SPOILER ALERT: If you’re a Revolution wife or girlfriend … come back later – Sunday, actually. If you’re a Revs fan, keep reading.
Ok, those still with me? Check out after the jump to see what seven members of the Revs did on Saturday morning – Valentine’s Day – as a treat to the women in their lives … it was pretty cool – and tasty, too.
On Saturday morning, Chris Albright, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Brad Knighton, Steve Ralston, Matt Reis and Taylor Twellman met the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston for a cooking class — yes, that’s right, a cooking class: Men in the Kitchen.
The hotel offered the class to the guys and (surprisingly, at least to us) a bunch of guys took up the offer to learn to make a three-course meal to take home for the women in their lives.
So Saturday morning, the guys gathered downtown and headed straight to the kitchen of Aujourd’hui for their class. They were met by Executive Chef Brooke Vosika, Aujourd’hui Chef de Cuisine William Kovel and Executive Pastry Chef Tim Fonseca.
The chefs started the morning by explaining the hotel’s dining operations, including the five kitchens, 24-hour pastry kitchen and areas of expertise.
After the introductions, it was down to the cooking. We’ll let you peruse the gallery to see the images, but what we learned today included: that chefs don’t measure things – it’s all by feel – but pastry chefs do; most chefs cook everything between 300 and 350 degrees so they can control the dish better; that stock can be simmered for up to three days to become “jus”; that molten chocolate cake stemmed from an accident in one restaurant; and that our Revs players are pretty good in the kitchen!
Check out the pictures to see the day – and the dishes – the guys whipped up for their loved ones. Oh, and if you were wondering, the formal menu was:
Appetizer: Maine Crab Cake served with Basil Aioli and Rose Petal Salad.
Entree: Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb served with Goat Cheese Stacked Potatoes and Pink Peppercorn Jus.
Dessert: Warm Chocolate Cake served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Raspberry Compote.
-
- The Revs meet the chefs at the Four Seasons before the start of their cooking lesson.
-
- Steve Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz and Matt Reis learn how to make a Maine crab cake from Four Seasons Executive Chef Brooke Vosika.
-
- Executive Chef Brooke Vosika explains how to cook the crab cakes, and pays special attention to the heat of the pan.
-
- Brad Knighton dips into the plated crab cake as Chris Albright, Matt Reis and Steve Ralston look on.
-
- Aujourd’hui Chef de Cuisine William Kovel shows the players how to prepare the rack of lamb, including a mustard glaze and herb-infused breadcrumbs.
-
- Aujourd’hui Chef de Cuisine William Kovel whips up a batch of potatoes au gratin, but with goat cheese.
-
- Shalrie Joseph checks the consitency of the potatoes and learns that they shouldn’t be hard when they come out of the oven.
-
- Taylor Twellman is amazed by the size of Executive Pastry Chef Tim Fonseca’s whisk.
-
- Jeff Larentowicz gives Shalrie Joseph some pointers on how to mix the base of the chocolate cake.
-
- Jeff Larentowicz and Brad Knighton continue to whip up the base of the cake.
-
- Taylor Twellman was responsible for pouring the melted chocolate into the base mixture.
-
- The guys took a break from the dessert table to plate the rack of lamb after it done in the oven. Aujourd’hui Chef de Cuisine William Kovel demonstrates as the players look down the line.
-
- The finished (and almost eaten) rack of lamb and potatoes au gratin.
-
- Steve Ralston and Brad Knighton begin to plate their desserts, topping off the finished chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and raspberry compote.
-
- Matt Reis and Chris Albright taste their dessert creations.
-
- Another finished (and almost fully-eaten) product.
-
- What lesson would be complete without a team picture? L-R: Jeff Larentowicz, Brad Knighton, Taylor Twellman, Chris Albright, Executive Pastry Chef Tim Fonseca, Executive Chef Brooke Vosika, Aujourd’hui Chef de Cuisine William Kovel, Matt Reis, Steve Ralston and Shalrie Joseph.
For anyone who might be interested, we’ll say that the chefs at the Four Seasons are pretty cool. They definitely aren’t stuck up or commanding as you might envisions chefs at such posh restaurants. They were great to work with and we’d highly recommend taking a class from them, which the hotel offers periodically. It’s a pretty fun morning and you certainly learn a lot in the two hours in the kitchen. Call the Four Seasons in Boston for more information, but we’d recommend it to anyone.
7 comments
George Griffin says:
February 15, 2009 at 1:11 pm (UTC -5)
Wow! What a great menu. Bet the ladies enjoyed both the food and the willingness of the guys to learn how to make more than beens and brats.
Lisa says:
February 15, 2009 at 2:23 pm (UTC -5)
Go revs its good to know that u like to cook lol
ellen says:
February 16, 2009 at 12:45 pm (UTC -5)
Now that they have the proper training, the Revs should feel free to drop by the Riders’ parking lot & whip up something for us ladies there!
The Webner King says:
February 16, 2009 at 12:48 pm (UTC -5)
Geez Brad, all you guys had to do was visit a tailgate party with the Riders before a game. We could have helped them out.
New England Revolution Blog Archive Men in the kitchen | Cast Iron Cookware says:
May 26, 2009 at 8:23 pm (UTC -5)
[...] New England Revolution Blog Archive Men in the kitchen Posted by root 1 day 3 minutes ago (http://blog.revolutionsoccer.net) The hotel offered the class to the guys and surprisingly at least to us a bunch of guys took up the revs meet the chefs at the four seasons before the start of their cooking lesson leave a comment name required mail will not be published required powered Discuss | Bury | News | new england revolution blog archive men in the kitchen [...]
What’s Cooking In New England? Food, Apparently. | CFCBlog says:
April 18, 2010 at 12:20 pm (UTC -5)
[...] but it all seems to be about food as of late. The other day TT, Albright & a few others were getting all Emril on us and making mustard crusted rack of lamb served with goat cheese stacked potatoes and pink peppercorn au jus, which sounds infinitely better [...]
Natalie White says:
June 16, 2010 at 11:56 pm (UTC -5)
oh i just love cooking and eating. i love to cook pasta recipes and the like.*’-