Yesterday, I have attended the L'Etoile's cooking class featuring a Valentine's Dinner. It is alsmost undisputed that the L'Etoile Restaurant is the first and finest place for dining in Madison - and the most expensive one. Even though dinners are pricy (starters start at $9, entrees are $28 and above) it is worth saving some bucks for a special occasion. The L'Etoile cooks with the seasons and tries to use regionally grown ingredients exclusively , and: the food is kept simple, as is the life in Madison itself. If you want to know how beef really tastes or salmon or just spinach - this is the place. Since guests have become more and more interested in "how" the magic happens, Chef Tory Miller offers a "Cooking Class" where he prepares and also explains always changing menus. You don't need to bring an apron, because (like often in class) the approx. 15 guests just sit, listen and above all enjoy. Recipies are certainly provided, and there is also the chance to ask questions. Yesterday's menu was: Oysters Prepared Three Ways (pure, fried and Rockefeller) – Rack of Lamb with Chevre and Beet Risotto – Dark Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Warm Chocolate Sauce. When I saw Tory preparing the food, I was suddenly happy not to be in charge of anything but emptying my plate and my glass of wine (you'll get an immediate refill). For $85 you (i.e. I) can mess up a lot. So, everything was great, as great as it can be, and it seemed that all of us had 3 hours of fun. This is certainly not the occasion where you learn basic cooking techniques. We didn't even get a recipy for the prepartion of the lamb. It seems to be expected that you know how to sear and finish the meat. It is quite obvious that you could spend the money in the restaurant and would get a better value. However, seeing one of the best chefs in town do "real cooking" - as he put it - is something that made this night special.

Each year when the final trimester ends, we have a party for my advanced ESL class. One of the great advantages of this class is that class members sometimes bring samples of their cooking, giving Toni and me an unmatched opportunity to taste home cooking from all over the world. Esma (the wife of Jabbar, an Iraqi journalist in my class, who's really just polishing his excellent English) has gone above and beyond this year. Earlier in the year, she made a huge batch of a delicious dish made of hollowed out new potatoes filled with a beef mixture and for the party she brought the best baklava (in Iraq it's pronounced "baklawa, with the stress on the second syllable) I've ever had. Unfortunately, Jabbar was recently laid off from his job (a liaison function with a government contractor in Iraq) and is diligently searching for work. The timing isn't the best, as you can see from Esma's photo, but Jabbar is very talented and I'm sure he'll find a good position soon. Another option is opening an Iraqi restaurant, which I'm sure would be very successful -- but timing and capital are problematic.