If you have an unused Gift Certificate (or gave one as a gift) please reply to this email with the following information:

• Provide your name
• Relevant email address
• Gift Certificate number
• Particular theme of interest (first and second choice) - Here is the link to the list

Also, feel free to forward this email on to anyone you may know that might be in this situation. We hope to get everyone out to a class!

Please don't hesitate to send any questions you may have. We want to thank you from the bottom or our hearts for your patronage and enthusiasm for cooking and we wish you many happy meals ahead!

Sincerely, Katie Franks and Crew

PS - Don't worry, I won't be done posting recipes or sharing our adventures ;)

Recipe of the Day - Corn Tortillas and Pico de Gallo Salsa

We are having good friends for dinner tonight and we are eating tacos... As it happens, I have a wee bit of extra time today, so I am making fresh corn taco shells (aka tortillas de harina). These traditional South American flat breads are the perfect vehicle for your favourite taco fillings and sauces as they stay pliable and are strong enough to hold all the goods. They also happen to blow any store bough tortilla right out of the water. Keep in mind that they take a bit of practice so be kind to yourself as you get the hang of making them and don't worry about having a tortilla press because you can use a small saucepan and get the same great results. If you have never made fresh salsa then this classic is where you should start... 

Pico de Gallo This classic Mexican topping can be made with or without jalapeños. Keep in mind that adding the seeds ups the heat.

Makes about 2 1/2 Cups

Ingredients:

1/2 medium white onion, diced

2 cups diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño (optional)

Kosher salt (be generous)

Instructions:

1. Place 1 cup cold water and 2 ice cubes in a medium bowl. Add onion; stir, then discard ice; drain well.

2. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeño, if desired. Season with salt.

Tortillas de Harina Corn Tortillas 

The unleavened bread of Mexican cuisine, corn tortillas are made from masa, a type of corn flour. Freshly made corn tortillas are delicious. But in case you don't have time for the press and grill routine, here are some tips on how to rejuvenate store-bought tortillas.

HOW TO REHEAT PACKAGED or HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

Keep tortillas in the refrigerator until ready to use. Reheat them by wrapping stacks of up to 8 pieces in tin foil. Then, place wrapped tortillas in an oven set at 350F for about 15 minutes.

If you're crunched for time, just wrap six to eight tortilla rounds in a dish towel and microwave for 30 seconds until soft, pliable, and ready to be filled.

Ingredients:

2 cups (or more) masa (corn tortilla mix; preferably Maseca brand)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Vegetable oil (for brushing)

Instructions:

1. Whisk masa and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water; knead in bowl until dough forms. The dough should feel firm and springy and look slightly dry (think Play-Doh). Add more water by tablespoonfuls if too crumbly; add a little more masa if too wet.

2. Measure 1 heaping Tbsp. dough and roll into a ball. Flatten on a tortilla press lined with a plastic bag. If tortilla crumbles, dough is too dry (add more water); if it sticks to the plastic, dough is too wet (add more masa). Repeat, pressing out 2 more tortillas.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; lightly brush with oil. Cook 2–3 tortillas until charred in spots and edges start to curl, 1–2 minutes. Turn; cook through, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a kitchen towel; fold over to keep warm. Repeat, in batches, with remaining dough.

Recipe of the Day - Rustic Spanish-Style Tomato Soup

This was dinner tonight at our house... I am too tired some days to come up with fantastic or extravagant meal ideas, plus the kids don't eat my best meals anyways. Tonight I wanted them to get some good calories so I added sausage to the recipe. It's delicious and hearty and best of all, it's super easy.

Rustic Spanish-Style Tomato Soup 

Ingredients:

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 stalks celery, cut in half lengthwise and roughly chopped

2 large cans plum tomotoes

2 cups water

1 Tbsp rubbed sage

1 Tbsp marjoram or oregano

4 each bay leaves

2-3 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups 35% cream (or substitute 10% if you must)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot until hot. Add onions and celery and saute until onions are translucent, about 5-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile crush the tomatoes by hand or using a potato masher, making sure there are no big pieces left. Add all the other ingredients except the cream. Simmer for 20 minutes to infuse.

3. Add cream, simmer another 5 minutes and serve right away or place in the fridge for several days. Note: This soup is delicious with the addition of sausage which can be removed from the casing and sauteed along with the onions and celery. Yield: 8 servings

Recipe of the Day - Charred Corn Salad with Basil and Tomatoes

Charred Corn Salad with Basil and Tomatoes

A great recipe for this time of year. Courtesy of Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

12 ears of corn, husked

6 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves, large leaves torn

1/3 cup (or more) fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Rub corn with 1 Tbsp. oil. Grill, turning frequently, until corn is charred and heated through, 10-12 minutes. Remove from grill; when cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a large bowl. DO AHEAD: Corn can be made 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

2. Place onion in a strainer and rinse with cold water to mellow its flavour. Drain well. Mix onion, remaining 5 Tbsp. oil, tomatoes, basil, 1/3 cup lime juice, and thyme into corn. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired. DO AHEAD: Salad can be assembled 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Recipe of the Day - Southern Style Sweet Tea

With Spring weather finally here I am inspired to add ice to all my favourite beverages again. Here is a sample recipe from our Southern Fare Cookbook. This is how they make iced tea in the South and it is fabulous! This coming May 12th is our Public Southern/Cajun Class here at TKD and there are spaces still available. To sign up just head to the Schedule and Fees Tab and Register through PayPal.

Ingredients:
3 family-sized black tea bags (or 12 individual tea bags), like Lipton or Tetley
4 cups water, plus more to fill the pitcher
1 cup sugar
Mint or lemon slices, optional to serve

Instructions:

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Steep the tea for 5 minutes. Dunk the tea bags a few times in the water to fully hydrate, then leave submerged with the strings hanging over the side of the pot. After 5 minutes, remove the bags and discard.

3. Add the sugar to the tea. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the tea base into the pitcher. If using multiple pitchers, divide the tea evenly between them.

4. Top off the pitchers with water. Add another 3 quarts of water to make a gallon of sweet tea.

5. Refrigerate until very cold. Chill for at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight. Serve over ice. Add a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon, if desired! The sweet tea will keep refrigerated for about a week.

Recipe of the Day - Fruit Cobbler

Fruit Cobbler

The humble cobbler can be called by various names such as tart, pie, torte, pandowdy, grunt, slump, buckles, crisp, croustade, bird's nest pudding or crow's nest pudding. This simple dessert is based on seasonal fruits and berries, and should you lack fresh you can easily 'cobble' together whatever is at hand. Serve with ice cream for a perfect ending to any meal.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk

2 cups of sliced fresh peaches or nectarines, or whole blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination of fruits (or a 12-ounce package of frozen berries)

1 Tbsp sugar

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put butter in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.

3. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp of sugar.

4. Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Custom Gift Certificates Now Available

Why not consider a cooking class as the perfect gift for the special people in your life? All of our classes include hands on learning, instruction by chef Katie Franks, a delicious meal we make together and a recipe book full of fun to take home at the end.


Great as a gift for individuals or groups and especially anyone who loves to cook and eat in good company. Gift Certificates can be purchased online and customized just the way you like.

Cost is $60 per person (no tax). See our Registration Page for easy PayPal payments or send an email to katie_franks@me.com to order. For online orders please leave the name of the recipient and a brief message in the notes section.