Cooking Class: Off to the Mediterranean

I was very excited about this month’s cooking class at Young Chef’s Academy Ghent when I found out it was going to be Greek and Mediterranean inspired. I was particularly interested in the experience of making both spanakopita and baklava because I consider myself phyllo dough challenged. Then when I heard babaganoush I was intrigued, because well, I didn’t know what it was!

We started out with making braised leg of lamb. The original plan was to roll out the leg, stuff it with pepper, salt, garlic and rosemary sprigs and then re-roll into a log that would then be tied with string. The problem presented itself when we realized we had no kitchen twine! Chef Edward wasted no time in making a change to the recipe in a moment he called “Identify. Adapt. Overcome”. The solution was to cut slits in the meat and stuff sprigs of rosemary inside and then coat with the seasonings and garlic.

As he cooked the veggies to go with the lamb, he also used one of my favorite chef words: mirepoix . Thankfully I have enough of a Top Chef addiction to know I have created this simple mixture of celery, onions and carrots a gazillion times with never thinking twice about its fancy name! If only I could share the delicious smell that was coming from the braising pan.

Then it was on to the babaganoush, simply explained to be hummus made with eggplant instead of chickpeas. Who knew? I had the pleasure of stabbing, I mean pricking the eggplant before it was roasted:

While the eggplant roasted we started on the spanakopita. (A quick public service announcement: never attempt to work with phyllo without covering it with a wet towel! I would also add having a partner in this exercise helped, but Chef was confident that any of us could manage by ourselves at home.) 

Thanks to the knife skills of my friend Kandice, the fresh herbs were finely minced and ready to be added to the other ingredients in the food processor. I will submit that cutting the filled phyllo into triangles presented somewhat of a geometry problem, but when cooked no one really cared if they were perfect triangles because they were delicious!

Then it was back to the babaganoush and yet another reason I am so thankful my mother-in-law got me a food processor for Christmas! The ingredients are very simple and looked very pretty in the processor!

1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), baked until soft inside and the pulp scooped out

1 clove of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (plus some for garnish)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Process until well combined and relatively smooth

Our next foray into phyllo land was baklava. I love the stuff and I was never under the illusion it was healthy at all, but after buttering that many layers of phyllo I will remind myself to make this as a special treat and to only have one piece! There is a lot of layering involved but it's not that difficult to make, if you can get the tiny sheets of phyllo separated and you can keep the other sheets from drying out: remember that wet towel. The other tip is to remember to cut it after it has baked in the oven and THEN pour over the syrup that gives it is honey flavored stickiness.

Then, the one dish we made that I only stopped eating because I was too full to keep going: goat cheese kisses. I believe I have shared my love of goat cheese so this wasn't a tough sell, but what a simple and delicious appetizer! We made a ton so this recipe can be increased as much as you need, and I recommend making a bunch because they will be a HUGE hit!


3 Tbsp (3/4 oz.) hazelnuts or pistachios finely chopped{we used pistachios}
6 oz creamy plain goat cheese
6 dried apricots or dried figs, cut into quarters

Lining a small tray with wax or parchment paper. Place nuts in a small dish. Working with 1/2 teaspoon of goat cheese at a time, wrap it around each piece of dried fruit to form a ball. Roll the balls in the chopped nuts to create a crust. Set on the tray, cover an refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Finally, we made tzatziki dip, a simple mixture of 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup seeded and shredded cucumber, 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and 1 minced clove of garlic. Now that I think about it he may have added some fresh dill too. Anyway, an easy and tasty dip for our lamb.

We served the babaganoush with pita and it is a dip I plan to make again, especially with the fresh eggplants my mom will be bringing me from this year's garden. I can't wait to attempt to braise my first leg of lamb either and with Easter around the corner, I think I have an excellent opportunity to give it a try.

Thanks again to Chef Edward from Bardo and to Sarah Horne from Young Chef’s Academy Ghent. Next class is May 2nd.

Young Chef’s Academy of Ghent is located at 350 W 22nd St. Ste 103 Norfolk, VA

Bardo Edibles + Elixirs is located at 430 West 21st Street Norfolk, VA