Auction Meatballs with Dipping Sauces from Around the World

They were the Meatballs Heard Around the World! Wow, was it a busy (and fun) 2 days in Cooking Class! We made "From Scratch" Meatballs with 6 different dipping sauces, one for each country represented for each classroom for the Silent Auction: Hoisin Sauce (China), Tangy Pesto (Italy), Lime Cilantro (Thailand), Fire Roasted Salsa (Mexico), Mango Chutney (Britain), and Hot and Honey Mustard (the Netherlands). 

 So, about two months ago, the Auction Committee asked if I would make something with the kids in class to serve on the night of the Auction. Being a former Auction Committee member, I happily complied. But, here is the trick with this request: 1) I needed to choose a food that could be prepared within 30 minutes (the length of time for each class),  2) I needed to choose a food that is appealing to both preschoolers and adults (because both will be sampling the cuisine), 3) I might need to choose a food that represents every country, so we are inclusive, 4) I needed to choose a food that will save for a day and can easily reheat and 5) probably most importantly, I needed to choose a food that will be complimentary with wine and beer, after all, this is a social event! And, originally, there was talk of making scones. However, I wasn't exactly sure how eating scones and drinking wine or beer would be, so, just for fun, I asked a person who is actually from England. Based on his very entertaining response featured at the end of this post, I knew I needed to move on.

So, I was at school one morning, rolling some ideas around in my head, when a mom popped in the kitchen to say hello. When I mentioned this whole story to her (auction committee/cooking class/food for the night of), she, very kindly, began helping me brainstorm. After our thoughtful but not quite-right-ideas, suddenly she suggested "hey, you could make meatballs with different dipping sauces." Wow! Why didn't I think of that!??? It was a great idea and I readily agreed with her that this would be EXACTLY what we would make. 

And so, two months pass, and I realize that this was a great idea...then. Now, with this task at hand, I had to ask myself: did I really decide to make meatballs for what could possibly be 150 people (70 kids and 80 grown ups)...from scratch? And, make 6 different dipping sauces...with preschoolers? Oh my. Well, back to my black bean brownie theory: "Maybe, just maybe...anybody can do anything!" 

Here are all the different ingredients needed to make meatballs and 6 different dipping sauces! The fresh ingredients like onions, garlic, jalapeno, limes and herbs are tucked away in bags. And, trust me when I tell you that I did not include all the containers of meat in the picture because they wouldn't have fit into the frame! I think I got 24 containers and wiped the Safeway clean! In addition, I had to get a dad (at drop off) to help me carry a giant ice chest of meat to the 2nd floor of the school!

Boy, do the kids recognize and love using this chopper. Now, I consider pictures of the kids using the chopper "action shots"...they are very enthusiastic!

We grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese with a box grater.

We prepared and chopped fresh parsley.

Then, after all the ingredients were in the bowl, I demonstrated how big to make the meatballs, and the whole group rolled meatballs together.

There was a lot of discussion about the proper meatball size and some kids even specifically "made" meatballs for their moms and dads, because they knew why we were making them! It was hilarious!

After the meatballs were assembled and hands were washed, we made dipping sauces, one for each country! Here we are making Tangy Pesto Dipping Sauce for Italy and Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for the Netherlands.

The kids were all given cocktail sized plates and frilly toothpicks. They each sampled 2 meatballs (some asked for seconds...yay!) and a spoonful of dipping sauce from their classroom's country. I taught them how to use their toothpick as a tool  for picking up their meatball and dipping it...and they loved it! It was a whirlwind of a Cooking Class, but with lots of great results!

Quote of the Day:

"Mrs. Diana, I'm going to hold this egg in my hand and pretend my hand is a nest."

My Final Conclusion:

In the end, Auction Meatballs with Around the World Dipping Sauces is a great idea. So, thank you, Nalani (Emmett's mom, Orange Room) for inspiring me!

And, now...as if there aren't enough reasons to go to the Auction on Saturday, March 29th--come for the meatballs! Besides, your kids made them for you! What could be better than that!???? 

