11 N School St
Lodi, CA 95240

209.368.3033
www.CheeseCentralLodi.com
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WELCOME!

I WAS SO EXCITED TO BRING A NEW SCHEDULE TO YOU, THAT I FORGOT TO ADD THE DETAILS OF THE PROGRESSIVE CLASS TO THE SCHEDULE BELOW. LET ME ADD IT HERE:

PROGRESSIVE COOKING CLASS
just 4 seats left! call now to reserve your spot
phone registration 368-3033 with VISA or MC
with Chef Sara Blighton and Cindy Della Monica
Saturday, 1/26 5-9pm
$125 per person

The next in our series of popular Progressive cooking classes! Our theme this evening will be Family Game Night, and our plan is to beat the winter cabin-fever that will set in with alllllllll the rain that is forecast for the next couple of months (the Pineapple Express, the weather guys call it). We will start at 5pm in CHEESE CENTRAL's Grand Central Kitchen, and travel on Sip Shuttle to progress through our 4-course communal meal, complete with wine from our new group of winery partners. We know that when we are done with this class, you WILL want to have a couple of family gatherings of your own to recreate the atmosphere and flavors of this terrific event! We've got all the plans for you to execute it beautifully.... Join us and celebrate the winter blues! Registration ends 1/22/19


(you don't have to read any further.... nothing has changed from the first post! Thanks for your patience.)

A brilliant new year has started. We have already had our annual business planning trip, over the snowy passes to Reno and back on Amtrak from the Lodi station. What a great way to travel safely, and work/relax at the same time--have laptop will travel! (Did you know that you can travel from the Lodi station to Old Sacramento, have a walking day out, lunch and/or dinner, and get back on the train to come home to Lodi? Check it out!) Our calendar is already filling up, with events and private parties and classes and more. If you would like to plan something with us, give me a call to book a date, and we can hammer out the details later. I'm not kidding--we already have some dates reserved throughout the year...all the way into December!

Please take a look at the class schedule below. A Facebook posting a few days ago of our Progressive Cooking Class, on Saturday January 26, resulted in an almost sell-out of registration! We have just 4 seats left for the progessive, themed Family Game Night, complete with wonderful communal food in four courses and four wineries. Sip Shuttle will be our DD once again, and the starting point will be CHEESE CENTRAL's Grand Central Kitchen. All the details are below--call quick to register for our 5th Progressive Cooking Class!

Speaking of classes--the Jan/Feb class schedule has been out since early December, and is chock full of old and new topics. We will revisit Soup Addict (it IS raining right now--soup should be for dinner), Filled Pastas, Raclette, Loads of Lemons, and Bread Baking. New to the list is Fiesta!, Dining Habits of Vicious Dictators, and Spuds and Studs. A few of the classes have been sold out, but don't worry! We will be booking new dates for the winter-centric class topics, and the fun new topics as well. We want to cook with all of you and your friends!

Remember--cheese is part of a healthy diet, always consumed in moderation, and a great substitute for meat protein. It took two weeks to get CHEESE CENTRAL's cases full again from the holiday noshing, but we are looking good and have your favorites back in stock. Be on the lookout for new flavors, seasonal beauties, and surprising new combinations of products we already know and love--ask for a sample of Creamy Havarti on an Apricot Ginger Raincoast Crisp...tastes just like carrot cake or spice cake! Put on the tea kettle and plate up a treat to enjoy with a friend, or a good book!

Plan ahead for Wine and Chocolate weekend. If you stop here first for savory goodies to augment your Chocolate trip, your tummy will thank you! I wouldn't miss any of the wineries and their chocolate goodies--savory and sweet--let us be an accompaniment to all the delights that await you!

Happy New Year, and thanks for your patronage
With appreciation,

Cindy and Staff
Karen, Ashley, Gioia, Janet, and Angelo
The shelves are stocked full, ready for sharing bubbles with the one you love! Valentine's Day is just a month away.

The wine bubbles are available in single-serve for a great "Love You" basket gift, full-sized for sharing, and in specialty non-alcoholic versions--big and small! Jars of wild hibiscus flowers in syrup, available year round, make make each glass a gorgeous serving!

