After attending cooking class at the critically acclaimed Carlos’ restaurant in Highland Park, Jean Collins went out and bought a blowtorch.
Collins decided it was a kitchen aid that she just had to have. She learned that a blowtorch is an excellent device for caramelizing sugars for desserts such as creme brulee.
Collins, a mother of three from Lake Forest, has been attending classes at Carlos’ since the restaurant began offering them six years ago. Learning that a blowtorch can be a handy cooking tool is among the many tricks she has picked up.
For aspiring gourmets and veterans of the kitchen, taking a class at Carlos’ offers a glimpse into the workings of one of the Chicago area’s finest restaurants. It’s a trip to the mountaintop.
“I’ve been coming here forever, and I just love it,” Collins said. “I always learn something new.”
Each month, owner Carlos Nieto opens his kitchen to groups of as many as 30 students eager to learn some of the recipes and techniques that have made Carlos’ a favorite among customers and critics.
This fall Gourmet magazine rated Carlos’ among the top three restaurants in the Chicago area in its readers poll. The Chicago Tribune gives Carlos’ four stars, its highest rating.
On a recent Wednesday, a group of 11 women went to Carlos for a cooking lesson and the traditional lunch that follows. The class is both a learning experience and a social event. Many students are repeat customers and have developed friendships through their shared interest in food.
“I come here because of the reputation of this restaurant,” said Evelyn Keating of Gurnee. “And to have a great lunch.”
Carol Edwards of Glenview also decided to take the class to learn from the best. “My husband and I love fine French cooking, and Carlos’ has been one of our favorites for a long time,” she said. “I’ve used a lot of the recipes at home, and they have turned out well. They consistently do a good job here in all facets of cooking. I think it’s great. I also have a husband who loves to eat.”
Inge Golden of Evanston, who recently retired as a psychotherapist, had never taken a cooking class before coming to Carlos’. “I came here because I know he has great chefs. And not only do I expect to get a great lesson, I know I will get a great meal,” Golden said.
Others are regular students. Jane Peterson of Lake Forest said she attended her first lesson more than two years ago after her children gave her a gift certificate to take the class. “The techniques are what I learn about here,” Peterson said. “Little tricks and presentation.”
The lunch menu for this class began with potato gnocchi with tarragon and melted butter sauce. It was followed by an entree of sauteed red snapper with stewed tomatoes and vanilla and basil broth. For dessert, it was jasmine rice pudding with golden raisin sauce and ginger ice cream.
“We do recipes in the class that are easy and that people can do when they go home,” Nieto said. “We try to be creative.”
Chef Eric Aubriot, 25, has worked at Carlos’ for two years, starting as a sous-chef, and once a month he has shared his expertise in the kitchen.
“I try to do simple things,” Aubriot said. “I don’t want to make it too hard or too complicated so that they can’t do it at home.”
After mingling with Carlos and his wife, Deborah, in the dining room over coffee, the group moved into the kitchen, a cramped room with stainless steel work stations, gas ranges, ovens and a broiler. Nieto provided each student with printouts of the recipes, a clipboard and pen to take notes.
Aubriot began the potato gnocchi recipe, rolling out a mixture of boiled potatoes and flour, then cutting them into bite-size pieces. He blanched them in boiling water for just a few seconds and put the gnocchi into a container of cold water to cool.
“You don’t want to overcook it,” he said. “They should still be a little firm.”
Aubriot sauteed fresh tarragon in butter and poured it over the cooked gnocchi in a bowl. He distributed forks and offered everyone a taste.
The students were busy jotting notes as Aubriot demonstrated how to prepare the red snapper. He took a filet with skin still on and quickly seared the fish in a saute pan. Aubriot finished off the dish in the oven with the stewed tomatoes, vanilla and basil broth he prepared.
It was a relief when the class moved from the hot kitchen upstairs to the cooler pastry kitchen to learn about dessert. Pastry chef Jason Gottlieb demonstrated how to prepare the jasmine rice pudding, raisin sauce and ginger ice cream. He offered the group a sample of some homemade chocolates to nibble on as he worked on his recipes.
Then Gottlieb pulled out a familiar kitchen tool to caramelize the top of some banana slices: a blowtorch.
After the demonstrations, the class moved back down to the dining room, where they took seats to savor the recipes they had just learned. The chefs were busy in the kitchen preparing lunch for everyone.
Carlos, being a gracious host, asked his guests how they enjoyed the class. He poured wine and chatted about the food. “We want to make people feel they are part of the restaurant,” he said. “From the day we opened the restaurant, we wanted to make people feel like they are at home.”
As she sat eating lunch, Dr. Dana Trotter, a rheumatologist and mother of five, talked about her love of cooking and fine dining. She said she drives down from Racine, Wis., to attend class at Carlos’ as often as she can. “I love to eat and I love to cook,” Trotter said. “This is like a therapy session for me. Cooking is my hobby, but it has become an addiction.”
She tries out many of Carlos’ recipes at home. “I do it for my husband,” she said. “My kids couldn’t care less.”
Trotter also has taken other cooking classes, including one at Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights. She has heard lectures from Julia Child and is planning to attend a short course in cooking in Florence, Italy. But she keeps coming back to Carlos’.
Nieto said he usually does not know what recipes will be offered at each class. It depends on what types of fresh foods are available. “We always do new things, and we like to improve things,” he said. “Sometimes in class we may show people how to fold napkins or how to make cappuccino. With our recipes, we try to be simple but make things that are flavorful. I also like when people come in with ideas. I want it to be exciting.”
Part of the reason he offers the classes is to bring in new customers. “This is really a promotion for us,” he said. “I want people to talk about the restaurant after they leave. I want them to bring people in here.”
For those who really want to get their hands dirty, Carlos’ offers a special program that allows students to spend an entire day in the kitchen, actually working and preparing food for customers.
This November, Carlos’ is celebrating its 16th anniversary. Nieto said his goal is to keep improving and continuing to be creative. His wife is working on a cookbook using some of the best recipes from the restaurant during the last 16 years.
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Cooking classes are held on the third Wednesday of each month and include a three-course meal, printed recipes, a glass of wine and gratuity. The cost is $45 per person. Carlos’ Restaurant is at 429 Temple Ave., Highland Park. For more information on cooking classes, call 847-432-0770.
