Cooking Class in November

A Jeffersonian Feast

Amanda Smith Caterers and ArtBites are pleased to celebrate the holidays and present an art tour and cooking class tracing the French influence in early American art, architecture, food and wine as inspired by Thomas Jefferson. The first American "foodie", Jefferson's tastes were shaped during his time as minister to France. He always looked at the Old World to make the New World better and introduced many staple ingredients into the American culinary pantheon.

First, join Maite Gomez-Rejón of ArtBites at the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York to weave art and culinary history while viewing the Met's collection of French and American paintings and decorative arts. Then head to the kitchen for a cooking class and dinner inspired by 18th century French and American recipes and by Amanda Smith's cookbook 'Paris in a Basket' that would make Thomas Jefferson proud!

Friday, November 20, 2009
5:30 to 6:30pm - museum discussion
7:00 to 9:30pm - cooking class and sit down dinner

Limited to 12 participants

Menu:
Salade aux Herbes avec la Vinaigrette a l'Estragon - Herb Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Artichauds a l'Anchoiade - Artichoke Anchoiade
Raie a la Vinaigrette Tiede - Skate with Warm Caper and Olive Vinaigrette
Poulet aux Figues et Calvados - Chicken with Figs and Calvados
Pommes Fondants - Braised Potatoes
Haricots Verts - French Green Beans
Tarte au Citron - Lemon Tart with Raspberry Coulis

Cost of $130 per person includes museum admission, tour, van transfer from museum to kitchen, all ingredients, instruction, recipes and wine with dinner.

Register under "upcoming classes" at http://www.artbites.net


Instructor biographies:
Maite Gomez-Rejón
Maite has a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin, an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Grande Diplome from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Since 1995, Maite has worked in the education departments of such renowned museums as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, LACMA and the Getty Villa; and has worked as a private chef and caterer. In 2008, Maite founded ArtBites, art and culinary history combined with hands-on cooking instruction, which she has taught at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens and Norton Simon Museum in Los Angeles, and the 92nd Street Y and Isamu Noguchi Museum in New York.

Amanda Pilar Smith
Amanda has a BS from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University where she also received an MPS in Agricultural Economics. Since graduating, she has lived and worked in many parts of the world, among them South East Asia working with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, South Africa, Mexico working with Del Monte Fresh Produce and Paris, France where she lived five years and co-wrote a book "Paris in a Basket" which is a sociological study about the open air food markets and history of the "city of light". Amanda started her New York based catering company, Amanda Smith Caterers (aka Good Food in a Basket) in 2002, and has been luring and wowing clients since. Maite was Amanda's first chef and remains an inspiring and ever present contributor to the company.


amanda smith caterers - catering & event planning - t. 917 626 6055 - http://www.amandasmithcaterers.com/