"Chef Trevor"?

Saturday night was a significant milestone in terms of my ambitions to turn cooking and writing into a career, as it marked the first time I've ever gotten paid to teach a cooking class and serve food to my guests.

I conducted the class at Quality Street Kitchen and Catering, a great little shop in historic Leonardtown, Maryland, owned and operated by Joann McKeown. Joann sells high-end professional cookware and other odds and ends, but my favorite part of the store is her in-house kitchen, out of which she runs her catering business and hosts local chefs who give cooking demonstrations and share their food with "students" for a small fee.

People have been generous enough to refer to me as a chef on many occasions due to the fact that I wrote a cookbook six years ago, but nothing really could be further from the truth. I'm merely a cook. Save for a few years logged at McDonald's when I was in high school, I've never even worked in a kitchen for a living, much less run one.

However, given that the word "chef" colloquially means someone who cooks professionally and more specifically refers to the cook who's in charge of the kitchen, getting paid to turn out cuisine for people who've willingly parted with their own money to eat it is at least a step in the right direction.

So does this make me a "professional" cook? I'm not sure, but I suppose we can let the future bear that out. Hey, if anyone out there reading this works for a publisher and wants to take a chance on a book that could make millions, you can send me an email and preempt the proposals I currently have in to a handful of mainstream publishers. That would definitely make me more relevant, as will the next two classes I'm slated to hold at Quality Street.

Until then, you can check out some photos of Saturday's class here:

Prepping onions for french onion soup.

Cooking with hot chicks is fun.

Mozzarella crostinis: looked even better with fresh parm and basil.

Dressing the Caesar salad.

Just like a pro with the basil chiffonade.

This reminds me, I'm planning on starting a "Recipe of the Week" series on this blog. I'll share one recipe every week and try to include a picture of it, so let me know in the comments if that sounds like something you guys would be interested in. At the very least, it will force me to eat something more than broccoli and chicken or Cheerios every night for dinner, and you'll get a free recipe out of it.

My next Quality Street class is scheduled for May 2 and I have to come up with a theme for a third class by March 11, so if eating great food and swilling good wine is something you're interested in, be sure to get in touch with Joann and sign up for one.

UPDATE: Check out a full set of photos at the Quality Street blog.

Comments

[Lisa D]

You know, I don't recall getting any of these famous recipes when I was at your house.

Funny you mention your recipe of the week. After a dismal cupcake recipe I did for coworkers, I was thinking of posting some good recipes, too. Maybe I'll just save time and link to you.

[trevor]

Ha, well I guess you'll have to come down and visit again, won't you!

[Brenee]

I think a recipe every week is a great idea! Even though I have tasted many of your GREAT recipes and have your cookbook.