It’s finally August and the monsoon is here…sort of.  We’re still waiting for a cool down, although it does not seem to be happening any time soon. 

Our summer camps for kids are over.  We had lots of requests for additional kids and teen classes during the school year, so watch our newsletters and calendars for additional classes.  We usually do something around the holidays and are sure something will be added then.  If you want to be added to our mailing list announcing kids classes, just let us know.

August is our month to ‘recharge’ so you will see that we have several weeks without classes.  But don’t worry.  We’ll still be working on recipes for upcoming classes and preparing for our Labor Day class which is at the end of the month. 

With the repressive heat we are feeling lately, we like to eat cool meals.  Our recipe this month is for a great Middle Eastern salad called tabouli.  Besides being very healthy, it incorporates our featured herb, mint, in the recipe.  Check out the recipe at the end of the newsletter.

Herb of the Month – Mint: Fresh mint has a taste that is cool and refreshing…a perfect characteristic for a hot summer day.  Mint is an herb that comes in many varieties such as peppermint, spearmint and even chocolate mint.  I used to think I didn’t like mint because I’m not a huge fan of mint candies or cookies.  However, there are so many other uses for mint that highlight its wonderful flavor.

Mint is used in meat dishes, especially lamb.  It’s great on vegetables such as carrots, bell pepper and tomatoes.  It’s fantastic with fruit and punches up the flavor of an ordinary fruit salad.  It can be used in yogurt or sauces as well as jellies and teas.  It is also used a lot in the Middle East for salads, such as tabouli and marinated vegetables.  It is wonderful for sweet and savory recipes as well.  For better flavor, mint should be added at the end of cooking. 

You can purchase fresh mint from your local grocery store.  Peppermint and spearmint are the most easily found in grocery stores.  If you are lucky enough to have an Asian market close by, they have lots of other varieties in their produce section. 

Mint should be stored in the refrigerator for the best freshness.  If you buy a bunch of mint, it should be placed in a container of water, stems down, with a plastic bag loosely covering the top. Ideally change the water every two days and the mint should stay fresh for up to a week.  Make sure to get it into the fridge or water immediately when you get home or it will wilt rather quickly.

Besides tasting fantastic, mint is said to repel mosquitos. 

So do yourself a favor and cool off…with fresh mint.

Food Safety -- Food safety should always be top of mind, especially for home cooks.  Sometimes we are not sure what to do in order to keep our food safe.  There is a great web site, USDA Food Safety Information where you can get all your food safety questions answered.  It is so much better to be safe than sorry.  Bookmark the link and return there often.

August Adult Classes – For August, we are offering a class on Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

On Saturday 8/29 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. we are offering our Labor Day Menu where we will make, among other things, BBQ ribs and an all time favorite dessert.  $68 per person.

Upcoming Classes for September – We are back in full swing in September.  We are offering classes on Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Thursday 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Check out our website at September Class Calendar for class details.

• On Tuesday 9/1 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. we are repeating our Labor Day Menu.  See 8/29 above for information.
   

• On Saturday 9/12 attend our Hearty Dinner Salads III class.  We will prepare 3 main dish salads, along with dressings and other fun recipes that are hearty enough for any appetite.   $63 per person
   

• On Saturday 9/19 plan to attend our Dog Days of Summer class where we will prepare a meal that is perfect for the hottest AZ summer days.   $63 per person
   

• On Thursday 9/24 and repeated on Saturday 9/26 try our Healthy Eating – Asian Pork class.  We will make a great and healthy Asian-inspired meal with pork tenderloin. $63 per person

Special Offers – Our specials for the month of August are below.  One discount per class, please.  Not valid on previous registrations or private classes. 

Bring 2 friends, who have never attended a regularly-scheduled class with Simply Impressive and receive $30 off your next class.  This applies to all classes through October 15, 2009

Sign up for 2 classes and receive $10 off your 3^rd class.  This applies to all classes in August, September and October.

Better yet, from August through the end of the year, sign up for 6 classes and receive your 7^th free.  This special will be ongoing through the end of 2009.

Private Groups – we love to hold private group sessions and hold them at my place or yours.  We can accommodate up to 12 at our location.  If you would like more information on private classes, give us a call.  We can plan special menus to fit your needs.

Do you Twitter?  If so, follow us to see what we’re up to.  Our Twitter name is SimplyImprssve.  We will be offering special deals thru Twitter this Fall so get ‘plugged in’ today.

Facebook – You all know that I am on facebook as Judy Toth, but did you know that you can become a friend of our Simply Impressive Cooking School group.  We will be using that group as a way to let you know about upcoming events and TV/Radio shots between newsletters.  My twitter tweets will also be found on my Facebook page (become my friend…Judy Toth).  To be part of our Facebook group, just go to Simply Impressive Cooking School on Facebook and become a member.  Exciting things will be happening for our Facebook friends and group members. 

Recipe of the Month –   We talked about mint in this newsletter and I’d like to feature a recipe that is light, healthy, refreshing, and features mint as a main ingredient.  It’s called tabouli and can be found on Middle Eastern dinner tables.  It’s perfect as is, or you can top it with chicken or shrimp to turn it into a whole meal.  Oh yes, it is also spelled tabbouleh, tabouleh and tabouli.

Tabouli

Serves 4-6

1½ cup	Bulgur, uncooked
2½ cups	Boiling water or as defined on the bulgur package
1 bunch	Italian parsley
2 sprigs	Fresh mint (or more to taste)
3 tbsp	Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
⅓ cup	Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp	Minced garlic
½ tsp	Kosher salt (or more to taste)
1 med	Tomato
½	Cucumber, peeled
4	Green onions

Place bulgur in a medium sized bowl and prepare according to package directions.  If the package does not have directions, cover bulgur with boiling water amount shown above.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for about 20 minutes or until bulgur is softened.  If necessary, drain any remaining water in the bulgur. 

Remove stems from parsley and add to a food processor.  Add in the mint and pulse until herbs are finely chopped.  Optionally, finely chop herbs by hand.  Add to the bulgur.

Squeeze lemon juice and add to the bulgur, along with the olive oil.  Add in minced garlic and salt.

Dice tomato and cucumber into medium size dice.  Add to bulgur. 

Thinly slice green onions and add to the bulgur.  Stir everything together and taste to adjust seasonings.

Refrigerate until ready to serve