Chef Pickell, who has been at Thornton for more than 18 years, is a relaxed and inspiring teacher. He was expertly assisted by Sous Chef, Anthony Bartolotta, and Chef Sara Costello. The most surprising and innovative dish of the afternoon may have been the first one: Grilled Hearts of Romaine with Blue Cheese Dressing. After the crispy lettuce had been soaked for a short time in olive oil, salt and pepper, Chef Pickell grilled the lettuce heads over a low fire until they were lightly cooked and wilted. Meanwhile, Sous Chef Anthony Bartolotta walked around showing the audience a gigantic wheel of Danish blue cheese before he created a fabulous blue cheese dressing that was drizzled over the lettuce when it came off the grill.

The blue cheese dressing was made from the following ingredients (for serving 6):

1½ cups mayonnaise

2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbl. coarse ground black pepper

1-2 tsp. hot sauce to taste

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

¼ cup buttermilk

This was a creative take on a traditional salad that was delicious and went very well with Chef Pickell's other specialties on the grill.

Then Chef Pickell started preparing Grilled Summer Vegetables with Harissa Dressing. For veggies, he used quartered red and yellow bell peppers, Japanese eggplant cut lengthwise, and zucchini quartered lengthwise. He also added chopped cilantro to the mixture. Then he brushed this colorful vegetable combination with ¾ cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, which had been mixed with Harissa powder, which is a Morrocan spice that can be purchased or blended from the following ingredients:

2 tsp. fresh ground coriander

1 tsp. fresh ground caraway seeds

1½ tsp. each Ancho chili powder, paprika and cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

The result was a gorgeous array of flavorful, roasted vegetables that could be eaten as an entree or served with other dishes.

The next treat was a Grilled Flat Iron Steak Sandwich with grilled peppers and roasted corn mayonnaise. The chef whisked together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, fresh oregano, fresh basil and minced garlic. He brushed fresh corn with olive oil, salt and pepper, and grilled the corn until tender. Then he cut the kernels off the corn and mixed them into the mayonnaise mixture. He then grilled the steak to perfection, rare but not too rare. He cut the steak diagonally across the grain and arranged the steak slices, peppers, and onion over the bottom halves of the bread. He then spooned the corn mayo onto the bread and made the sandwich. It was a melt-in-your-mouth creation that would have been an ample lunch or dinner for anyone. The flavors were unique and complemented each other well. 

And yet there was more to come. Next was Grilled Pork Tenderloin. The pork tenderloin had been marinated overnight in a flavorful mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, whole grain mustard, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. It was grilled over a medium fire to about a 140-degree internal temperature. The sliced pork medallions were served with fresh, grilled fig halves, all topped with fresh honey and finely chopped rosemary. This was a delicious combination of ingredients that worked beautifully together.

For dessert, Chef Pickell grilled pineapple slices and served them on flatbread with a velvety Marscapone cheese. The chef emphasized that a quick grilling of the pineapple brought out the fruit's delightfully sweet flavor while allowing the fruit to remain juicy.

It seemed as if the full and smiling participants agreed that this cooking class from an expert, congenial chef, along with some delightful wines, was a wonderful way to spend an otherwise lazy Saturday afternoon, especially when they were able to bring home new, tasty recipes to try out with their families and friends.

Chef Pickell regularly offers cooking classes on a variety of topics at Thornton Winery. To find out more about his future cooking classes call 951-699-0099 or go to Thornton Winery's website