There is some magical, drug inducing power that Williams-Sonoma casts over anyone who walks through their golden framed doors. You could be a complete novice in the kitchen and eat out 24/7 and yet you still want everything they sell in the store. Want a special pan to make Whoopie Pies? How about a contraption to grill meatballs? Oh come, you know you need the mozzarella slicer! The reality is no one really needs these things, but when put in front of you amidst a sea of other must have kitchen-tools people are mesmerized (myself included). All kidding aside, Williams-Sonoma sells some of the most incredible, high-quality cook and bake ware on the market, and their staff have a tremendous amount of knowledge and passion about food and entertaining. If it were up to me I would buy every single thing sold in the store, so I have to practice restratint upon entering.
I had two reasons for visiting my favorite kitchen store today, the first was my boyfriend’s parents know me too well and were kind enough to give me a store gift card for my birthday a few weeks back. Needless to say it was burning a whole in my wallet and needed to be spent stat! I was smart about my shopping and made sure to load on up essential items I truly needed. I picked up a Nonstick Goldtouch Half Sheet Pan and Cooling Rack that I desperately needed to replace my warped set. I also bought a nice set of Peugeot Salt and Pepper Mills to replace the plastic set I have used for way too long. These are fantastic to have, I bought the smaller ones because I really couldn’t justify spending more than $40 on these but the larger ones are lovely too if you can spend the money.
The second reason is I’ve been meaning to get over to my local shop in Winter Park to attend one of their technique classes for months now, but have been unsuccessful at getting myself out of bed and ready to go in time to make the 10am class on Saturday mornings. This Saturday happened to be the exception, and I am proud to say I was up and out the door and made it just in time. Today’s class was about Italian comfort foods and featured recipes for Spaghetti and Meatballs, Marinara Sauce, and Ricotta Calzones. Being a lover of all things Italian this was extra motivation for me to attend.
As soon as I walked through the doors I could smell the sweet aroma of tomatoes bubbling away in the new Cuisinart Green Gourmet Electric Skillet they were promoting. There was a pretty nice crowd of people there huddled around the demonstration counter so clearly I was not the only one who came in for more than just shopping. There was a lovely group of older ladies who seemed to be regulars and were having fun sharing stories about their favorite cooking pastimes. The class was taught by Williams-Sonoma store coordinator Dalsten Deilus (great name right?) who did a nice job of showing us how to prepare the dishes on the menu as well as shared some wonderful tips that provided a nice discussion amongst the crowd.
The purpose of these classes are obviously to promote their products and get you to buy them before you leave, but Dalsten did a great job of selling the quality of the food he was making more than the products themselves which was nice and pressure free. The sauce was made in the electric skillet mentioned above, and the calzones were made using this nifty little calzone maker that did a nice job closing the dough to make the perfect shape. While neither tool was required to make these dishes at home, I will say the electric skillet would be really nice to have if you have a small stove top and needed space for a big skillet.
We were all given samples of the food that was prepared at the end of the class which was nice. The Marinara Sauce came out great and had a nice kick from the red pepper flakes. I think I will be using this sauce recipe in my Italian cooking going forward.
Here is the recipe for the Marinara Sauce for you to try:
Marinara Sauce
Makes about 6 cups
Ingredients
- 2 28 oz. cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes (these are the best, but whatever you have will work)
- Note: To simplify this you can use canned crushed tomatoes and omit the process of passing the tomatoes through the food mill.
- 3 tbs. olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 2-4 garlic cloves, minced (adjust based on your love of garlic)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (add more or omit based on preference)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Place the tomatoes in a tomato press or food mill set over a bowl and pass them through the press or mill. Repeat as needed until all the large pieces of tomatoes are crushed. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, salt, pepper and chili flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes; do not allow the garlic to burn.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and wine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Stir in the basil and cook for 1 minute.
Here are the links to check out the recipes for the meatballs and calzone that were prepared at class today:
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Sausage and Red Pepper Calzone (a little different than what was made in class today but I think this one sounds even better)
These classes are held at Williams-Sonoma stores across the country. Most host them are on Sunday’s but my shop is an exception. To see a calendar of upcoming classes and to find a store near you, visit http://www.williams-sonoma.com/customer-service/store-events.html?cm_type=lnav. I dare you not to buy something 
Tara O'Keeffe