When I heard about the Atlanta Community Food Bank's Simple Abundance Cooking Class on January 28th at Cook's Warehouse I was curious to see if they could accommodate attendees who need to follow a gluten-free diet. I am happy to report that with a few modifications the menu can easily be made gluten-free friendly.
The event takes place at the Midtown location of Cook's Warehouse from 7-9 p.m. and costs $75 per person to attend. This evening of education and entertainment is presented by the members of the Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier (LDEI), which is a worldwide society of women dedicated to creating a culture in the community that fosters excellence and promotes the achievement of women in culinary professions through educational and charitable activities.
The event features hospitality expert Dana Dabruzzi who will share tips and techniques on spectacular entertaining at home, mixologist Lara Creasy who will prepare hand-crafted cocktails guaranteed to warm you up and make you smile, and chefs Cynthia Graubart, Rebecca Lang, Angie Mosier, and Virginia Willis who will prepare a winter feast.
Each chef will prepare one of the courses listed below and at first read the menu isn't very gluten free friendly. This uncertainly led me to email Virginia Willis in hopes that the dishes could be modified. I heard back from Ms. Willis almost immediately and here is the menu with gluten-free substitutions:
- The first course is Rebecca Lang's Tiny Cream Cheese Biscuits paired with the dynamic duo of Divine Pimento Cheese and Country Ham Jam featured in her newest book, Around the Southern Table. They can offer vegetable crudite as the pimento cheese and ham are gluten free. I would encourage attendees to bring their favorite gluten-free bread or crackers to properly enjoy this dish.
- The following course of a refreshing salad of Citrus, Fennel, and Pepper topped with Goat Cheese prepared by Cynthia Graubart, co-author of Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking is gluten free, so no substitutions are necessary.
- The main course is Braised Pork Loin with Prunes and Armagnac served with Southern-style Stone Ground Grits and Greens by the author of Bon Appetit Y'all!, Virginia Willis and it is also gluten free.
- Desert is a slice of old-fashioned Hummingbird Cake prepared by the talented, award-winning baker, Angie Mosier. This cake is not gluten free, but they can offer Hummingbird Ambrosia made with pineapple and coconut.
Tickets for this event can be purchased online. Make sure to list your need to have the gluten-free modified items for your dinner when purchasing tickets. Hurry and reserve your spot before the event is full.
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