The Charleston Cooks! demonstrations and cooking classes take place at the retail store of Maverick Southern Kitchen in downtown Charleston. In addition to operating the store & classes, Maverick Southern Kitchen owns several restaurants in the Charleston area. I have been to one of their restaurants- SNOB- and loved it, so I had a feeling the food at the cooking demo would be delicious.
The demo was great because it was more than just food prep- we learned about the history of food in the Lowcountry and tips on doing common kitchen tasks. Here are some fun facts I learned:
- Chopping Onions: Most of the chemicals in an onion that make you cry are in the bottom, so when you are chopping leave the bottom in tact and you will cry less.
- Corn on the Cob: When you are cutting corn off the cob, place the corn on its side instead of up & down. Easier to cut + less chance of cutting yourself and getting kernels everywhere!
- Pie Crust: The more humid it is, the less liquid you need in your pie crust. The liquid in a standard pie crust can vary from just a couple tablespoons up to half a cup.
We had such a fun afternoon at the cooking demo. On a side note- I have finally reached the point where I care more about having my feet feel comfortable than about looking dorky in tennis shoes. I felt like a dweeb, but my feet felt great. Bleh.