Cincy Chic Chic Chefs!

I got an IM from my friend Carla the other day:

"Hey, I have two tickets to the Cincy Chic Chic Chefs event. Want to go?"

"Food and drink?"

"Yup!"

"I'm there!"

Cincy Chic is a local website that focuses on women's issues: fashion, beauty, health, career, social-- all sorts of fun things. They host a ton of events-- "Ladies who Lunch", Ladies' Night, all sorts of things. You can sign up for their newsletter on their website, or you can find them on Facebook, too.

Anyway, this series is a cooking series: it is hosted by the McAlpin Building, which has gorgeous condos on 4th Street. They're just breathtaking-- gorgeous cabinetry, huge ceilings, bamboo floor. I could move in right now-- if I could afford it. Ah, well. Something to work towards, right? You start in the bar area with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres (last night's were bruschetta and fiery wontons, which were filled with a chorizo mixture; if you want the recipes, head to Cincy Chic's site). Then we gradually moved up to one of the model penthouses, where Chef Chris Holtz was waiting to share a recipe for an entree.

Chris is the executive chef for Countertops and Cabinetry By Design, which is owned by his dad (who made a great sous chef last night). The deal is, if you buy a kitchen's worth of cabinetry and countertops, you get Chris for an evening (cue clapping by the ladies) to cook a dinner party for you, or show you some cooking techniques. He's close to graduating from Midwest Culinary Institute, and is gaining a ton of experience doing events. It's a pairing that I'd never thought of, but seems like a really great idea. What better way to show off your product by showing someone actually using it? He also works with the chefs at Macy's for product demonstrations, so you might have seen him there.

He showed us how to make shrimp linguine (recipe to be found on Cincy Chic's website). There were a lot of great tips included, and they were mostly geared towards the beginning cook. Things like how to hold a knife (don't use your index finger!), how to salt water (think ocean water), and what kind of salt to use (kosher). He deviated from the recipe a bit, using a bit of grated parmesan, explaining that recipes were just guidelines; that you can change them however you want. He ended the evening with chocolate covered strawberries. Hey, I'll eat chocolate covered anything!

It was a lot of fun-- I hope to see things get a little more advanced with every lesson in the six-week series. Other upcoming themes are French and Italian cuisine, and each session is $15. It's a ton of fun, and a great way to connect with the girls and learn something at the same time.

If you didn't get a chance to attend this event, or will miss others in the future, check out the podcast, provided by Screaming Bob.