Chef Skills? Yeah, I"ve got those...

I had the best time learning a few easy tricks to make any meal tastier and more presentable with Chef Fulvio De Santa. It was a group of about 12 of us standing around a large square kitchen table with our own cutting boards, chef's hats and aprons. We each got a very large knife and were taught how to chop food very quickly, just how they do it on 'iron chef.' The chef emphasized the importance of freshness, cleanliness, and quality ingrediants. He showed us an array of about 20 different salts from as many countries that came in all sized crystals and colors. He even co-wrote his own book entitiled, "La Grande Cucina del Friuli Venezia Giula." I was surprized to learn that he's cooked for Prince Charles, who apparently is a vegetarian. Some good advise I remember Rala trazlating for us was: if you want any meat to have good flavor and cook easily, just fry it with olive oil fresh lemon and salt to taste. We made the easiest and best vegetable dish ever that combined a tomato boiled for 40 seconds stuffed with chopped sauteed veggies served over a dollop of fresh pesto sauce. And that was just the beggining. We went on to make fresh pasta from scratch, using the pasta making machine reminicent of our play-dough days. The pasta was cooked in boiling water that constantly renewed itself so it was completley sterile. The sauce he made with chicken for the pasta was where he added the Soave wine to 'clean the flavors and reduce a greecy texture.' The pasta was the only part of the meal he used butter on. The desert was a custard made with 35% cream, something I've never seen in a store, and was unbeleivably easy to prepare. The finished product combined fresh berries and a strawberry sauce that blended perfectly with the creamy texture of the custard. I can't wait to go back next week to see what other little tips can make cooking so easy and enjoyable...I may never eat mac n' cheese again.