Photos

By Jane Knoerle

Margaret MacKenzie of Nutmeg Kitchens is a personal chef, caterer, and cooking teacher. These days, however, instead of preparing a week's worth of meals in a client's kitchen, she is teaching cooking classes in her Portola Valley home.

"More and more chefs are giving cooking classes," she says. "People are not dining out as much and they want to become more comfortable in the kitchen."

Her students cover a broad spectrum. "Some like to cook and are good at it; some don't like to cook at all."

Last month, eight friends and neighbors gathered in Ms. MacKenzie's kitchen to learn how to prepare small bites and appetizers. "This is my first foray (into classes)," says Ms. MacKenzie. "I did get my baptism by fire in November by helping fourth-grade Portola Valley Girl Scouts earn their food badges. We fixed quiche, smoothies, muffins and apple crisp."

The appetizer class menu was more worldly: cornmeal blinis with smoked salmon spread; endive spears with bacon, sweet potatoes and chives; hot brie kisses; and a trio of eggplant caviar, Roquefort dip, and "fiery" carrot dip.

The dips were prepared ahead of time, but other appetizers were "hands-on."

After class members took turns making appetizers, they toasted their morning's work with a glass of champagne.

Portola Valley Town Council member Maryann Derwin, who was taking the class, says she is "always looking for a new hors d'oeuvre. These weren't hard (to make)."

Kay Blocker, veteran of many cooking classes, including a one-week session in Bologna with husband Barry, says, "Margie does a great job."

Many in the class knew Ms. MacKenzie's talents from the Portola Valley volunteer appreciation holiday parties she has catered. She is also working on plans to teach cooking classes at Portola Valley Town Center.

Sample menus from Nutmeg Kitchens offer a mouth-watering variety: Moroccan-style lamb chops, cioppino, ginger beef stir fry, vegetable ragout with polenta, lemon ricotta pancakes, strawberry scones, and Irish soda bread.

Are these original recipes? "They're recipes I've done over time. Some are from cookbooks or from the Personal Chef Network. I find many good recipes in "Eating Well" and "Fine Cooking" magazines," says Ms. MacKenzie. She also has used recipes from Patricia Wells' cookbook, "Bistro Cooking."


March cooking classes
Ms. MacKenzie's kitchen will be the setting for four Saturday morning cooking classes in March. "Brushing up on basics" will be given March 7. Family-friendly entrees will be featured in the March 14 class, and soups and stews on March 21, and "It's Springtime!" on March 28.

Some of the MacKenzie boys' favorites to be featured in the "family friendly" class are: beef stew, creamy chicken enchiladas, beef and bean chili, and tomato bisque (recipe from Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino) with grilled cheese sandwiches.

The fee for individual classes is $60 per person. Classes are held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.


An early love of good food
Enjoying fine food has been a part of Ms. MacKenzie's life from the time she was an 18-year-old exchange student in France. "I was exposed to food I hadn't had before. Being part of my host family's table showed me the part dining plays in our lives. ... I learned that food is the essence of what brings us together."

After graduating from the University of the Pacific and a career in the travel industry, Ms. MacKenzie got serious about a career in food; that was about the time she and her husband, Bill, were married. She enrolled in the professional culinary program at Tante Marie Cooking School in San Francisco.

After completing the course, she worked as an event supervisor at Fogarty Winery in Woodside, and in the Epicure Department at Neiman Marcus in the Stanford Shopping Center, furthering her "foodie" qualifications.

"I stopped working when the boys (sons Ian and Alec) were born, but I was always cooking and entertaining," she recalls. With her sons now high school students at Woodside, she decided it was time to get back to food. Nutmeg Kitchens was established in January 2007.

Having a personal chef prepare meals is a luxury most of us can't afford, but as home cooks, we can always learn new "tricks of the trade" to make cooking and dining more enjoyable for ourselves and our families.


Fiery carrot dip
1 pound large carrots
3 Tbsp wine vinegar
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp harissa (see note)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ginger

Boil carrots until very soft. Drain and puree in food processor with all other ingredients. Chill. Serve as a dip with pita chips, crackers or crudites.

NOTE: Harissa is a fiery hot sauce from Tunisia. It can be found at Draeger's market in Menlo Park.

To reach Margaret MacKenzie at Nutmeg Kitchens, call 650-851-0937.