Who knew Publix has a cooking school in eleven locations? Nine are in Florida and the other two are in Richmond, Virginia and Alpharetta, Georgia. And for as awesome as I think Publix is, they don’t do a very good job of advertising their cooking school!
Classes & Demonstrations
There’s something for everyone… classes for kids, teens and adults, as well as demonstrations for those who don’t crave the hands-on experience.
Friday Night Demonstration
My husband, along with our friends Steve and Cheryl, decided to mix it up on a Friday night by getting crazy and going to Publix for a cooking demonstration.:) The classes and demonstrations are posted on the Publix website and it’s very easy to register there as well. I called before registering because my husband has a dairy allergy and I wanted to see if they could accommodate. The chefs were happy to work with him which was great news. And they did an awesome job offering him delicious, dairy-free courses.
Ambiance
Other than the fact that it’s a little strange walking through Publix to go to dinner, the cooking school itself is very cool. Tables are set with linens and crystal wine glasses. It’s classroom-like and also inviting. The crowd was a mix of people… different ages, groups of friends and couples.
Welcome
There were three chefs for our event and they took turns walking around and welcoming guests. They poured a sparkling wine while everyone was arriving and chatted with the guests. A copy of the menu, along with each recipe, was sitting at each seat. There was also a list of wines, with prices, included.
First Course
The first course was a Grilled Pear and Brie Ravioli. The chefs explained the process and shared tips and shortcuts. While they included the recipe for pasta dough along with instructions for making it, they used wonton wrappers for the demonstration, touting the ease of use and the fact that using them saved lots of time.
We dove into the ravioli so quickly that I didn’t get to snap a photo, but it was delicious. The chefs paired this course with a Gewürztraminer wine, which was delicious with the ravioli.
Second Course
Next, we enjoyed a Grilled Skirt Steak Spring Vegetable Salad. As the chef demonstrated the process, the other chefs plated and served the course. We learned tips about adjusting seasoning, the best way to prepare skirt or flank steak and more. The salad was paired with a yummy merlot.
Third Course
We enjoyed Reverse-Grilled Lamb Chops with Strawberry-Mint Glaze, Braised Leeks and Roasted Fingerlings as our third course. They showed us how to sous vide the lamb, followed by grilling. The chefs also mentioned they have a class which compares the sous vide method side-by-side with traditional cooking, which I think would be very interesting to see! The chefs paired the lamb with a California pinot noir.
The end result was delicious and beautiful.
Dessert
The final course was dessert, which is usually my favorite. Alternatively, my husband rarely eats dessert because of his dairy allergy.
The Fire Roasted Habanero-Mango Sorbet with Grilled Pineapple was not my cup of tea. Loved the pineapple, thought smoke was going to come out of my ears after tasting the sorbet. I am just not a spicy gal. My husband, on the other hand, loved it. I gladly gave him my serving! I did drink the riesling they served with the dessert!
A Fun Evening
We really enjoyed it and would do it again. They teach a knife skills class I would love to take. They also sell great quality kitchen tools, cookware and appliances at the locations with cooking schools. If you attend a class, you get a discount on those items you purchase that day.
Check it out!
Fore more articles on food, please click on the following:
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