“Home is the Key” Advanced Skills Chef’s Course at Sur La Table for Habitat for Humanity

They say the way to the heart is through the stomach, and whoever “they” are… “They” definitely know what they’re talking about! I was recently invited to attend a cooking class at Sur La Table at Phipps Plaza here in Atlanta, and now I feel so ready to win over everyone in my life! 😉

This event was in partnership with Habitat for Humanity—a fantastic cause. It was called their #HomeIsTheKey campaign, and throughout the month of April, every time that hashtag is mentioned, Nissan has been donating $1 to Habitat for Humanity. Gotta love it when companies work together for good!

Sur La Table Cooking Class Highlights

After a brief intro from Habitat, we got right to cooking with Chef Ashley Thomas. SLT’s hands-on cooking class taught us some much-needed cooking techniques such as how to prep food, proper chopping technique, and how to mix and infuse ingredients. Let me tell you… chopping is definitely not as simple as it looks on those cooking shows! I felt so fancy learning how to do it the right way.

We attended the advanced class, but SLT offers classes for all ages and skill levels, so every kind of cook can learn something new. There’s no such things as too many cooks in the kitchen at these classes! I loved actually preparing and cooking the dishes like the pros… look out, Food Network! 😉

The Menu

Okay, now on to the good stuff: the grub! If you were wondering what we whipped up, prepare to be amazed. We cooked everything on the menu STL provided, including the Smoked Bourbon Vanilla ice cream! This sweet treat was even more exciting for me to make because I’ve never made ice cream from scratch. This. Was. Major. Here’s everything we made:

• Beluga Lentil Salad with Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
• Salt Block Scallops with Classic Beurre Blanc
• Glazed Sous-Vide Carrots with Handmade Vadouvan Curry
• Smoked Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream

Now let me tell you about these scallops… First of all, I LOVE scallops, so I was in heaven! Secondly, we cooked these little guys in the coolest way. We used a Himalayan Salt Block to cook the scallops on. Yes, those colorful, prehistoric crystals are gorgeous to look at, but they also cook healthier, tastier, and more interesting meals! Who knew?! It can turn any ordinary cook into a “rock star” chef. 😉

I had so much fun learning how to cook like a pro—especially how to use all the food prep tools— and to top it all off, I scored a Scanpan Pro S5 Skillet, which is seriously awesome. We’ve been using this skillet for every meal ever since the event!

I’m not saying I’m a brand new person, but let’s just say that the amateur cooking ways of mine are long-gone—you can call me Chef Nikka from now on. And, of course, I loved that this event was for Habitat for Humanity, a cause I think is absolutely uh-mazing!!! There’s nothing quite like cooking for a cause. 🙂

To learn more about Home is the Key, Habitat’s first nationwide cause campaign, visit habitat.org/homeisthekey. Oh, and be sure to use hashtag #HomeIsTheKey when you share on social media.