Cooking | Urban Deli

Posted on November 18, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

Chef Bob talks about his cooking class – Creole Jambalaya

Coming up on Sunday we have another cooking class with Bob McVicar (aka Chef Bob). If you would like to join us, give us a call at the Urban Deli: 652.3354. If you would like to know more, have a look at our post, Creole jambalaya. Or you can just let Bob tell you about it himself:

One last thing: For those who have signed up to our newsletter, we are giving away tickets from the Saint John Theatre Company to their November 25th show: The Importance of Being Earnest. If you haven’t signed up yet, you still can subscribe and have a chance at winning. Just visit our newsletter page and subscribe.

Posted on November 16, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Creole Jambalaya – cooking class at the Urban Deli

Creole Jambalaya - photo: laaloosh.com We did it a few months ago; we’re doing it again – a cooking class coming up on a Sunday – November 21, 1:00pm to 3:00pm – with ‘Chef Bob.’ That’s Saint John’s Bob McVicar. The subject of the class? Creole jambalaya!

Traditionally, jambalaya is put together in three main parts involving meats and vegetables, and there are two main types of jambalaya: Creole and Cajun.

There are likely many more, because cooks love variations. We understand that Chef Bob has a Creole jambalaya in mind for us on November 21. If you’re the curious kind, you can read more about jambalaya and its history.

The class at the Urban Deli will be ‘reserved seating only.’ There is a cost — $25 — to help offset some of our costs. But we’ve tried to keep it as minimal as possible. And we ask that you bring your own “to-go” container so you can take away your own sample of the finished dish.

Of course, you’ll also learn how to make this jambalaya and take home a copy of Bob’s recipe.

This should be a lot of fun. If you get thirsty, beverages will be available for purchase: beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks.

If you’re interested in what promises to be a flavorsome and entertaining afternoon, just give us a call at the Urban Deli: 652.3354.

The details one more time:

Cooking class at the Urban Deli
Creole jambalaya with Bob McVicar
Sunday, November 21, 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Cost: $25

We hope you can join us!

Posted on March 29, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Cooking class – a new first for Urban Deli

A group of twenty or so people convened at the Urban Deli on a sunny Sunday afternoon on March 14th to participate in the first cooking class hosted by UD. The restaurant is normally closed on Sundays, but Liz decided to open up for a few hours to host this reservation-only event. Bob McVicar was the instructing chef and the subject of the day was Italian-style cabbage rolls.

The afternoon began with some informal introductions and delicious snacks (check out this sautéed red pepper recipe), and then we all found seats at the communal table in groups of four. To ensure that the objective of the class was clear, Bob served us each a sample of his Italian cabbage rolls that he had put together a couple of days prior – Bob swears that they are better a few days after making them. We also sampled some homemade Italian sausage that UD has recently started making in-house.

Next, we worked in our groups of four to create some of Bob’s Italian cabbage rolls. We made half of the recipe below, which resulted in a roasting pan full of cabbage rolls. Bob did some of the prep work before we arrived and had already softened and peeled the cabbage leaves off of the head for us as well as having prepared the tomato sauce. Our main tasks were to create the filling and put the rolls together.

Bob’s recipe for the filling is simple to put together and rolling it in the leaves is pretty easy once you get used to it. You’ll need to be willing to get your hands dirty for this dish, so dig in and have some fun. Just follow the recipe and preparation instructions below and you’ll have no problems.

After assembling all of our rolls, we packed them up and topped them with some delicious tomato sauce. Each participant received a portion to take home, at which point they simply had to be baked and served fresh, saved for a few days before eating, or placed in the freezer to consume at a later date.

The cooking class was an enjoyable afternoon and a great value at only $12 per person, which was to help cover some of the costs. Beverages were also available to purchase and the snacks continued to flow throughout the afternoon. This cooking class was a successful first for UD and I suspect that there will be many more to come. Stay tuned to urbandeli.ca for info about future cooking classes that Liz has in the works.

Italian Cabbage Rolls – download recipe by Bob McVicar:

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This article was written by our guest author, Trisha Gallant, who is also an Urban Deli regular.

Posted on March 26, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Pork fried rice with veggies

I thought I was going to make chicken fried rice, but I guess that bag in the fridge that my girlfriend took out of the freezer was actually pork.

I wouldn’t really call this a recipe because one could put anything they want in this dish and really, the only thing required is to cook the rice early and then cool it in the fridge. All Chinese restaurants use this technique for fried rice, or at least they should. Using freshly cooked rice will result in a huge lump of goo.

Mixing the other ingredients with the rice in a bowl and then serving isn’t fried rice, although it may also be tasty.

To start off, I seasoned some vegetable oil by combining it in a small pot with fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass, a chili pepper, star anise, and white peppercorns. I let this simmer for about an hour, before straining and setting it aside until it was time to start cooking.

I used a couple hundred grams of pork, an egg, half a yellow bell pepper, a small handful of green beans, five small mushrooms, one stalk of celery, a small carrot, and 1/3 cup of frozen peas and corn (thawed in microwave, water drained).

I stir-fried the meat, veggies, and egg on medium high heat, and then added the cooled rice, along with several shakes of soy sauce, a few drops of fish sauce and sesame oil, and a small splash of rice wine vinegar.

I also toasted some sesame seeds and sliced a couple of green onions for garnishing the dish when serving.

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Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj

Posted on March 1, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Cooking class at the Urban Deli

We’re going to try something a little different. We have a cooking class coming up on March 14th with ‘Chef Bob.’ That would be Saint John’s Bob McVicar and the date is for a Sunday, when we’re normally closed. And the subject of the class? Italian cabbage rolls.

This will be a ‘reserved seating only’ class with just sixteen (16) tickets available – enough to fill our communal table and to break into four groups of four. There is a cost — $12 – to help offset some of our costs. But we’ve tried to keep it as minimal as possible.

Participants will receive:

A delicious sample tasting of Bob’s cabbage rolls that you will be making prior to making your own
Tasting of Urban Deli’s Italian sausage (made in-house at the Deli)
Copy of Bob’s Italian Cabbage Roll recipe
Hands-on experience in making your own cabbage rolls
Portions of cabbage rolls to take home for your next dinner party or keep for yourself

We’re pretty sure it will be a lot of fun. If you get thirsty, beverages will be available for purchase: beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks.

If you’re interested in what promises to be a tasty and entertaining afternoon, just give Liz a call at the Urban Deli: 652.3354.

The details once more time:

Cooking class at the Urban Deli – Italian cabbage rolls with Bob McVicar
Sunday, March 14, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: $12

We hope you can join us!