There are many things I always took for granted as a kid: that the sun would rise in the east, that the oceans would be salty, that sledding down the hill on the local golf course was the high point of winter (after Christmas of course), and that supper would involve the entire family.   I cannot remember a time when the family did not eat dinner together. 

 

Since my brother, sister, and I went to the same school, we always had breakfast at the same time.  While this was at an era before there were packaged fast-serve cereals I think joint breakfasts were a convenience for my Mom who was not a morning person.  She felt that her children must have a complete meal at the beginning of the day.  She would dutifully prepare us eggs, bacon or scrapple, toast, and juice.  Since she was usually only partially awake these items frequently were not Good Housekeeping photo ops.  It was not until I went off to school that I found out that bacon was not a black three-inch strip.

 

For convenience we had lunches together on the weekends and during the summer.  Occasionally my parents would relent since they preferred for us kids to be outside playing than sitting inside, so summer and weekend lunches were more of a free range affair but still supervised by my mom.

 

Suppers were always the main family event of the day.  Unless one of us was eating at a friend’s house we always ate together.  When my father was away on his sales trips these were relatively informal gatherings around the kitchen table.  When he was home dinner was a more formal affair in the dining room.  We kids set the table, and had to set it properly.  My father sat at one end and my mother at the kitchen end.  Dad served all of the plates while Mom did all of the cooking. My mom was a traditional homemaker while my dad worked.  She was an adventurous cook who explored recipes from around the world.

 

We even had lit candles at the table.  The ritual marking the end of each meal was to blow them out.  We kids took turns doing this.  It was a constant source of argument as to whose turn it was to extinguish the flames.  Looking back, supper was an Ozzie and Harriet setting before television and, later, Martha Stewart and the Food Network, made such dinners popular. 

 

I believe that this gathering was an important part of my life.  It was a time for conversation, talking with grownups, learning manners, and exploring new foods. It provided an intense bonding that went beyond the birthday and holiday family meals.  Even as a monosyllabic teenager I recall that this was a comfortable time with comfort food.

The culinary world provides many outlets for creativity. If you find your path, you will more than likely not burn out from the lifestyle of long hours and erratic schedules. I found my path in teaching people how to cook. I have already done the catering, corporate job, line-cooking, pastry chef and personal chef.
I do not make desserts on a regular basis for a living because I am following my dream. I will make the occasional birthday cake or dessert for close friends or a dinner party.
I like to support my friends who have small businesses because it can be very competitive  here in Chicago and there are bakeries everywhere.
I have a friend named Jane who has started her own business making custom pies and cakes. It’s called Sugarkist and your can find her creations here: www.sugarkist.com.
Her website has seasonal pies like the traditional Apple, Pecan and Pumpkin. But she also offers more decadent choices like Chocolate Brownie and Pear Hazelnut Crumble.
 As a former pastry chef herself, her custom cakes offer a wide variety of fillings and flavors. And she has specialty cakes like Lemon Layer Ginger or Brandied Cherry Cassata.
She also does amazing wedding cakes, something I admire her for because dealing with picky brides could send you to an early grave.
I have tried several of her pies and sampled some of her cakes and I will let you know personally that this chick really knows her stuff.
You can also buy a  pie from her directly (if she doesn’t sell out, which happens on a regular basis) at the Logan Square Farmers Market until it closes at the end of this month.

Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka

I remember the day we first met. I was 22 years old and you never revealed your true age. At first I had no idea how this relationship would work out. You with your sharp edges and sturdy handle and me a young pastry student with a bright future ahead of her.
I started slow, only using you to clean up my messes after chopping nuts, or to cut the extra dough from the edge of a pie.
After I felt more comfortable with you and realized that you were indestructible, I relaxed. I started seeing you almost daily. If I needed to slice frozen cookie dough, you were there. When I made dinner rolls you helped me portion them out in no time. If I lost my pizza cutter, you were there to help, no questions asked. You were also there in the hard times when I was decorating wedding cakes and I needed smooth sides when working with buttercream.
As I got older, our relationship changed. I moved on to teaching classes for adult and kids and you were left at the bottom of my tool kit. I forgot about you and our time together, until, one day a six year old child I was teaching needed to cut some carrots. A twelve inch knife did not seem to be the right choice for this young budding chef. Then, it came to me….the perfect tool for young chefs, my trusty, sturdy always-been there for me…..the bench scraper.
In closing, I recommend that everyone invite a bench scraper into their lives. They are inexpensive, sturdy and they also come made of plastic for scraping cookie doughs out of a mixing bowl.

Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka

I have been teaching cooking classes for over five years and I thought I would share some friendly advice for those who are new at attending classes:
1) Your cell phones/ blackberries are great but they tend to distract other students, and they might fall in the soup we are making! Turn then off, put them away and enjoy the class!

2) I am not nor do I know Rachel Ray, so we will not be using the terms “EVOO” or other catch phrases she uses in her show.

3) Most classes are BYOB, we will happily recommend a wine to compliment your meal, but remember we are using knives and are cooking over hot flames, so doing shots of Tequila is not really recommended.

4) This is a hard one for Mom’s : We are there as a service for you. We will serve YOU the food you make in class. Please do not cut the food in little pieces for other students! Also we will clean up your kitchen and leave it the same as we found it or better. Sit down, relax, enjoy!

5) I am always flattered when guests insist that I sit and enjoy the meal with them. But as a Chef we are used to serving everyone first and eating last, usually the leftovers after the kitchen is clean. Please do not be offended, I relish in watching people enjoy a really good meal.

6) Ask questions! I often get people coming up to me after class saying “This may be a stupid question but……” If you do not ask you will not learn. This is a learning experience for me as well, so if I do not know the answer I will find it and let you know.

7) And finally, these are “hands-on” classes, so get in there! Grate the cheese, chop the onion, saute the mushrooms. Don’t be afraid of trying, we can always order pizza if the meal does not turn out.

Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka