A pilaf dish can be an incredible way to highlight and meld the freshest ingredients of the season. Not only easy to make, pilafs are packed with layers of flavor while incorporating healthy grains and rice for a balanced, satisfying meal. Pilaf was born as essentially a steamed rice and vegetable dish and is now prepared all over the world. Its basic ingredients allow for it to take on an abundance of flavors and cuisine profiles. Today we see any type of grain being used which gives us an amazing vehicle to incorporate healthy grains into our kitchens and cooking. In this class, we will cover all the basics of a great pilaf, including a lesson on grain varietals and fusion style pilafs, as well as which ones are best suited for pilaf-style dishes. We’ll use the best seasonal ingredients and freshest herbs while showing you the techniques of the liquid base, and there will be some tricks too that show you how to make the fluffiest pilaf around! With all of the greenmarket vegetables available in the month of June, it’s a perfect time of year to learn this dish that can be substituted with any number of seasonal ingredients all throughout the year.

Recipes:Quinoa & Spring Herb Pilaf, Ginger & Asian Green Pilaf with Azuki Beans, Asparagus and Brown Rice Spring Pea-Laf, Nutty Mediterranean Farro Pilaf, Sweet Indian Rice Pilaf

Class Type: Individual, hands-on cooking class

Class Notes:A vegetarian expedition on modern pilaf making using all of spring’s finest ingredients!

Emily Casey

Emily Casey developed a love of cooking at an early age, baking her way though Betty Crocker at the age of 10 and subjecting her friends to homemade sushi as a teenager. She was lucky enough to grow up in a town in Southwestern Virginia that has enjoyed a daily farmer's market continuously since 1882, and to have parents who are excellent home cooks. The bounty of the Blue Ridge brought to her family's table much trout, venison, local game birds, and farm-fresh local vegetables like pole beans and sweet potatoes. Emily has also been fortunate enough to travel around the world, expanding her palate on the exotic cuisines of such far-flung locales as Indonesia, China, and the Middle East. She has lived all over the country, but especially harbors a soft spot for the American South. When she found herself visiting the shrimp boats and farmers' markets of New Orleans in order to avoid her graduate work at Tulane University, Emily realized perhaps it was time for a career change. She graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City in 2005, returning briefly to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to cook at the historic Carolina Inn. Emily returned to the kitchens of NYC in 2006, cooking at such restaurants as Tabla, Irving Mill, and the New French. She is currently employed as a private chef and chef instructor, and is looking forward to opening her own restaurant sometime in the future.