We may still be knee-deep in snow, but it’s time to start thinking about the winter thaw and spring classes here at the Orange Tree Imports kitchen. We have many new chefs and instructors (and your favorite regulars) with a whole new line-up of classes running the gamut from Asian Fusion to Brunch to Banana Cream Pie. Bring a friend or come by yourself and meet others who share the passion for learning and good food.

Registration for this session will begin on Saturday, March 8th at 5:30 p.m., please have all your forms in before that time for the best selection of classes! Registration forms may also be downloaded online from our website: www.orangetreeimports.com. All forms must be either faxed (608-255-8404), mailed or dropped off. Remember, classes are signed randomly by computer from all the completed forms received by that time and on first-come, first served thereafter.

Improve your chances of getting the classes you want by following these tips:

*Please include ALL required personal information. If registering with a friend, that information needs to be included as well, including work #’s. Forms sent in separately have no guarantee of being registered together and forms missing required information will be returned. Don’t forget to include the three digit verification number on the back of your card if paying by credit card!

*Limit your group size to just two people. There are only 8-10 spots in each class, and for this reason, we will only register groups of three after the initial registration has taken place.

*Offer a second or third choice (indicating your preference on the form).

Don’t forget that as a Cooking School Student, you receive a 10% discount on all white or red-tagged merchandise (excluding electrics) on the day of your class. The store will remain open for ½ hour after class and the Orange Tree Imports staff is available for any questions or assistance you may need.

Enjoy!

Gretchen Harrell

Cooking School Director

FEATURED CLASS

ASIAN HOME COOKING: BEYOND THE BASICS
Shinji Muramoto
Wednesday, April 9th or Thursday, May 8th
6:30-9:00 p.m.~$50.00 *** BOTH CLASSES FULL***

Shinji Muramoto from Restaurant Muramoto and Sushi Muramoto will take you on a journey through the basics and beyond of Asian home cooking. Shinji will first introduce the Basics: the essential Asian pantry. And for the Beyond: Muramoto Mother Sauce (Asian BBQ Sauce) which can be used as: a marinade( for Grilled Beef); with Coconut Milk (for Coconut Tofu or Shrimp); with Spicy Sauce (for Pan Fried Spicy Chicken); with Miso (for Tuna Tartar); or with Curry Powder (for Curried Lamb or Fish).

MEET OUR CHEFS & INSTRUCTORS

Gail Ambrosius’s mother introduced her to the magic of chocolate when she appointed her as her “Chocolate Pudding Apprentice”, but it was during a high school trip to Paris that Gail fell in love with premium dark chocolate. Years later, she returned to France and studied with the Valrhona and Cluizel families of chocolatiers. Gail opened Gail Ambrosius-Chocolatier in 2004 and the rest is dark chocolate history.

Glee Brechler is the ultimate teacher. A twenty year plus Orange Tree Imports Instructor, Glee brings the same enthusiasm and culinary expertise to her students at Orange Tree Imports as she does to her advanced culinary arts classes at Memorial High School, making her a favorite among students of all ages!

Angelo Cattaneo is the head chef at The Blue Marlin. He opened Sardine and is also the founder and head chef of Flambe Personal Chef Services. He placed 2nd in the Dueling Chef Competition in the 2007 Food and Wine Show. Born in San Diego, Angelo’s cooking has been influenced by his extensive travels thru Mexico, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

Liz Chapa and Jenny James. Liz is a baker at the Willy Street Coop and Jenny is an artist and organic farmer who works at Sophia’s Bakery. Liz and Jenny have been canning partners for years.

Jim Doak and Linda Krantz are the owners of Vocale y Vino (Where the Food and Wine speak for Themselves), a personal chef and catering service. Jim is the chef extaordinare and Linda is the creative stylist… the perfect combination for great taste, presentation, and entertaining!

Susie Feest is finishing her ninth year as an instructor at MATC’s Culinary School in the Baking and Pastry Arts Department. Susie brings the same joy of teaching to her loyal Orange Tree Imports students as she does to her students at MATC. Susie is also the Dessert Chef at Bunky’s Café.

Georgia Finnerty manages the bakery (Hubbard Avenue Confections) at the Hubbard Avenue Diner. Georgia knew at a young age she wanted to be a baker; she took her first cake-decorating class at thirteen, her first job at a bakery at fifteen and the rest is history. With a passion for reaching out to budding bakers, Georgia has taught Basic and Advanced Cake Decorating at the MATC Culinary School.

