Chefmakers in Manhattan Beach

Last Wednesday I went to a celebratory outing with the Toyota team & clients to Chefmakers in Manhattan Beach. It was a chef school type event where we got to prepare and cook our dinner hands-on as well as drink wine and just kick back. The coolest part? I got to take off from work at 4PM :)

Bon apetit!


A long island was set-up in the front of the classroom. We all got our chopping, mixing and grinding assignments and got to work.


Rappers with knives = dangerous!


I started with my specialty, cutting up mushrooms.




Beverlee (the Toyota client), Annie and Lanchau, wining before dining.


Some of my co-workers decided to sit back with a glass of wine and just watch. (and drink)


I just realized I'm starting to get chubs.


We actually got Lanchau to cook! Well, chop.


Monica preparing the French Onion soup like a pro.


Voila! Our first course... French Onion soup. I can't believe how many ingredients (and how much effort) went into this soup!


Next up, main dish. Getting the bacon fat prepared to cook to chicken.




Youngins on our team... Rachel is 23 and I think Kristin is 20. (She was our intern for 6 months)


The view from the back of the class.


Jesse and I get to work flour-ing the chicken.


Yecch... sticky fingers.






On to some cooking! "Green fried rice"


All of a sudden it got real complicated real fast...








And the finished product! Rosemary chicken in a lemon-glaze sauce and green rice.


Curt and Jesse making the drunken berries.


Yum!