Join Chef Irv Miller of Jackson’s Steakhouse as he leads a series of cooking classes on the third Wednesday of each month. Classes cover everything from shopping to preparation to presentation. Two classes are scheduled for each month. The first class begins promptly at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m. The second class begins at 7:30 p.m. and concludes at 9:00 p.m. Each class costs $45 per person, which covers the cooking demonstration, tastings of the recipes, wine pairings, and a take-home recipe booklet so you can try your hand at Miller’s recipes in the comfort of your own home. Reservations are required, so be sure to make yours by contacting Jessica Edwards, jessica@goodgrits.com or 850-686-3149.
Wednesday, January 19th – The Butcher and Baker
Simply prepared pork and bacon, beef, or lamb and utilized carcasses will ultimately taste better when you know what to look for. When we think of the baker, wholesome breads, phyllo dough, and pastries come to mind to complement crusted and encrusted meats. Cooking flavorful meat recipes as we do judiciously at home on the grill or smoker, whether every day or for a special occasion, they just seem to taste better. Chef Miller will prepare four tastings featuring easy-to-replicate recipes!
Wednesday, February 16th – Florida Flavors ‘Tip to Toe’
The exotic flavors of South Florida cultivate the essence of Miami and Key West—fusing Cuban soul and Latin American flavors artfully and deliciously on the plate. In the 1980s, South Florida chefs began to include foods from the Caribbean and Latin-based themes. They combined ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques to create rule-bending recipes and cutting-edge regional fusion dishes incorporating tropical fruits and vegetables available year-round. Along the Upper Gulf Coast, Chef Miller became known for his coastal- and Mediterranean-inspired cooking. The tasting menu will include collective dishes inspired by his loyalty to local ingredients and influences found inside “the western gate to the sunshine state.”
Wednesday, March 16th – The Fisherman and Gardener
Chef Miller will pair up garden-fresh ingredients with coastal-catch favorites. Chef will demonstrate how to prepare them using some of his favorite recipes, as well as walk the class through handling seafood items. Chef will discuss open-water fishing and sustainable ocean and earth farming. Chef will also include recipes for Pensacola and Destin deep-water catches such as line-caught fish, yellowfin tuna, swordfish, mahi-mahi, triggerfish, redfish, pompano, cobia, and red snapper. He will create a four-course tasting of his easy-to-replicate favorite dishes.
Wednesday, April 20th – Taste the Great Gulf Coast
Chef Miller has committed his talents to the Northwest Coast of Florida for over four decades, and is recognized from Pensacola to Seaside as one of the Gulf Coast’s most acclaimed chefs. His regional dishes include ingredients that he has enjoyed and found remarkable throughout his Gulf Coast calling. He will share information and prepare treasured locally available foods and recipes in a four-course sampling for you to enjoy. Our neighborhood small farmers and gardeners provide a variety of seasonal Panhandle vegetables such as eggplant, chard, squash, and sweet peppers.
Wednesday, May 18th – Spring Harvest Tasting
Chef Miller will be preparing an array of springtime-harvested fish, vegetables, and meats. Chef will also share his treasured food—incorporating locally grown ingredients when possible, including a variety of greens, heirloom tomatoes, and corn as examples. In addition, Chef will pair up many garden-fresh ingredients—and demonstrate how to prepare them—with some of his favorite proteins, and he will walk the audience through perfecting his recipes for replicating at the supper table.
Wednesday, June 15th – Savoring Summer Supper
Summertime produce in our neighborhood is supplied by regular folks, small farmers, and home gardeners. Our downtown farmers market, along with Bailey’s Produce and Nursery, always bring in the freshest seasonal produce and specialty foods, including locally sourced bacon and eggs. These regional summer harvests should make their way to not only the supper table, but the breakfast and lunch tables too. Hand-picked ingredients such as greens, peas, squash, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, chilies, and specialty foods will be transformed into suppertime favorites.