Open Kitchen's Culinary Buzz

June 2009

Eat

Cook

Entertain

CHEF'S TIMESHARE KITCHEN UPDATE
The old saying, "too many cooks spoil the pot" doesn't hold up in our kitchens.

With construction of our Open Kitchen Bistro, cooking classes and commercial kitchen facilities well underway we will begin accepting applications and reservations in July for all those interested in purchasing time to use our 2 private, commercially equipped Chef's Timeshare Kitchens ("Tuscany Kitchen" and "Santa Fe Kitchen"). We have posted the following documents on our web-site to assist you with the application process and answer any preliminary questions you may have.
�   Getting Your Culinary Business Cookin' at Open Kitchen
�   Chef's Timeshare Application Form
�    Open Kitchen's Pricing Menu
The Kitchen Policy Handbook and Operating Agreement will be posted within the next two weeks. Our kitchens, expected to be ready August 1st, will be available for reservation on a first come-first serve basis by the hour, day, week or month.

OUR WEB-SITE MAKEOVER
Our facility is not the only thing under construction at this time. Please be patient with us as we revamp our web-site to bring you a more user friendly and efficient site to navigate.   If you have any questions with any of our business units, please be sure to contact us at info@openkitchen-dcmetro.com

OPEN KITCHEN'S TEAM OF COOKING CLASS INSTRUCTORS
Open Kitchen has recruited a wide range of culinary talents to teach classes at our facility in Falls Church. Our team of instructors is ready to share with you their broad culinary interests, backgrounds, and experiences.

Working with our head chef, Chef Bernard Henry, the instructors are "whipping up" a menu of hands-on cooking classes with topics for everyone in mind. Classes, scheduled to begin after Labor Day 2009, will be fun, entertaining and expand your culinary skill whether you're cooking dinner for yourself or planning a party. To give you a "taste" of what's in store, we would like to take this opportunity to introduce just a few of our instructors.

Chef Bernard Henry
Chef Bernard loves to cook and loves to teach others to cook. Born and raised in France, he learned to cook at an early age and after many years working as an executive for multinational companies he followed his passion for cooking, attended L'Acad�mie de Cuisine and ventured out to share his culinary talent and experiences. Chef Bernard is one of the key ingredients to Open Kitchen becoming a reality and future success.

Barlin H. Ali
Barlin's culinary talent was acquired through her love of cooking and a desire to explore ethnic foods. Born in Africa, she has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East exploring the differing cultures across the world. Now living in the Washington D.C. area, Barlin recognizes that Somali cuisine was missing from the variety of cuisine options in D.C. and was inspired to write a cookbook "Somali Cuisine" to share her personal experiences and recipes. Her book entered in the 2008 annual Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Frankfurt Germany, was placed among the front-runners in its contemporaries. She is the owner of Somali Tea & Treats, Inc. Barlin will share with Open Kitchen's participants a variety of classes focusing on ethnic dishes and the traditional ways of preparing and enjoying them.

Kristine Bender
Kristine followed her passion and became a pastry chef while studying in Edinburgh, Scotland. She began her career as a pastry assistant at The Engine Shed Caf� in Edinburgh. Upon her return to the United States she began working her way up the culinary ladder in various restaurants around the Washington, D.C. area, including Galileo, Olives Restaurant, and Citronelle. She is currently utilizing her expertise as a pastry chef to create delicious and beautiful wedding cakes. She is eager to share her creative talent with the students of Open Kitchen interested in learning the preparation, production and plating of many tasty desserts, cakes and breads.

Ann Godfrey
Ann hails from the state of New York and grew up in an Italian family where food was the center of attention and conversation. Her family came from Calabria, a Southern province near Sicily. bringing with them to America, recipes that included foods like polenta, bacala (dried codfish), calamari, brasciole, sausages and other mouth watering goodies.
     In 2007, she attended L'Academie De Cuisine, to brush up on her cooking skills and start her home based business, Cooking With Scent. A teacher in the elementary and middle schools in Arlington County for thirty -three years, she retired last year from teaching to follow her passion for the culinary world. While a teacher Ann's love for cooking flowed into her lessons incorporated cooking when ever she could. She now looks forward to sharing her skills and experience at the Open Kitchen's Cooking Classes for children.

Desiree Jessimy
Desiree has been practicing her culinary skills for family and friends most all of her life. At an early age she began preparing a variety of ethnic cuisine dishes to include Indian, Mediterranean, Chinese, African and Vegan meals. After many years working at the World Bank, Desiree followed her passion for the culinary world and headed to The United States Personal Chef Institute to pursue her culinary training.
     Currently a personal chef in Northern Virginia, Desiree brings to Open Kitchen a desire to share her knowledge and experience in preparing healthy wholesome meals using fresh organic or pesticide free ingredients.

Angie Lee
Angie found her true culinary calling in the classroom when she began teaching classes at Sur La Table in Arlington, VA. As the Assistant Culinary Coordinator, she designs and teaches classes ranging from cupcakes to classic French technique. A specialty she is looking forward to sharing with the clients of Open Kitchen's cooking classes. Angie also teaches classes at L'Academie de Cuisine. Angie will be sharing similar classes when Open Kitchen launches their classes this fall. She received her culinary training at L�Academie de Cuisine and graduated with honors in 2007.   Following graduation she worked as a line cook at the "The Oval Room" in Washington D.C. and ran her own kitchen as a chef of "Ali's Bar" in Arlington, VA. In her spare time, she develops and tests original recipes for publication in cookbooks and magazines. Angie�s previous career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as a program and project manager, included much international travel allowing her to spend time in Europe and Asia's food markets and restaurants. Those opportunities not only broadened her culinary experience, they inspired her culinary career.

Robyn Webb
Award winning nutritionist and author of 11 cookbooks, to name a few of her accomplishments, Robyn is the owner of A Pinch of Thyme Nutrition and Culinary Services in Alexandria VA. Learning early on the importance of a balanced healthful approach to eating, mostly due to the health problems that challenges her family members, Robyn specializes in healthy cooking. Her extensive travels across the globe allow her to teach almost anything. Robyn brings to Open Kitchen an extensive menu of culinary knowledge and expertise presented in a practical and entertaining way.

Coming in next month's newsletter ~ DC Central Kitchen's Alumni Throw Down!

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