The theme was “Easy Entertaining.”

The menu was fabulous and, yes indeed, easy:

— Smoked bacon and spinach salad with blueberry vinaigrette

— Asparagus and smoked salmon crostini with lemon herb aioli

— Nontraditional coq au vin

— Blueberry orange cheesecake squares

The instructor was Stephanie Brewer. Otherwise known as Chef Stephanie, she was fun, passionate, informative and quite entertaining.

The goody bag, including two of the products used in the two-hour course taught by Brewer — a full-size bottle of Stonewall Kitchen’s blueberry vinaigrette and a jar of the lemon herb aioli — was a fantastic souvenir. And the 10 percent discount on Stonewall Kitchen products purchased the evening of the class was icing on the cake, a convenient reason to stock up on favorite Stonewall Kitchen items or to try something new.

Watching Brewer prepare the four-course meal and then getting to sample it — while being waited on by two assistants (store employee Elise Bothel and Pat Bagg, a fellow Stonewall Kitchen class instructor and Maine Foodie Tours guide) — made for a relaxing evening at the Stonewall Kitchen shop on Middle Street in Portland. Kudos to the few participants who smartly planned in advance to bring their own bottles of wine for sipping, making the evening even that much more enjoyable. The class was informal, with lots of chatting and questions between Brewer and her eight “students.”

For anyone who remains unfamiliar with Stonewall Kitchen, the Maine company was made famous by its jams and jellies in the 1990s. Prestigious food industry awards have been bestowed on many of their concoctions — Roasted Peach Whiskey Sauce, Roasted Garlic Onion Jam and Balsamic Fig Salad Dressing to name just a few.

Marketing Manager Sheri Tripp said the Portland store has partnered with local chefs to teach and to share their skills and recipes since 1998. Chefs generally select their own menus and themes, based on their specialties, training and comfort levels, she said.

Brewer has taught many classes at the Portland Stonewall Kitchen store, in addition to working as a personal chef and at several Portland-area restaurants. “I really love the Stonewall products,” she said, “and I love to write recipes using them.” Her largest reward, she said, is when someone later returns and tells her they made the entire meal on their own.

“People come for different reasons,” Brewer said — such as Ryan and Lindsey Cole, of Gorham, who were attending a class for the second time, this time with Lindsey’s mother in tow. The pasta-making instruction they received from Chef Chris Toi in the fall was so useful, they’ve become hooked on homemade pasta and have made it at least a dozen times since then. Some come for the taste-testing, the recipes or the ideas presented, while others just love to go and have a night out, Brewer added. “It’s very relaxing!”

Her demonstration on this night included cooking techniques, tips and terminology (such as “fond” — what she called a fancy word for “bits of pan scrapings” left in the pan after frying up bacon, that you loosen up and mix with a liquid to create the foundation of a sauce), and lots of suggestions on how to switch up or modify her basic recipes.

Her first task of the evening was to make up the smoked bacon and spinach salad. Noting you could easily substitute bacon crumbles in place of frying up your own bacon, she said her preferred choice is the freshly cooked, thick-cut, applewood-smoked variety. She said it sounds really fancy, but can be easily purchased at local supermarkets. Feel free, she said, to swap raspberries or pears for the blueberries, when those are in season or more to your liking.

While class participants nibbled on the salad, Brewer moved onto her version of coq au vin — French for “chicken in wine.” In spite of what appears to be a lengthy recipe, she considers it easy because it’s a one-pan dish. An excellent dish to prepare in advance, she said it is easy to re-heat, slowly, in the oven, right before serving (she recommended placing the cooked coq au vin in a casserole dish,
covering with foil and reheating at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour). Her recipe is a bit nontraditional because the sauce is heavier than many coq au vin renditions you might meet; more like gravy.

Although her recipe does not contain a Stonewall Kitchen product, she pointed out the company makes a line of simmering sauces, one of which is for coq au vin. Others include coconut curry, artichoke piccata, sloppy joe and buffalo wing.

