REVIEW: ChefWorks
When Kids Get Bored, Stir the Pot

by Lynn Honeysett

(July 9, 2003) Our mother-daughter book club took a break from reading by opting for a cooking class at ChefWorks, Chef Brian MacMenamin’s cooking school located in the same building as MacMenamin’s Grill in New Rochelle, the magically transformed former PlasticWorks factory. From an enticing choice of international menus, we voted for an Asian theme because of its appeal to 13-14 year olds and their parental units.

Our chef, Liv, greeting us in her tall toque and whites, was cheerful and friendly. Lining the kids up on stools at the wide counter facing the spacious industrial kitchen, she immediately set them to work with chef knives, cutting boards and a bounty of fresh vegetables. Wielding her own knife, Chef Liv showed the girls the proper way to chop while shielding their fingers – all this while deftly fielding an excited barrage of culinary questions from the adults.

A friendly air of informality pervaded. As the moms sipped wine, Liv showed us ways to play with the ingredients for added versatility in the dishes. The girls chopped, squeezed, stirred, measured and mixed the makings for Asian chicken, tuna sate with wasabi sauce, crunchy light vegetable spring rolls, and a noodle vegetable salad. Dessert was a very un-Asian and utterly luscious chocolate ganache cake. Liv thought the kids would enjoy the chocolate – kids?! Moms and daughters alike liberally licked fingers that dipped into the industrial-size bowl of rich chocolate.

Lots of laughs and two hours later the ten of us were seated at a long table alongside the kitchen area, enjoying our culinary efforts. The spring rolls were a real crowd-pleaser – not only fun to make, but so light and crisp they flew off the table into waiting mouths. The wasabi tuna sate found more of an audience with the moms, while the Chinese noodle salad was just spicy enough to please all palates. Baked in an Asian-inspired sauce and vegetables, plump chicken breasts were flavorful but not exceptional.

Oh, but the ganache was everything it promised to be, and more. Even after our huge meal, everyone found room for generous servings of the luscious chocolate cake and whipped cream confection. Abundant dinner leftovers were divvied up into individual containers that we all took home with us and savored the next day.

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ChefWorks 115 Cedar Street New Rochelle, NY
Information on current classes: (914) 632 4900 or www.macmenaminsgrill.com

This review is courtesy of New Rochelle City Soundings, an email newsletter written and distributed by New Rochelle residents Phyllis Ross, Mitchell Tarnopal and Lynn Honeysett. To receive the newletter, email: Mitchell Tarnopal.