Winter Week Four

The past week featured our three guest teachers from very different backgrounds sharing dozens of insider secrets and tips from their cultures:

• Youmna taught us how to make her mother-in-law's Morrocan Hrira. Youmna's trick with saffron, to get the most aromatics out of these pricey golden-orange threads? Rub them between your palms to release maximum perfume before putting into the recipe. Do as the Moroccans and serve something sweet like dates with this soup.

• Celeste learned how to make Party Pickles from the best teachers of all, her six grandparents. Celeste's healthy tip? Replace chips with crisp pickled cucumbers.

• Victoria says that in Spain, if something is cooked in a paella pan then it is paella. Paella is usually served for Sunday lunch. Fish stock cooks for 20 minutes; to make it golden, leave the onion skins in broth and add saffron.

Yet more accolades from the Academy's fabulous students:

• It was a pleasure seeing you again today! I just love your classes and the fact that I have two new recipes to serve. I look forward to taking more classes with you.

• Thanks Suzanne! Celeste was a great teacher. The pickles are delicious. It was a lot of fun.

• Paella is easy if you prep. and have Victoria de la Maza and the Charleston Academy as your teachers!

• Such fun to do this on a cold wintery day with a fire going in the kitchen too!

• That was so much fun! Always good to see new and familiar faces.

(It might be time to start an Alumni Association…)

Don’t skip class during the last two weeks of school! We still have plenty of lessons to learn. Have you ever wondered about the art of napkin folding, how to make the best New England chowder or a magical tagine? Satisfy those three wonderings next week — find more details & registration links HERE.

First Week of Winter 2021

THANKS to local food editor Hanna Raskin for her report on cooking cassoulet with Suzanne (via Post & Courier).

Here’s what students are saying about Winter 2021 classes so far:

• “My first week was outstanding. I really enjoyed it because the one hour gave me a soothing distraction from Covid and confidence that we will return to being able to celebrate lovely dinners with friends and family. Your enthusiasm is contagious.”

• “I really am excited! Your enthusiasm is contagious! I have been following you for years and love the book.”

• “The cassoulet was a big hit! So much fun to cook and serve...my friends were impressed!”

Plus, a few useful tips covered this week:

• STOCKS - Save all roasted and raw bones to make stock. Stocks can be made easily from bones, a few carrots and onions, water (or previously made stock for a double stock) in a 225-degree oven overnight, for eight hours. Your house will smell divine.

• TABLE SETTINGS - Thinking about buying a set of dining room chairs? If you want to spend less money, find a variety of chairs and then paint them the same color! Chic! Victoria de la Maza's pet peeve: sharp corners on a dining room table. Use padding, then a tablecloth. Everything sits better, looks smoother and more comfortable.

• CASSOULET - Slow cooking transforms food. This stew of beans, pork, lamb and duck or goose is a masterpieces of many generations, but not overwhelming to prepare. One step at a time!

NEXT UP…

• French Onion Soup on Tuesday @ 10:00 EST

• How to Seat a Table on Wednesday @ 2:00 EST

• Extraordinary Gumbo on Thursday @ 2:00 EST

Secure your spot by registering HERE.

Thank You Virtuoso

We loved reading Becca Hensley's review on The Virtuoso Life about her recent stay at The Beach Club at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina -- particularly the bit recommending a course with the Dean! Hensley writes:

Want to fit in like a real Charlestonian? A cookbook author and the co-founder of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits, Suzanne Pollak is an expert in decorum. Her engaging, hands-on cooking courses, etiquette seminars, and party planning forums will make a Southerner of you, yet, even the brashest of Yankees.

Read the full article HERE...

Thank You AFAR

We love AFAR magazine, and consider it bar none for travel tips whenever we venture away from home. So we were beyond flattered by their recent mention of our classes offered through the Beach Club at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina. Read the full article HERE...

Domestic Divas

From the moment the Dean woke up on Tuesday morning, she could tell something was different. There was fresh energy, a new crispness in the air. It didn’t take her long to put two and two together... Southern Charm’s 'Cooking with Cameran' segment aired the night before and the Academy hotline was positively abuzz. 

Thank you Cameran for coming to the Academy for help! You are now on your way to being a Domestic Diva.

What this show made the Dean realize is that the Academy is not helping nearly as many people as we should be. So we used the May-mester to create our new curricula and wrote an e-book for your very own minute-by-minute party plan. Yes, you can throw the celebration of a lifetime at the drop of a hat! And for those lucky enough to be invited to said celebration-of-lifetime at the last minute, our two cents on receiving an invitation at the last minute:

The last minute party requires a two-way avenue of communication. If you wake up Saturday morning and are lucky enough to have a text inviting you for drinks or dinner that night be sure to answer promptly. The inviter has put himself out there and given himself a short time frame. This is a numbers game and size matters. Your host won’t cook for two people what he would for twelve, so answer quickly so he can get his game plan ready. Everyone hates turning down invitations but the last minute invite is guilt-free because it is highly conceivable that you would have already had plans. Your response is essential.