Back in the Kitchen with Chef Gabrielle McBay for Valentine's Day

Been cookin' with the sauce, Chef Curry with the pot, boy 360 with the wrist, boy- Drake

Not to show off, but to be real I am decent as hell (good as hell for non-Chicagoans) in the kitchen. Not Basic CHICKen alfredo decent but actually good at creating dishes so I more than jumped at the chance to go behind the scences and in the kitchen with one of my favorite chef's, Gabrielle McBay. Not only is she young and gettin' it, but she's also my friends and I can say unbiasedly that her food is amazing. Every single thing I have had is good, even the salad. So basically you can say I am blessed beyond measure. 

Gabby hosted a series of cooking classes over the weekend for Valentine's Day to teach guests how to make romantic dishes with one another or for their significant other.  

Gabby put myself and her twin sister Raquel on set up and drink duty. We made different sorbet based drinks with a wine sponsored by Voga. The class started off with a smoked salmon and cucumber appetizer. The bite size snack is great if you are having people over and looking to do something quick and simple: sliced cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese mixed with fresh dill. It was also the perfect segue before moving on to "sexy salad" plating ofmicrogreens, arulga, berries, edible flowers, and shaved parmesean cheese before we got into the meat and potatoes of the night. 

The star of the night absolutely had to be the steak and lobster mashed potatoes.  As of recently I  became a fan of cooking steaks in a cast iron skillet so it was great to see an actual chef do it first hand. As a #protip if you do not already know, leave your steak out for 30 mintiutes before cooking. Once in the the skillet make sure you use butter not olive oil. Steaks also don't need much more seasnong other then coarse sea salt and fresh pepper.  Also tilt the skilled and spoon the buter over the steak. Use fresh rosemary and garlic in the pan to elevate the taste.   

While the steaks were being cooked Gabby and particpants started working on the lobster mashed potatoes. At this point in the night SEVERAL drinks had been poured and let's just say someone may or may have not left the blender on before they plugged it in and I may or may have not been covered in buttery mashed potato goodness. It's not a cooking class unless someone throws food anyways. Gabby also tapped me to cook the lobster. As a disclaimer she forgot that I can't eat shellfish so I have no idea how to cook it but sometimes you have to do what you have to do and suprisingly it tasted good according to the audience (yes. I'm shocked too) 

We finished dinner with an easy dessert that you can absolutely make a head or quickly if need be.  Mini Fillo shells filled with cream cheese with a splash of banana liqueur and topped with fresh berries of your choice.  These would also be great for a girls' night, work potluck, or other event where you strapped for time. 

I suggest that if you are dating or looking to date I highly suggest you do a cooking class because it is as much about communication and teamwork as it is spending time and eating together. If interested in booking a class by Gabby or eating her food head over to www.gabriellemcbay.com. Also check out the recent releases of her cookbooks that have dishes such as lobster mac n cheese, shrimp and grits, desserts, and more!