Easter Pound Cakes made by The Pentecostals of Troy are now on sale. The egg-shaped, chocolate-covered cakes, topped with a candy flower, are $10 a dozen, $5 for a half-dozen. The deadline to order is March 17, with pickup March 23 at the church. For more information go to www.pentecostalsoftroy.org, like the church on Facebook, call 667-6054, or email revbb63@aol.com.
Valentine's Day Cooking Class
When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 2
Where: The Ritz-Carlton kitchens,
Cost: $89, which includes breakfast, recipe booklet
Reservations: Required to 314-719-1433
Features: Brings together guests and Ritz-Carlton chefs for hands-on instruction and preparation of aphrodisiac cuisine. After the class participants prepare the items, they and the Ritz-Carlton chefs will lunch in The Wine Room. Recipes include Andrea's carrot curry soup, lemon-infused prosciutto and mozzarella, Beausoleil oyster with passion fruit sphere, jumbo lump crab cake, pistachio-crusted veal, eggplant parmigiana and philo-wrapped cheese cake.
Make it a weekend: Package includes two nights stay (Feb. 1 and Feb. 2), attendance for two in the cooking class, Saturday night dinner for two in The Grill, and brunch for two Sunday morning in The Restaurant. $699.
Kitchen quandries
What is beurre blanc?
A white wine, vinegar and shallot reduction, into which cubes of cold butter are whisked until the sauce is thick and smooth. Marvelous over grilled fish.
What makes stone-ground flour better?
Whether white or brown, it still has the wheatgerm and the flour's natural oil, which makes for better pastry and biscuits.
What is in the XO sauce I seem to see a lot on tables in Asian restaurants?
Originating in high-end Hong Kong restaurants, it is used both as a table condiment and to add vevre to seafood and chicken dishes. It is made with scallops, cured fish, and shrimp, mixed with chili, onion and garlic.
What is the difference between pancetta and bacon?
Pancetta comes from the same pork belly cut, but the salt cure used is flavored with herbs and spices, such as garlic, pepper and fennel seeds. And, unlike bacon, pancetta is air-cured for four months.
-- "How To Be A Better Foodie, A Bulging Little Book for the Truly Epicurious," by Sudi Pigott
