Jackalope Grill Cooking Classes: February = Great Grains, March = Soups, Stews, Braising

(Bend, OR) Join The Jackalope Grill’s Chef Timothy Garling for upcoming cooking classes, this Monday, February 2 and Monday, March 2.  These evenings are filled with great food, wine and cooking tips and secrets. The February class covers “Great Grains,” including risotto, barley risotto, quinoa, farro and amaranth. In March, “Soups, Stews & Braising” is the topic. Cooking classes include wine and hors d’oeuvres, demonstration and hands-on preparation in the kitchen, handouts with recipes and techniques and sampling of menu dishes paired with wine and/or beer.

The Source Weekly writes: “Speaking of branching out, Chef Timothy Garling has been doing a bit of that lately with his popular cooking classes at Jackalope Grill. Because of the strong interest in the classes, which feature cooking tutorials capped off by wine and food, Garling has been adding additional slots.”

Class starts at 6:00 pm at The Jackalope Grill and space is limited (these classes sell out quickly). Cost is $50. For reservations, call The Jackalope Grill at 541-318-8435. For location and info, go to the Jackalope Grill website.

December 1 was our third anniversary. On that day in 2005, Tim and I purchased the Jackalope, and like any great birth this was not an easy one! We signed papers for the restaurant at the restaurant and started prepping for the evening minutes later. That evening at 5 o’clock the restaurant opened for business as usual. It was a funny and surreal experience.

I can clearly remember the servers and kitchen staff looking at us and you could almost see them wondering, “who on earth are these people and what are they doing here?” I have to admit somewhere in the back of our minds we were wondering the same thing too. After leaving the safe, small and familiar surroundings of Alta, Utah for 16 years we were now in Bend.

Thankfully, not only was it the scariest decision we ever had to make, but it was also the wisest. We have been met with such warmth and been truly embraced by this community. Words cannot express our gratitude.

Here’s to more great years to come!

Join us for Christmas

We will be open Christmas Day, December 25, serving dinner from 4-7pm.

Leave the cooking – and cleaning – to us and enjoy a real holiday break.

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CLOSED December 26 January 1
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The Party’s at The Jackalope

There’s still time to reserve our private dining room – or the whole restaurant – for your holiday party. Get more details here, or call Kathy at 318-8435.

2009 Cooking Classes

Tim will be teaching cooking classes in January, February and March. Space is limited, so reserve your spot now!

Women Tasting Wine

Sparkling Wines
Mon., Dec. 15, 4-6pm

From Diane Sienko and Mary Robertson:

“November’s seminar certainly put us in a Thanksgiving mood! Chef Tim’s upscale Thanksgiving menu was paired nicely with wines selected by Byron Scott of Cathedral Ridge Winery in Hood River, Oregon.

With the holidays fast approaching, December’s seminar will feature “Sparkling Wines”. Dennis Sienko of Bend Wine Cellar will guide us through sparkling wines aimed at every price range and every occasion.”

Cost is $45. For reservations, please contact Diane Sienko at Bend Wine Cellars (388-7564), or go to the Women Tasting Wine website.

See last month’s menu.

Yield: 6 servings
Oven: 350 deg. F.

Ingredients for the stuffing:
• ¼ c soft cream cheese
• 1 T blue cheese crumbles
• 1 T grated good quality parmesan cheese
• 1 T grated jack cheese
• 1 T minced shallots
• Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the chicken breasts:
• 6 7-8 oz. boneless chicken breasts halves skin left intact, rinsed and patted dry
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flour
• Canola or olive oil

Ingredients for the sauce:
• 1 cup red grapes cut in half
• 1/3 cup chardonnay
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 T unsalted butter (optional)

To make the stuffing – Combine the first five ingredients. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the chicken – Salt and pepper the skin side of the chicken breast, dredge with flour and sauté both sides until golden brown. Cut a pocket in each breast: Lay the breast skin side up on a cutting board. Hold a 5- or 6-inch sharp, thin-bladed knife with its flat side parallel to the cutting board. About half way up and midway along the thicker side of the breast, carefully make an incision that goes deep into the breast but doesn’t break through the opposite side. Place a tablespoon or so of the stuffing into the pocket. Put the chicken on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake until just cooked (about 10- 15 minutes).

To make the sauce – Place the first four ingredients in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. After the sauce thickens drop in the chilled butter. Swirl until the butter melts. With the chicken on a plate, spoon the sauce over the breasts. Serve immediately. Enjoy!