Julia Child said it best: “No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” Martha Stewart, Nobu Matsuhisa and Gordon Ramsay are three chefs that are prime examples of practice makes perfect. By studying the art of their respective cuisines, each shot to the head of the class and turned what they learned into respected culinary careers. They’ve each also capitalized on their flair for flavors and opened restaurants across the globe, including in Las Vegas. At Paris Las Vegas, guests can get a taste of perfection at The Bedford by Martha Stewart, Gordon Ramsay Steak and Nobu Las Vegas.
Now you have the chance to follow in the chefs’ footsteps in the kitchen by taking a cooking class offered at each restaurant, each one taught by the in-house chef. Learn how to make pierogies, sushi and steak, gather up cooking knowledge (as well as tips to take back to your own kitchen), and, most importantly, have fun. Read on for a glimpse into each class, then book your spot online and get ready to get your chef on!
Nobu Las Vegas
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
The Assignment:
How to make sushi
Class Notes:
• Learn the proper sushi-making techniques to make your own tuna nigiri, salmon nigiri, yellowtail nigiri and California roll. You’ll learn how to use just the right amount of rice, how to shape the rice in your hand and how to properly place the fish on the rice. There’s even a QR code in your welcome package that you scan to watch a video of chef Nobu demonstrating how to properly shape and form the rice on which you place the piece of fish. (You’ll be taught tips and tricks to accomplish this technique!)
• You’ll learn how to roll the crab, avocado and cucumber with nori (seaweed) to create the perfect California roll.
• Chef goes over the main sushi ingredients, revealing insider information, such as: The type of rice used is exclusive to Nobu and the distinct flavor comes from a combination of rice vinegar, monk fruit sugar and salt, added during the cooking process; the sesame seeds used on the cut rolls are roasted to release a distinct aroma; Japanese cucumbers are used in all the sushi rolls because they’re skinny, crunchy and have fewer seeds than American cucumbers; Haas avocados are always used; and the top-notch nori, a version made special for Nobu, comes from the brand Naga Kombu seaweed—the nori must be thin and crunchy, creating the perfect bite experience.
• The seafood you’ll use in the class includes: big eye tuna that comes from Hawaii; Scottish salmon; yellowtail that comes from Japan; and snow crab that comes from Canada.
• Each dish served at Nobu restaurants follow chef Nobu’s belief in the harmony of ingredients, making sure that each bite has a perfect balance when it comes to aroma, sourness, sweetness and crunchiness, and that it’s always visually pleasing.
• Upon arrival to the class, you’ll receive a specialty drink made with fresh fruits, and each guest leaves with a Nobu-branded apron, a set of chopsticks, a step-by-step guide on how to make sushi and a sushi-making mold.
• Enjoy your sushi creations in the dining room, and for an additional cost you can pair it with a sake flight of Japanese whiskey.
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
Fun Facts:
• Chef Nobu opened the first Nobu-branded restaurant in Tribeca, New York, in 1991.
• Chef Nobu Matsuhisa opened a Japanese restaurant in Peru in the 1970s. Struggling to find all the Japanese ingredients needed, he incorporated local flavors, resulting in recipes that combine South American and Japanese flavors and giving birth to his particular brand of fusion cuisine like the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno.
The Bedford by Martha Stewart
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
The Assignment:
How to make pierogies
Class Notes:
• The No.1 selling dish at The Bedford is Big Martha’s pierogies—Martha Stewart’s mother’s personal recipe. Nearly 70 orders are served each evening and can be made to order with caviar to send the flavors into bougie territory.
• Watch as chef makes the dough using the classic KitchenAid mixer, adding together all-purpose flour, whole milk, water, sour cream, kosher salt and a large brown egg. Once the dough is prepared, students will get sheets of the dough to form the individual pierogies.
• Each guest will combine potatoes, brown butter, cream cheese, scallions and kosher salt in a mixing bowl. You’ll blend the ingredients until they’re well mixed and then set them aside to be used as the filling for each pierogi.
• Everyone in the class gets their own cooking utensils. You’ll take the dough and filling and make your individual pierogies, learning techniques on how to shape, seal and crimp the dough. This is your chance to show off your cooking skills—if you have them! But don’t fret, chef is always nearby to help out.