Auction Meatballs with Dipping Sauces from Around the World

Homemade Meatballs (Based on Rao’s recipe)
This recipe makes approximately 18 – 1 inch meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground meatball mix (veal, pork, beef)

1 Large Garlic Clove (crushed)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 Egg (room temperature)

3/4 cup Water (room temperature)

3/4 cup Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)

1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Place meat in a tall mixing bowl and press into the bowl. Put garlic on top of meat and lightly rub the garlic around the top of the meat. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Crack your eggs on top of the mixture. Remember- You have NOT stirred or mixed anything yet, you are layering. Pour the water over the mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the water to make a top layer like a tablecloth. Cover the cheese with the breadcrumbs.

Now you are ready to mix. Mix from the outside of the bowl to the middle and fold it in.

After you go around the bowl twice, the mixture should be mixed. Do NOT over handle the meat. Roll into your preferred size meatball and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top of the meatballs begin to brown. You may need to leave them in a little longer, depending on your oven.

GREEN ROOM: Lime Cilantro Dipping Sauce (Thailand)
(from skinnytaste.com)

3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tbsp water

1 tbsp chopped fresh scallion

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Miss Tuangrat advised to use chilies for heat.

BLUE ROOM: Hoisin Dipping Sauce (China)
(from damndelicious.net)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I substituted fresh ginger.)

PURPLE ROOM: Mrs. Nancy’s Saints Salsa (Mexico)

3-4 smashed cloves of garlic

1 8 oz can fired roasted diced tomatoes

1 medium chopped onion

Coarsely chopped ½ bunch of cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Dash of cumin

Tablespoon of chipotle peppers, chopped (from can or jar)

¼ to ½ chopped jalapeno, canned or fresh

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp oil

 This can be made by hand or for super simple in a food processor. Place garlic into the bowl of a processor and whir until chopped, add remaining ingredients and pulse on and off until the salsa reaches the consistency you like.

RED ROOM: Tangy Pesto Dipping Sauce (Italy)

1 prepared container of pesto

1 container of plain greek yogurt
(Using greek yogurt to soften the pungent flavor of pesto was Mrs. Nancy's idea. And, trust me, it was a fabulous one. I found prepared pesto at Fresh Market.)

YELLOW ROOM: Mango Chutney (British Isles)

ORANGE ROOM: Hot Mustard and Honey Mustard (Netherlands)

Thoughts on drinking beer and eating scones, from a valid source:

If you haven't said hello to Matilda's (Yellow Room) dad, Alastair, then you are missing out. He is an approachable guy with a great sense of humor and was kind enough to indulge me in my quest for a real answer to an extremely important question: "What would a person from England say about drinking wine or beer and eating scones alongside?" Here is his response (pre-approved for sharing with the school community):

"Beer and scones! Good Heavens above no! And again no! 

 My initial reaction was to recoil in horror and close the computer in case the children saw the screen but, on reflection – providing you claim that you didn’t hear it from me (for I shall be cast out from the county) there maybe two possible exceptions:

1).  Some darker stouts / bitters have, what better men than me might call, sweet notes (I once had a Christmas pudding flavoured bitter- pretty nice) that might sustain a paring with a cake or two (in the privacy of your own home of course and most assuredly NOT in mixed company).

2). Savoury scones! You know what? A cheese scone with pretty much any beer could be a winner – here’s a recipe for just such an example: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/9900800/Rose-Princes-Baking-Club-ale-and-cheddar-scones.html

Naturally, my official, public position is that it’s an outrage and by all rights should be suppressed – but I’m pretty sure that’s because if you say the word ‘scone’ to a lot of British people it almost instantly calls to mind a ‘Creme Tea’ which looks like this http://www.seasonalberries.co.uk/2011/09/recipes/the-perfect-british-cream-tea.html (clotted cream!) and is normally drunk with tea – or possibly coffee if you feel like making the Queen cry.

You should also bear in mind I’m not sure what I’m talking about.."

So, thank you, Alastair. I, for one, plan on trying a cheese scone and drinking a beer...just for fun.

