Personal Touch

Chef Mary Ellen Rae is amazing!!! I am from AZ and planned a surprise Bachelorette party in LA for 12 girls. All of us at different cooking and interest levels I can honestly say everyone had a blast and ate extremely well!!! We all walked away with some new tricks and a smile on our faces. The thing that was most amazing was how she kept this many people interested and actively evolved. We split up into groups and each group manned a dish and when we finished, the ones that wanted to keep cooking worked on something new and the others that wanted to kick back enjoy a glass of wine did. I learned more about cooking, ingredients, what to buy and where to go then any other cooking experience I have even done and believe me I have done a bunch. Honestly if you are torn between 2 chefs or different fun activities, go with Mary Ellen, it is well worth it! I can't wait to come back to LA and when I do I will definitely be calling her.

I first tasted lemongrass in culinary school while preparing a dipping sauce for pot stickers.  The lemony fragrant plant grows wild all over Southeast Asia and is cultivated in California. Look for firm stalks at Asian markets and when wrapped tightly in plastic lemongrass will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.  The zesty lemon flavored herb is popular in Thai and Indonesian cuisines.  The tough outer layers once removed can be infused into soups and iced tea. The soft inner core is sliced or chopped and tossed into Thai salads, curries, stir-fry’s and marinades.

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