2009-05-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Cooking at Hazelbrush, a little cooking school in the big woods.

The kitchen at Hazelbrush is located on a hill above Indian Creek near the community of Two Inlets, about 8 miles south of the headwaters of the Mississippi River and 20 minutes northwest of Park Rapids, Minnesota.

Amy Thielen, the instructor, is a veteran of top kitchens in Manhattan (Bouley, db Bistro Moderne, 66, and Cru) a recipe developer for Country Living Magazine, a food writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a cooking instructor at Cooks of Crocus Hill in the Twin Cities and since and moving to the woods, a fervent home cook, preserver, gardener and forager, too.

She loves to translate her passion for food into simple pixels of information and perfect little bites.

Weather permitting, classes will begin in the garden for last-minute harvesting and move on to the kitchen. Each class includes complimentary wine tastings paired to the menu (courtesy of the acclaimed Cork Dork Wine Shop in Minneapolis--www.corkdorkwineco.com), five full courses, a booklet of recipes from the class and costs $50.

To reserve your spot in the kitchen you can do one of two things: either send a message to hazelbrush@gmail.com or call 218-732-0450. Be sure to leave your phone number or email address for confirmation. Your confirmation email will include detailed directions.

If you have a group of 6 or more and would like to arrange a private class, please contact Amy at the same number.

Summer, 2010

Garden Italian
Friday, August 6, 5:30 to 8:30

The charms of simple food aren’t dramatic, but when you cook from the garden, the joy accumulates. We’ll start authentically, with a rare Italian vegetable from my garden, and end with my take on an affogato, or espresso and cream: cool coffee pot de crème, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate crunch, and steamed milk.

Cardoons with bagna cauda
Grilled shrimp and chickpea salad with bacon vinaigrette
Homemade orecchiette with spicy sausage and broccoli
Green beans with rosemary brown butter
Affogato trifle: bittersweet chocolate and espresso custard

Memories of Koreatown
Tuesday, August 24, 5:30 to 8:30

I may have gone to New York to learn French cooking, but I minored in Korean food. My Korean friends from cooking school toured me around Koreatown, into the markets and then back home to cook. These are a few of the things I learned.

Pan chan: an assortment of traditional pre-dinner snacks, including kimchi
Mung bean pancakes with shrimp and peanuts
Jap chae: sweet potato noodles with vegetables
Bulgo ki (marinated grilled beef) with lettuce wrappers and kochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
Barley-brown rice with sesame
Coconut pannacotta with lime curd

Country French
Friday, August 27, 5:30 to 8:30

Somehow the French manage to be rustic and elegant at the same time. Starting with a local take on the classic brandade (swapping salted codfish for smoked whitefish), we’ll progress through a classic (more or less!) pork belly and French lentil salad and then make a simple country apple tart.

smoked whitefish brandade with baguette
mixed greens with marinated cherry tomatoes and aged cheddar
black maple glazed slow-cooked pork belly
French lentil salad
apple tart with puff pastry

Available Classes:
Call me to schedule a private group of 6-8 people.

Bold Cantonese

The Cantonese excel at stir-frying and combining subtle flavors, and this menu showcases both. Learn how to make a few unusual, but traditional dishes, from the Canton province as well as the more modern cooking found in contemporary Hong Kong.

Steamed pork sui mei (open dumplings)
Shrimp toast
Authentic Kung pao chicken with roasted peanuts and chilies
Jasmine rice
Stir-fried greens with garlic
Coconut-Mango bubble tea (with large tapioca)

Authentic Tapas and Paella Party

I say authentic because we’re going to cook the paella over a wood fire, as the Spanish have done for generations. That’s the centerpiece of the night, but as it cooks we’ll fire some small traditional dishes, or tapas, on the other side of the grill and graze on them in the meantime.

 pan con tamate (grilled bread with tomato and garlic)
roasted sweet peppers with sour orange vinaigrette
Grilled mushroom salad with toasted almonds
Traditional paella: chicken, chorizo, shrimp in bomba rice with Spanish saffron
Cinnamon flan

Heritage Farmhouse Supper

Join me on a trip back in time to the era of culinary excess, heartland-style--when all the cheese was freshly dripping, the pickles were homemade and all the corn was hours from the stalk. Some participation in this class, so please bring an apron if you’d like to participate.

Pickle Plate (pickles, sausage, homemade dilled pot cheese)
Corn fritters with buttermilk dip
Breaded Pork Chops stuffed with ham and gruyere
Coleslaw with bread and butter pickles
Glorified rice pudding with candied pineapple and rum-soaked sour cherries

Asian Barbecue

Have a favorite barbecue style to which you’ve already sworn allegiance? You might want to reconsider: Asian barbecue, with its sweet, charred edges and succulent meat, is positively addictive. Hop through the regions of Asia, picking up recipes and techniques for the best-of-the-best barbecued dishes.  

Korean grilled beef with fresh garlic, lettuce wraps and kochujang  
Gingered Chinese baby back ribs, with stir-fried bok choy 
Japanese garden salad with miso 
Lacquered stuffed chicken wings with honey and kaffir lime leaf
Lime cheesecake with fresh raspberries

Four Amazing Sauces

Good sauces reach greatness when made by hand, in the mortar and pestle. Train your pounding arm (and bring your apron), because we will take turns muddling aromatics and herbs into intricately layered sauces, and then put them to use in classic dishes.

Grilled Shrimp with Romesco
Pesto and fresh cheese crostini
Le grand aioli: garlic mayonnaise with garden vegetables, eggs, bread
Charred Ribeye Salad with Chimichurri Dressing
Sauteed crepes with dark chocolate and hazelnut praline, rum sauce