Private Cooking Lessons at the Spring Mill Café

Chef Michele is available most Mondays to teach you how to prepare a dish, sauce or cake, etc.

Contact her at michele@springmill.com !

Example: Monday, August 29^th, I taught five 10^th and 11^th graders from a school in Radnor how to bake brioche, chocolate layer cake and chocolate mousse. The mother came to check on the time and had a taste of the mousse. The father came early to pick them up in order to have a taste of all of the above!

Monday, September 12th, I taught a young lady how to make herb vinaigrette, lemon beurre blanc, sea scallops Niçoise, and sautéed black bass.

Crayfish Jazz Festival to Benefit Haiti, August 28, 2011

Doctor Rick Josiassen and I have a tradition that we’ll continue for a long time: to create a jazz festival at the Spring Mill Café every year at the end of August.

This year was difficult, because we had a huge storm—trees fell and roads were flooded. However, I was very stubborn and hopeful, and we cancelled the afternoon program. I believed in the evening good augur. The sky became blue by 5:30, the sun was shining, the Brazilian band, Las Minas, arrived on time, safe and sound. Everybody showed up! It was a big success. The music was superb, the food excellent, and the spirit very generous. Thank you for helping Doctor E. Steven Moriconi of Abington Hospital in his dental project in Haiti.

Bastille Day at the Spring Mill Café

We always celebrate the National Holiday of France, which is on July 14 [it is like the American 4^th of July]. I usually do something special as a surprise for the customers and staff of the café. This year, I dressed as Marie Antoinette in an authentic costume lent to me by a historical society, as well as the wig. I had a shoemaker recreate shoes to match the costume. I went to my Russian makeup artist, who powdered my face, as was the custom in 1787! I went to my hairdresser to fit the wig properly on my head, making sure it would not fall. I hired my distinguished British friend as my companion under the condition that he would find a vespa to travel from downtown to the Spring Mill Café. He was dressed the Duke Gaspard de Brabant of Provence. So, we started from 2^ndand Locust, riding slowly and waving at the passers-by. We arrived at the café with beautiful weather. People were eating outside and were very surprised to see the queen arrive on a vespa! I had asked a waiter to wait for my knock on the door, and when I knocked, he opened it and announced “Sa majesté, la Reine Marie Antoinette et le Duke Gaspard de Brabant de Provence!” Everybody clapped and looked shocked. We had escargots de Bourgogne, rack of lamb à la moutarde, fromage de chèvre, and mousse au chocolat. We continued our celebration at a burlesque show called Marie Antoinette at Beau Monde. I recommend it!

Pre-Bastille Day Celebration at Whole Foods Plymouth Meeting

Elizabeth and I arrived early, as usual, to set up for a salmon and pastry dinner demonstration. I had a very nice group, many of whom were returning students. They tasted the salmon with a dill sauce and a ratatouille. Then, for a nice surprise, and an early Bastille Day (France’s holiday comparable to the US’s 4th of July) celebration, we served a blueberry, whipped cream, and strawberry tart with the colors of the French flag!

Michele in New York City for Two Children’s Exhibits

I love Ezra Jack Keats, and, since I have a grandchild–and I am a child myself!–I love children’s books and their illustrations. So it was a great excuse to go to the Jewish museum on Sunday, November 13 for Ezra Jack Keats’ family day in order to partake in an art workshop with Collage for Keats. I had a beautiful little girl help me with the colors.

After that, I went to the children’s museum to discover the inner child. The exhibit was called “EatSleepPlay: Building Health Every Day.” Normally, one would attend the exhibit with a child–so I was asked at security why I was coming alone. I replied, “Because I have a grandchild and I would love to see what is in this exhibit, to be able to share it with him, because he cannot come all the way from Indiana and be part of this whole experience.” …and I was let in. So, I crawled through the stomach and intestine in the huge model of the body, surrounded by curious young children. The model was interactive; as the article in the New York Times writes: “‘The stomach complains if it’s given junk or overstuffed.’” Please take a day to go with your children! The timing of the exhibit was excellent and coincided with a campaign by Michelle Obama called Let’s Move!.

Teaching Kindergarten Children

On June 2, I taught cooking and (a little bit of French!) to pre-school children at a synagogue.

I simply did an introduction to cooking with a chocolate mousse demonstration, which is everyone’s favorite.

It was a big success and we spoke some French as I was explaining the portions and the ingredients.

Friends Without a Border Mission

We went to a fundraiser on June 3 for Friends Without a Border Philadelphia, a hospital I have helped since day number one–12 years ago. The mission of the program is to help people and children hurt by landmines and to get people vaccinated and treated, as well as to train local Cambodians to become doctors and nurses in their own country.

Pumpkin Soup Tasting at Maple Acres Farm

I had a great time at Maples Acres Farm on November 5. I served hot pumpkin soup.

The farm looked beautiful with the fall colors and a bright sun. It was very different from the week before, when I had had to cancel because of a snow storm!

Many people came after a hayride and tasted the soup, which was accompanied by French baguette and pumpkin butter made at the farm, along with spiced pears from the farm as well.

People appreciated my recipe, which is easy: Maples Acres Farm pumpkin, a good vegetable broth, dry sack sherry, heavy cream, grated nutmeg…all blended together, et voilà!

I enjoyed myself very much!

Try the recipe yourself…Bon appétit!

Trip to Rostov on Don, Southern Russia

I went around the world for food, friends and fun: first Southern Russia, to Rostov on Don.

Back in March, I met a nice couple on a plane going from Rangoon to Nagapali, in Myanmar (formerly Burma). I spoke with a gentleman who was next to me. He showed me pictures of his dogs, his house and his truck. I found out that his name is Vladimir and his wife is Svetlana. They invited me to visit their home in Russia.

So, 6 months later, I am flying to Russia via France, to visit my mother who fell in her kitchen. She is 90 years old. She lives alone, does her light shopping, and cooks her own meals. After my visit with my mother, I took the train from Tours to go directly to Roissy Airport. But the train suddenly stopped in the middle of the wheat fields. “Broken down for an hour,” said the controller.

I was going to miss my train for Moscow.

Soon, cabs arrived for the stranded passengers. I jumped in one and told the driver to go fast. We arrived in good time but I could not find my wallet—so I could not pay the taxi driver! I told him to trust me; I gave my business card, my mother’s address and phone number, and so on…

He let me go. I arrived in front of the Air France reception desk and quickly told them my story; kindheartedly, they gave me a seat in first class!

I had no money, no credit cards, but I had my passport. I transferred to another plane to Rostov and I arrived at 11:30 pm. My friends were waiting for me. The next day, I immediately went to an American Express office to ask for cash to be wired.

I stayed at the grandmother’s house. We spoke in Russian with the help of the dictionary for the necessary everyday vocabulary.

She has a big house in the outskirts of Rostov, near the river Don and near her daughter’s house. She has many cats. She prepares her meals outside in the summer kitchen and cooks delicious separate meals for the cats and the kittens, such as brain stews, braised livers and so on …

We had our breakfast together. Mine was coffee (I bring my own decaf espresso and my own Italian coffee maker) toast, fruit and yoghurt. She had tea, ham and cheese and toast and fruit and sometimes a hot porridge of some sort.

We cooked our dinners in Svetlana’s outdoor summer kitchen.

Demonstration at Maple Acre Farms

July 9- At Maple Acres Farm I did a demonstration of Omelet and Ratatouille. I flipped some 40 omelets with ratatouille filling and some 70 crêpes served with peach and cassis sauce and crème Chantilly.