What's New in Your Neighborhood

This cooking class probably wasn't what Mr. Rogers had in mind, when he sang his daily ditty:

So let's make the most of this beautiful day, 
Since we're together, we might as well say, 
Would you be mine? 
Could you be mine? 
Won't you be my neighbor? 

Won't you please, 
Won't you please, 
Please won't you be my neighbor? 

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/mrrogersneighborhoodlyrics.html

But that's what exactly what happened when I gathered with friends to watch the chef at End Posts restaurant. End Posts is part of the JOLO winery, part of my neighborhood. Really. We came for of a night in their Women's Wine and Dine series. 

How did those wine glasses get there?

We gathered 'round the chef's domain just behind the winery's tasting bar. There we observed and quizzed Chef as he walked us through the steps to transform  Italian White Bean Soup into a heartier white "lasagna."  

We tasted a homemade vinaigrette with dates and figs, later served over local baby lettuces.

Just like the cooking shows, he had the progressive stages of the entree prepared so that we could watch him put it together (with a little help from me!).

 

We learned how to make dark chocolate and orange wafers with hazelnuts which were served for dessert with a large dollop of whipped cream.

Of course, we were sipping various house wines all the while. Helping my mother cook was never this much fun!

We adjourned to the dining room, its crisp white linens and elegant decorating. Over the table set for seven, we chatted more with the other women who had been part of the class--new friends, just like Mr. Rogers encouraged.