For Valentines Day the boyfriend surprised me with a brunch cooking class at The Dirty Apron. You know the saying that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? Well, it’s the way to mine too! Great food > red roses and teddy bear any day.
The Dirty Apron, along with being a cooking school is also a deli and small food shop. It’s owned by the same people who also run Chambar and Medina Cafe, two adjacent restaurants with Medina being my favourite brunch spot. Their lavender latte is heaven!
When we arrived, we each got a folder with the recipes for the class as well as an apron. I wandered around the shop a bit before heading into the kitchen to begin. Such a delicious looking deli!
Once in the kitchen we got right down to business. Our chef was David Robertson and he was fantastic, doing a great job explaining the techniques and giving tons of helpful tips and tricks to manage cooking three dishes at once. After the demo it was our turn and I have to say, the boyfriend I did pretty good.
First up: poached eggs on double smoked back bacon on top of herb potato rosti with a sundried tomato hollandaise sauce.
Um, yeah, I made that! Doesn’t it look so… professional? That is hands down the nicest looking dish I’ve ever put together. And under Chef David’s tutelage it was almost a breeze.
After devouring the first course with mimosas, it was back to the kitchen for the next course: brioche french toast with grapefruit riesling sabayon.
It was so so so good and really easy. The sabayon took a bit of arm endurance to whisk but the result was well worth it.
Here’s the kitchen where we did all the cooking and the dining room where we savoured our efforts.
If you live in Vancouver I would highly recommend a class here. They teach a wide range of cuisine with some of the top chefs in the city. And if you’re a visitor, do enjoy a meal at Chambar or Medina Cafe – it’s fine belgian/french food without the pretentiousness. Bon appetit!
~ Cassie
{ images by Cassie }
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
WOW! that looks so yummy. i’d love to take a cooking class like that, sounds like a ton of fun.
it’s terrible, but i have yet to get out to cafe medina or chambar. awful, i know, it’s sacrilegious to say that as a vancouverite!! i’ve heard only great things. soon, i hope!
Hi Lesley,
Well, to Vancouver food snobs it would be sacrilegious but there are so many great restaurants here that it’s forgivable to not have gotten around to Cafe Medina or Chambar yet. When you do get to Medina, I highly recommend the lavender latte. It’s a cup of heaven!
Everything looks delicious! I’m registered for a Ooh lala II French cooking class next week. Can’t wait!