Fun Sized Blueberry Galettes

On of the many things I love about teaching Cooking Class is that I have a great excuse to try new recipes. For example, I had never even dreamed of making pot stickers before Chinese New Year and they ended up being both delicious and fun to make. And, I had never, but always thought about making applesauce in a food mill...until I tried it with the kids in class. 

Now, if you google "blueberry recipes for kids", you will find a link to an article on babble.com called "25 Ways to Prepare In-Season Blueberries for Kids." I found this recipe for these easy, fun-sized blueberry galettes, and decided they would be perfect for Cooking Class...and besides, I had never made a galette before, so why not give it a whirl?!!! In the article, the author states: "There’s no shame in cheating with a package of frozen puff pastry dough...". Now, who doesn't like that idea? Also, Amy Porter, Sara Jo's mom (Orange Room) asked if she could volunteer to help me on Thursday. We had a great time and I welcome anyone to do the same! I am sure all the parents will be grateful for this highly photographed day in Cooking Class!

First, we cut out dough circles with a glass bowl!

Once everyone had their dough circle in front of them, I demonstrated the next 4 steps: Pinch, hold, brush, sprinkle. 

Each child got a mound of blueberry mixture and they were instructed to use all 10 of their fingers to pinch the dough and encase the blueberries. Then, they were asked to hold the dough together so that it would stick.

Then, they got to paint their galette with an egg wash.

Then, everyone sprinkled with course sugar.

Here is a tray that is ready for the oven.

These were eaten up quickly by some...and, not so much by others. The Blue Room rated it "2 thumbs up" and one fella from the Yellow Room did not want to leave the table or take his apron off until he got another one.

I love the use of fresh blueberries for this recipe. I would not recommend using frozen, as I think they would be too watery and make the dough soggy, among other things. The blueberry mixture contained sugar, cornstarch, salt, and fresh lemon juice. One student could taste the fresh lemon juice in the finished product and was excited to share this newfound discovery with his classmates! Also, we used a glass bowl to cut out our dough circles---I simply chose something that I had on hand.

While the kids ate their galette, I read "Blueberries for Sal" by Robert McCloskey. There were some intent listeners!

Quotes of the day:
"Mrs. Diana, I hope you hide that dough because me and my sister are dough attackers."
After explaining that the dough needs to stick together to hold the blueberries in, one student said in a very clever and entertaining way: "Its a sticky situation."

Fun-Sized Blueberry Galettes

1 pkg. puff pastry, thawed, or pastry for a single-crust pie
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Put oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil, parchment or a silpat mat.

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch to get rid of any lumps. In a large bowl, toss the berries, sugar-cornstarch mixture, lemon juice and salt.

Unwrap the puff pastry onto the sheet, or roll a thawed block of puff pastry (or regular pastry) out 1/4-inch thick. We used a small bowl to cut 6 circles out of each rolled flat puff pastry. (The puff pastry crusts come 2 in a box, so you will yield 12 galettes,--maybe 13 with the leftover crust--per box.) Cut into rounds about 2 inches in diameter larger than you want the finished galettes. Mound the blueberry mixture into the middle of each piece of dough, leaving an inch or so around the edge. Fold the edges over the filling, folding wherever it naturally folds and pinching with your fingers to enclose the berries. Remember, imperfect = rustic.

Brush the pastry with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden, 20 minutes. If the pastry is browning too quickly, cover loosely with some foil. Cool for a few minutes before sliding out onto a cutting board to cut and serve. Serve warm, with whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup or vanilla ice cream. Serves 4-6.

**the original recipe has a 25-30 minute baking time, but we found that 20 minutes was quite sufficient. However, please keep in mind that oven temperatures can vary greatly, so just check them after 20 minutes to see if they are golden on top.

 A special thank you to Amy Porter for all your help. I hope more parents will join me to see how much fun we are having in Cooking Class! As a reminder: Red, Green and Orange Rooms have Cooking Class on Thursdays and Blue, Yellow and Purple Rooms have Cooking Class on Fridays.