Brewer toasted up some rounds of French baguette, blanched some fresh asparagus, and — using the lemon herb aioli sauce — quickly put together a lovely hors d’oeuvres with smoked salmon wrapped around the asparagus. Aioli is a creamy and versatile sauce, often used to complement fish or crab cakes, spread on a sandwich or warmed slightly and spooned over sauteed vegetables.

As the group snacked on these pretty little appetizers topped with chopped red peppers, Brewer suggested other flavorful combinations to put atop the aioli: finely chopped ham with cherry tomatoes, or a slice of hard-boiled egg with a sprinkle of ham or bacon on top. I’m pretty sure the sky’s the limit. Other Stonewall aioli flavors include roasted garlic, horseradish and habanero mango.

The company website, www.stonewallkitchen.com, is an excellent resource for hundreds of gourmet recipes made super-easy by using their products — from main dishes to appetizers, salads and desserts.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, this might be the perfect — and easy — menu for honoring Mom, or for just impressing your friends at your next soiree.

Smoked Bacon and Spinach Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

1 package applewood smoked bacon, cut julienne

1 shallot, minced

1 onion, diced small

1 container fresh blueberries

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 package baby spinach

1 bottle Stonewall Kitchen Blueberry Vinaigrette

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In saute pan, cook julienne bacon pieces until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, keeping fat in the pan. Add shallot and onion. Saute until golden; be careful not to burn. Remove from heat and add half the bottle of blueberry vinaigrette. This will warm the vinaigrette a bit.

In a serving bowl or platter, toss together the spinach, bacon, fresh blueberries and cheese. Dress with the warm vinaigrette and serve immediately. Top with additional dressing if desired. For a decorative touch, drizzle a small amount of dressing across the top of the salad or a small swirl on individual plates prior to serving.

Coq au Vin

6 chicken drumsticks

6 chicken thighs

4 strips thick-cut bacon, julienne

1 pound white petite onions, skins removed

1 pound button mushrooms

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced medium

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups Madeira wine

1/2 cup fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

For roux:

1 stick butter

1 cup flour

Directions:

In large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat and brown chicken drumsticks and thighs. Remove chicken and in the same pan, saute bacon until browned; remove from pan and set aside. Add shallot, garlic, mushrooms and carrots to the pan and brown about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with Madeira wine and reduce by half.

Add thyme, sage, chicken stock, bacon, white onions, mushrooms and browned chicken back into the pan. Add salt and pepper as desired, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until chicken is done.

In a separate small saute pan, melt butter slowly; add flour and cook about 5 minutes, just until mixture begins to brown. Slowly whisk into the chicken and wine to thicken sauce a bit. You may or may not use all the roux (the flour and butter mixture), depending on how thick you would like your sauce. Add chopped fresh parsley and serve.

“I like to serve it over brown rice or buttered egg noodles,” Chef Stephanie Brewer said.

Upcoming classes in Portland

Stonewall Kitchen

182 Middle St.

Portland, Maine

Phone: 879-2409

Cost: $50 a person

(Tip: Reserve early; classes are capped at 8 people.)

Far East, Down East: An Asian Fusion Meal

Saturday, May 19th, 6 to 8 p.m.

Chef Chris Toy will make local market, fresh seafood won ton soup, shrimp fried rice, and almond amaretto creme.

Cocktails and Appetizers

Monday, May 21, 6 to 8 p.m.

Stephanie Brewer will make pizza Caprese bites, corn and lobster cakes with lemon pear tartar sauce, pulled pork taco sliders with guacamole and habanero mango slaw, and toasted pepita encrusted goat cheese salads with sliced peaches and hot pepper peach jam.

A Mexican Fiesta

Sunday, May 27, 6 to 8 p.m.

Pat Bagg will share recipes from her trip to Mexico, including salsa verde, chilaquiles, carrot and avocado salad, grilled corn chipotle crema, and coconut flan.

Something’s cooking in York

The flagship store in York offers an extensive selection of classes (international themes or specific subjects, such as Burger Mania, Bacon Explosion and Playing with Dough). The Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School often invites noted restaurant chefs, cookbook authors and cooking professionals from across the nation to come to Maine and demonstrate their talents in their state-of-the-art classroom. Check the schedule at www.stonewallkitchen.com or call 1-877-899-8363.

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