Gabriel Heck specializes in the cuisine and techniques of Nepalese cooking. He studied Nepali cooking in Kathmandu and fell in love with the food and culture while attending a university there. Gabriel is a long-time Orange Tree Imports instructor famous for his authentic vegetarian menus.

Ronnie Hess is an award-winning journalist who had a seasonal bakery, “4&20 Blackbirds” at the Farmers’ Market for seven years. Her restaurant experience includes: L’Etoile, Sunporch, and the Collins House.

Bill Horzuesky is Executive Chef at Bluephies Restaurant on Monroe Street. He is also the author of Bluephies New American Cooking.

Percy Julian was a lawyer, mediator, professional photographer, and a classically and self-trained chef who studied at Le Cordon Bleu. He grew up in Arizona, but lived in Mexico and the Caribbean, which greatly influenced his cooking style.
We are all greatly saddened by the recent death of Percy Julien, and join his many friends and family members in mourning the loss of this special man.

Wave Kasprzak and his wife Jane have owned The Dining Room at 209 Main in Monticello since 1996. Wave started cooking at the age of sixteen and especially loves different ethnic cuisines, while taking a very simple and organized approach to food.

Mike Kiener and Hertha Gerard come to us from Barriques Market. Mike is responsible for kitchen operations at all five Barriques locations and Hertha is their catering and cheese specialist. Together they bring over thirty-five years of experience in catering, food preparation and presentation, and event planning.

Joe Learned is the Executive Chef and General Manager of Ocean Grill. He joined Food Fight in 2004 as Executive Chef at Johnny Delmonico’s. His personal culinary preferences are toward Asian/Thai fusion.

Jill McLeod has been an instructor at Orange Tree Imports for fifteen years. She brings a wealth of knowledge about the history and lore of spices, and how to use them in creative ways.

Shinji Muramoto was born in Japan and started cooking for an Italian/French restaurant in Tokyo when he was nineteen. He moved to Madison as a student in 1992. Shinji returned to Japan for three months to work for a real Japanese restaurant in Tokyo before opening Restaurant Muramoto in 2004. Sushi Muramoto opened in 2007 and his new venture, an Asian Grill, will open in 2008.

Patrick O’Halloran started in the restaurant industry at the age of sixteen. Travel has always been an inspiration to Patrick, and time spent on a small northern Italian farm and in Oaxaca, Mexico has reinforced his commitment to authentic cuisine. Patrick is the Executive Chef and owner of Lombardino’s Restaurant.

Peter Robertson fell in love with Italian food while touring Italy working as a stage carpenter. In 1995, he made the transition from home cook to food entrepreneur when he started RP’s Pasta on Williamson Street. In 2006, Peter opened the Fork & Spoon Café.

Neeta Saluja was born and raised in India. A long-time Madison instructor, Neeta recently published her first cookbook, Six Spices: a simple concept of Indian Cooking, which simplifies the complexity of ingredients in authentic Indian food.
Huma Siddiqui was born in Pakistan. She is the host of the first locally produced weekly Pakistani Cooking show, ‘White Jasmine Everyday Cooking’: author of Jasmine in Her Hair, a book about the culture and cuisine of Pakistan; and President of White Jasmine, a mail order spice company.

ORANGE TREE IMPORTS NOW PROUDLY FEATURES THESE WISCONSON- MADE PRODUCTS:

• Coleen’s Tough Times- Mustards and Fruit Vinegars- Neenah

• Country Ovens- Blueberry, Cherry and Cranberry De-Lite products- Forestville

• Door County Confectionary-Sturgeon Bay

• East Shore Pretzels and Mustards-Hartland

• Gail Ambrosius-Chocolatier-Madison

• Hawkwind- Mustards and Pepper Relish- Baraboo

• Kickapoo Gold-Organic Maple Syrup- Viroqua

• John Kopecky’s Honey-Reedsville

• Nilda’s Chocolates- Madison

• Nutorious- Nut Confections-Green Bay

• Rishi Tea- Milwaukee

• Spirit Valley- Soups, Lake-harvested Wild Rice, Maple BBQ Sauce and Mustard-Ogema

• Tomato Mountain Farm- Organic Salsas and Preserves from the Madison Farmer's Market-Brooklyn

• Tootski’s Toffee-Madison

• Wisconsin Wilderness-Cranberry Chutney, Mustard, and Marmalade- Milwaukee