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Pierogi Class

Last night was Pierogi class! Pierogi (plural form) are delicious Polish dumplings filled with savory or sweet fillings. The dough is rolled out, circles are cut and filling placed on each circle. Each pierogi is carefully sealed and boiled in water. They can be eaten at this point, but we fry them with onions in butter to make them extra delicious. We made two fillings: Potato and Cheese and Sauerkraut and Mushroom.

Pierogi continues to be one of our most popular classes and yesterday’s was no exception as it was was filled to capacity with eager students. I didn’t take any photos during last night’s class, but I do have a film clip (in slow motion) of the final preparation of pierogi making from my home kitchen. Enjoy the sizzle!

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Art Talk and Cooking Workshop


We are so pleased to be offering a cooking workshop in conjunction with an art talk by curator
Mary Murray at
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute on July 22 and 29, 2009. The theme is Grilled Tapas for a Summer Party and we will be offering scratch-made flatbread with olive oil, summer veggies, and roasted pine nuts, apricot glazed chicken kebabs, grilled garlic shrimp with fresh lemon and basil,and tabouli (bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, and lemon juice, etc.) with grilled pita. For dessert we we have ice cream with chocolate-almond butter cookies. A glass of wine will be served. We’re glad that both sections of the workshop have been filled, but sorry for those who were unable to register.

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MWPAI Bountiful Garden

Here are some pictures from the Bountiful Garden workshop that Susan’s Cooking School presented at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute on October 21. Our thanks go to Barb Kane, April Oswald and the maintenance staff at MWPAI for their help in putting this workshop together.

Above is the braided sesame bread.

Here I am demonstrating the rolling of pastry dough for the fruit tarts. Below is a view of the oven roasted veggies and kasha pilaf.

Below is the maple-cranberry chicken.

Great culinary workshop in one of Utica’s finest institutions!

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Just a few openings left…

All of our classes had filled, but we were able to open another Holiday Dinner class on December 9th.

The Bountiful Garden harvest class at MWPAI was great fun. We made kasha, beet salad vinaigrette (the sweetest beets I have ever tasted), oven roasted veggies, chicken breast with maple cranberry sauce and apple-blueberry tarts. Students enjoyed wine and sun dried tomato-cheese bread before class began.

This coming Tuesday (pictures below) will be great fun as well.

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Class Update

Classes for the Fall of 2008 are almost completely filled. We are hoping to open another section of our Holiday Dinner class on December 9th. Please let me know if you are interested and contact: Susan Sady. Leave your name, e-mail and/or telephone number. Thank you for your interest in Susan’s Cooking School.

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Class is in session

Hungarian Chicken Noodle Soup

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread with Sea Salt

We have just completed our second class, Autumn Feast. The class was entertained by the musical rehearsal in the auditorium next to the kitchen. The aromas of roasted veggies with garlic and fresh dill, roast pork with Hungarian paprika and marjoram, and fresh apples baking in an apricot glazed tart filled the air.

Our next class will be Soup and Bread, No. 1 (the first of a series) on October 28, 2008. We will be preparing rosemary-olive oil bread with sea salt and Hungarian chicken soup with homemade pinch noodles – both pictured in this post.

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Cooking classes to begin soon


The Fall 2008 semester of Susan’s Cooking School will be starting soon.

Here is the list of classes.

Class 1: ASIAN FLAVOR- October 7 Experience the fresh and delicate flavors of the orient. Light and crispy wontons with a marvelous and versatile plum sauce, tender jasmine rice, tangy
sesame-carrot salad and a zesty apricot glazed chicken breast.

Class 2: AUTUMN FEAST- October 14 We’ll start with a beet and spinach salad topped with
balsamic vinaigrette and toasted walnuts. Then comes the main course of roast pork loin, fresh pear-cranberry chutney, and dill roasted root vegetables. An elegant apricot glazed apple tart will complete the feast.

Class 3: SOUP AND BREAD No. 1- October 28 Fragrant rosemary-olive oil bread made with sea salt and fresh rosemary leaves will be prepared in addition to a savory Hungarian chicken soup with homemade pinch noodles. We’ll also make some rich and chewy chocolate crackle cookies for dessert.

Class 4: HUNTER’S STEW (Bigos) & RYE BREAD- November 11 This incredible meat and vegetable stew will be prepared by guest instructor, Dariusz Sady. Although the name suggests game meats, this version of Hunter’s Stew is prepared with fresh beef, pork, kielbasa, sauerkraut, fresh vegetables and other savory ingredients. In addition, Susan will prepare a crusty old world sour rye bread to accompany this traditional Polish dish.

Class 5: MEMORIES OF POLONAISE No. 2- November 18 After requests too numerous to count, we are finally sharing our secret potato pancake recipe. This formula is the result of years of experimentation to create the perfect, crispy delicious potato delight. We will also prepare some other Polonaise favorites; chicken Polonaise, grilled zucchini, and apple-plum cobbler.

Class 6: A HOLIDAY DINNER- December 2 A great meal for any special occasion, with a dessert that is just incredible. Chicken breast with a shallot/marsala sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and honey glazed carrots. For the grand finale, a delicate strawberry cream torte. This layered delicacy will take some effort, but what a worthwhile endeavor!

Contact me if you have any questions about these classes or cooking/baking questions in general.