• Chef will then take the pierogies back to the kitchen, where you’ll be able to watch as your newly formed pierogies are boiled in salted water.
• The dish is then finished off with brown butter and fresh diced sage. Guests are invited to take a seat at a communal dining table to eat their freshly cooked pierogies together.
• Martha Stewart sells her cookbooks at the restaurant. Earlier this year, she released her 100th cookbook. Not only are Big Martha’s pierogies in the new cookbook, but many recipes have been added to The Bedford’s new fall menu, with star dishes that include seafood.
• For the restaurant, the dough is made at the in-house baking department of the hotel. Each day a cook comes into The Bedford early to assemble each pierogi by hand—amounting to nearly 300!
• Each guest leaves with The Bedford by Martha Stewart-branded apron and the step-by-step pierogi recipe. A bonus of taking this class is that it includes a 4 p.m. VIP dinner reservation for two inside the Brown Room; and on top of dinner, you’ll receive two complimentary glasses of champagne and classic caviar service.
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
Fun Facts:
• Yukon Gold potatoes are used for the filling. The potatoes are peeled and run through a food mill, resulting in a creamy, lump-free filling.
• Learn how to make the perfect brown butter with tips like using a coffee filter to strain the dark flecks that form when browning the butter, and that a nutty aroma lets you know the butter has properly browned (usually after about 10-12 minutes of continuous whisking).
Gordon Ramsay Steak
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
The Assignment:
How to cook a steak
Class Notes:
• Each guest will receive a 4-ounce American wagyu filet mignon to cook at their own individual cooking station with hot plate, pan and cooking utensils.
• Cheers! Enjoy a glass of champagne upon arrival while you learn some history on the restaurant—it’s chef Ramsay’s first Las Vegas restaurant and recently celebrated 13 years. Check out the creative interior design of the restaurant that is supposed to transport guests from Paris to London through the a replica of the Chunnel.
• Chef is friendly and knowledgeable and will gladly answer any questions about the process of learning the art of properly cooking a steak. You’ll learn tips like: Always temper your meat before cooking—the meat should be at room temperature before you start cooking, so when it hits the hot pan, it doesn’t steam from being cold and will instead immediately begin to caramelize; and use more salt than you think you need, because a lot of it comes off during the cooking process.
• You’ll learn how to pan-sear the steak (on all sides for best results!) in oil, flavored with only salt and pepper on both sides. And then you’ll learn how to butter baste the steak using a made-in-house compound butter. (It’s the same butter that is brushed on every steak that leaves the restaurant’s kitchen.). You’ll also cook the steak with sprigs of thyme to enhance the flavors, removing them when finished.
• One of chef’s biggest tips: After the steak is cooked, it’s always important to let the steak rest before cutting into it. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the piece of meat.
• Be an artist! This is your chance to get creative with plating the steak. For both the visual impact and to enhance the flavors, you can pick different accoutrements that are set up at your cooking station, including coarse smoked sea salt, Guinness-braised mustard seeds, chimichurri or red wine demi-glace.
• Enjoy your steak! Guests will get to eat the filet mignon they’ve just prepared while getting another chance to pick chef’s brain on more cooking techniques and learn about the different dishes served at the restaurant.
• Each guest leaves with a Gordon Ramsay Steak-branded apron, autographed Ramsay photo and logo-branded keepsakes.
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
Fun facts:
• The butter used to baste your steak is the restaurant’s compound butter, made with red wine, shallots, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns.
• The American wagyu filet mignon comes from Mishima Ranch in Seattle. The cut is one of the most popular on the menu, served at 8 ounces and plated with salt, mustard seed and watercress. Other cuts of meat on the menu are dry- and wet-aged steaks from different parts of Nebraska.
Weekly Class Schedule:
The Bedford by Martha Stewart: 2:30 p.m. Thursday. To book a class, go to opentable.com
Gordon Ramsay Steak: 2 p.m. Friday. To book a class, go to opentable.com
Nobu Las Vegas: 2:30 p.m. Saturday. To book a class, go to opentable.com
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