During lunch, after our egg class with Shaun Hergatt, guest speaker Jacques Pépin spoke about his career and the past, present and future of the culinary world. Pépin is one of the most well-known chefs of this country who has one a myriad of awards during his career. He has written over 30 books and an innumerable amount of articles about the restaurant industry. He spoke of his Emmy Award-winning television series with Julia Child, where they never wrote down recipes or planned the show. His humor and energy filled the room as the crowd listened in awe about his experiences in the kitchen and his many accomplishments.

After, we headed to our next class with Michael Lomonaco, a chef with a personality that really gets you cooking while having a fantastic time. Former chef of the Windows of the World Restaurant in the World Trade Center and co-founder of the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund for restaurant workers' families of the 9/11 attacks, Lomonaco's life was saved as he went to fix his glasses when the first plane hit the building on September 11th. Currently he is the Executive Chef of Porter House New York at the Time Warner Center. Lomonaco's story of success, along with his generosity towards charitable causes, culinary talents and ability to teach while having fun, truly make him a remarkable individual.

In his class, we celebrated spring by making Roasted Rack of Lamb, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese, and Green Peas with Ham and Boston Lettuce.

Didn't have the chance to attend? We have the recipes listed below for you.

Roasted Rack of Lamb

Ingredients

2 racks of lamb, 8 ribs each

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/4c Dijon Mustard

2 tbspn chopped rosemary

1/2 c dried breadcrumbs

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Season rack of lamb with salt and pepper. Brown off lamb in a saute pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Allow lamb to cook for 5 minutes.

3. Coat lamb with mustard and then sprinkle with rosemary and breadcrumbs.

4. Put roasting pan in oven. Roast for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature is about 130 degrees for medium rare.

5.Cool for 5 minutes to allow carry-over cooking.

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients

2 lbs. jumpo asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks peeled

1 tbspn lemon juice

3 tbsn olive oil

1/2 c grated cheese

Salt and Pepper

Procedure

1. Preheat over to 450 degrees.

2. Blanch and shock asparagus in boiling salted water with lemon for 2 minutes and then chill in an ice bath.

3. Once cooled, season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese and roast in the oven until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Fresh Green Peas with Boston Lettuce

Ingredients

2 c shelled fresh green peas

1/2 c prosciutto cotto or boiled ham, diced

4 tbspn unsalted butter

6 to 8 leaves of Boston Lettuce, julienned

Salt and Pepper

 

Procedure

1. Cook peas in 2 cups of boiling, salted water for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2. Add butter to a saute pan. Add peas, ham and cook until peas are tender but be careful to not cook them too much.

3. Add lettuce and season with salt and pepper.