Today we were gathered at a Hastings’ Gourmet Warehouse, a destination for specialty cookware, plus kitchen and home products. I have visited serval time before, without realizing that they also hosted cooking classes.
These are held on their second floor mezzanine, which was also news to me. These classes are open to the public, for anyone to enrol in. There are a variety of classes to choose from, including how to make handmade pasta from scratch, mastering Mediterranean cuisine, and even how to prepare the trendy sourdough. We were here to learn how to cook with California Walnuts.
The class is set up cooking show style, no hands on experience, but you get a step by step explanation of how to prepare everything; and then the ability to eat it after, course by course, in place of dinner.
Today’s class would be all about California, Walnuts and how you can easily incorporate them into five unique dishes, as a healthy source of additional protein. This class is available on October 9th, 2024, as a great transition into fall and the season’s warming nuttier flavours coming to the forefront.
Our chef today was Deniz, who I have met and taken one of his courses before. He is currently the resident chef at Gourmet Warehouse with his specialty being Mediterranean cuisine with a Turkish touch, thanks to his heritage and background.
As guests arrived we were given some time to shop the store with additional time in between courses, and after the class, should we need it. They have so many unique products. Not just cookware and serve ware, but home decor, gifting ideas; and a bevy of seasoning, spreads, nonperishable snacks; and even Jelly Cat plushies. Those who have been know you can spend hours perusing the isles. I was most gobsmacked by the $250 bottle of vanilla extract. Price tag not determined by the quantity, but the quality of the product within.
When time, we were all gathered upstairs, invited to take a seat facing the chef’s bench. I was able to grab a front row seat for an unobstructed view. For those who didn’t, they could follow along using the televised monitors above. These gave a birdseye view of the action.
The class is very casual. Chef Deniz allowed for questions and encouraged audience participation. He started each recipe from scratch, showcasing how easy they were to prepare with the right equipment, as well as plating techniques as he and his team assembled in bulk. He also gave us some history on the other ingredients used. From
how Canada supplies the world 90% of its chickpeas, and that it is easier to just purchase pre-made filo dough given how complex it is to make.
The menu today was Mediterranean based, prepared using clean and wholesome ingredients. I especially appreciated how he came around to give everyone a close look at what he was working with.
To begin, were given a warm welcome by the owner. We learned of her passion in making food and having gourmet products everyday accessible and affordable.
We then learned about walnuts, their availability, affordability, and neutrality; making them a great base in recipes. They also have plenty of healthy Omega3s, and if you eat 6 regular walnuts you gain 4g of protein and 2g of fibre, plus potassium.
Truthfully the introduction to the cooking portion was a little lengthy and it had our interest waning, as we grew hungry and eager to eat the promised 5 dishes, within the allotted 2 hours. We spent too much time going into detail about hummus. And towards the end the class were distracted and rowdy after a couple of wines in either red or white. It would have been ideal to have a more point form recap of each dish, and to ask for audience participation, to keep everyone’s attention on the demo.
The first course was a hummus, blended with the traditional chickpeas and our star ingredient: California Walnuts. Like a creamy walnut sauce with lavash bread. The walnuts used to further enhance the plant-based protein of chickpea.
As expected, despite its fine chopping and blending, the hummus, came out with a grittier texture, thanks to the nuts. This no one minded, and everyone enjoyed the twist on. A hefty and garlicky hummus scooped up toasted pita that I wish we had more of.
As I mentioned earlier, as we watched and learned, we sipped on our choice of either red or white wine. The gourmet warehouse team was quick to refill as needed, my glass never went half empty. Given the dishes, I would keep with the red blend to the best compliment, taking a break with the white for the seafood course.
The next demo was preparing our dessert of baklava, made using California Walnuts, as opposed to the traditional choice of pistachio and/or almonds. Here, it was a matter of layering from frozen filo dough with plenty of melted butter and our walnut crumb from out of the food processor. And as it baked, we moved on to our next course.
Next, we learned how to make red lentil falafel with walnuts. These were not shaped or fried, like I am use to, but served as a spread to dip into instead. Here endive leaves made a great base, offering a crisp texture and a refreshing finish to the peppery dip.
I liked the calamari and never thought of using walnuts in a breading. This could easily translate to a breading for chicken and/or fish. The calamari was gently coated, allowing the chewy squid to shine through. Not crunchy as expected, and served with a fragrant tzatziki dipping sauce.
Our entree was a Harissa glazed salmon with aromatic bulgar pilaf, summer vegetables, walnut tzatziki, and herbs. Once again amazed by walnut’s versatility, now with its popping up in a dip. I also liked how it didn’t have to be so focal in each of the courses, but made an appearance.
Honestly at this point I was full, the smaller portions served across 2 hours was filling, and we still had dessert. Our now baked and golden brown baklava drizzled over with honey and rosewater.
This was wonderful end to an amazing meal. There is nothing like watching what goes into your food to know how good it truly is. To take this amazing class on California Walnuts yourself, sign up with the link below.
https://gourmetwarehouse.ca/walnut-magic-culinary-adventure-wed-oct-9/
The Gourmet Warehouse
1340 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V5L 153
(604) 253-3022
gourmetwarehouse.ca
