La Maison de Falaise: Enter as strangers, leave as friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Robin Beckett

Photos by Chad Bremerman

As soon as you walk through the door and inhale the smells wafting from the stove, you’re hooked.

During one of her recent cooking classes, Kathy Sali’s home kitchen filled up quickly. Students streamed in and mingled with each other, and the smells of garlic and mango being chopped on a cutting board by guest chef Frank Magana of Prosser’s Picazo Seven Seventeen restaurant.

Sali began offering cooking classes with guest chefs in March, soon after she and her partner of 17 years, Paul Weaver, finished building their new house on Young Grade Road in October. Built to resemble a French farmhouse, her home became the inspiration for the name of her class, “La Maison de Falaise” — French for “cliff house.” An autodidactic cook, Sali began learning the skill in 1985, her inspiration a Junior League cookbook given to her by a close friend.

Now, “I love to cook,” Sali says.

“She’s a terrific cook,” interjects Weaver.

Together, Sali and Magana put the students at ease. Sali’s motto is, “Enter as strangers, leave as friends,” and it shows.

“I’m a hugger,” she said.

Magana is as quick with a knife as he is with a quip — not at all the type of domineering and despotic chef so often seen on television these days.

The kitchen’s working space is large enough for the students without feeling cavernous. When Sali and Weaver designed their new house, they did it with Sali’s dream kitchen in mind. To that end, it can seat 14 people along two granite-clad counters and has space for the same number of people at the large farmhouse table.[slideshow id=25]

La Maison de Falaise’s signature fleur de lis decorates everything from the hand-painted stove hood the custom recipe binders to the black aprons that students wear (and are available for purchase).  Sali has left no detail out, yet there is no pretentiousness.

La Maison de Falaise hosts two classes each month — a kids cooking class on the second Sunday (Sali’s daughter, Eschelle Nunley, and her 5-year old granddaughter, Blaire, are the instructors) and an adult cooking class on the second Thursday. Menus run the gamut, but during the class with Magana, some amazing food hit the plate: mango-glazed prawns and warm chevre wrapped in grape leaves, a Caesar salad, steamed clams, stuffed pork chops and chocolate crème brulee. Each course was paired with wines from locally-owned Naches Heights Vineyard and Wilridge Winery.

Along the way, students learned the tricks behind prawns that are perfectly done, and how little things like cooking spray can help one’s presentation (Yes, cooking spray).

The Caesar was delightfully different from the usual, made with mayonnaise and fish sauce instead of egg yolks and anchovies, yet it still had that distinctive “bite” one expects in a true caesar dressing.  The risotto, made with what Magana called  “mushroom tea,” was much more than the simplicity of its parts, with an earthy, almost nutty fullness of flavor … and it took exactly 18 minutes to make.

“Risotto should not ever take more than 18 minutes,” said Magana.  “Ever.”

The main dish, though, was the star of the show: pork chops stuffed with sun-dried tomato, parmesan and spinach.  They were prepared by the students, who learned how to properly cut the chop so stuffing can be inserted easily without letting it seep out during the cooking process.

To top it all off, a chocolate crème brulee was prepared and devoured after the last pork chop bone hit the plate.

At the end of the meal, there were a lot of satisfied customers.

Sali plans on adding basic cooking classes to her lineup soon.  Classes run anywhere from $45-$65 a session, depending on menu, but keep in mind that includes recipes, eating what one makes, and a lesson that lasts a lifetime.

But don’t take it too seriously, said Sali.

“It’s all about having fun.”

For more info or to register for a class, visit maisonfalaise.com.

Chocolate Creme Brulee
Courtesy of Chef Frank Magana of Picazo 7Seventeen

Serves 14 if using 3 oz. ramekins

Ingredients
1 qt. heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 oz. chocolate liqueur (optional)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 oz. cocoa powder
2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
11 large egg yolks

Procedure
*Preheat over to 350 F
*In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add cream, sugar, liqueur and vanilla.
*When mixture is warm, add the cocoa powder and chocolate and whisk until blended.
*Place the egg yolks in a large, stainless steel bowl, break yolks, slowly add the warm chocolate mixture to the eggs a little at a time while whisking.
*Strain and pour into individual ramekins. Place the ramekins i a large baking pan.
*Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
*Bake until firm in the center; check after 30 minutes.
*Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool.
*Place in cooler for two hours.
*Dust with sugar and caramelize with a propane torch.