The beer shelf also has special bottles for the one you love...awesome winter brews include four, rare and seasonal--beautiful Belgians-- as well as great domestic craft beers in 22 oz or 750ml bottles.

Looking for something different? We stock Hemly Pear Cider, too, produced right here in Courtland on the Delta! Fabulous dry pear flavor and 5% ABV. A great accompaniment to Raclette, fondue, or any other cheesey entree you might serve up!

Come on in and take a look!

LOBSTER TAILS FOR BREAKFAST? Yes, Please!

I've been a baker for decades--bread, cakes, pastries, pies and tarts. Not so much cookies, as the "cookie monster" gene didn't get passed down to me. So, I've been hooked on watching "The Great British Baking Show" on Netflix in my bits of down time. I'm amazed at the imagination and flavor combinations these lovely Brit contestants have come up with, waiting for the piercing blue-eyed stare of Paul Hollywood!-- and, occasionally, "the handshake" with his approval!

So, Lobster Tails (Sfogliatelle) are new to me! Saw it on the show for the first time. I don't know how I've missed the buttery layers and layers filled with cheese all of these years, but I'm focused now. Check out below for a quick version....

LOBSTER TAILS
(Sfogliatelle)

1 box (2 sheets) puff pastry
1/4 C butter, melted
16 oz ricotta, strained
1/2 C powdered sugar, plus
more for dusting
1 T vanilla extraact
1 egg
Zest of one orange

Thaw puff pastry according to directions. Slice each sheet into thirds. Stack the sheets, brushing melted butter between each. Place in the fridge for an hour or until the dough has firmed up and butter has hardened. Remove from fridge and roll out to twice its size. Slice in half and stack on top of each other, brushing butter in between. Roll up into a log, starting from one of the short sides. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400*. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients to form the filling. Remove rolled dough from fridge and slice into 1/2" spiral discs. Using your hands, spread each disc to create a cupped oval 1 1/2 times its original size. Spoon 1 T of filling onto the dough, folding cup onto itself and pinching end shut. Repeat with remaining slices. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.




UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS
Do you "plan for future happiness?" A quick phone call will help you do this!    Cheese 101A and Bread Baking Basics are offered every month from January through October. Popular classes such as Sushi, Filled Pasta and Bistro in Paris repeat throughout the year. 

Can't wait to cook with YOU!

PRIVATE PARTY CLASSES ARE GREAT, TOO!
Call to Book A Party For Your Group


FIESTA !
sold out--new date will be scheduled
with Cindy Della Monica
Tues, 1/15   6-8pm
$65 per person
 
If you live in California, you have had Mexican food--everywhere! The rest of the world has some form of Mexican food, whether it is authentic or not. We have chosen foods from various states of Mexico to highlight authentic recipe preparation. This participation class will prepare such things as homemade tortillas, freshly prepared enchilada sauce, fabulous sides to grilled entrees, and an unusual and delightful dessert! R egistration ends 1/11/19  Minimum of 8 guests for class to be held, maximum of 10 guests 
 

DINING HABITS OF VICIOUS DICTATORS
sold out--new date will be scheduled
with Cindy Della Monica
Thurs, 1/17   6-8 pm
$65 per person
 
Got your attention, huh? hehehe Inspiration for this topic was random, as a PBS show highlighted special foods prepared for a centuries-dead royal personage, as found in an archaelogical dig. Research brought so many wonderful recipes to share--this yummy class will feature special dishes from around the world--for an international culinary tour, if you will. A fun and informative booklet complete with recipes for the full dinner in class, served with adult beverage. Come cook with me! Registration ends 1/14/19 Minimum of 8 guests for class to be held, maximum of 10 guests

 
FILLED PASTAS
sold out--new date will be scheduled
  With Chef Sara Blighton
Mon, 1/21  6-8 pm
$65 per person
 
A popular class! Learn how to make fresh pasta, and roll it out with the classic Atlas pasta machine and the stand-mixer. In the meantime, learn how to make your own fresh ricotta cheese, which we will use our pasta fillings. Two filled pastas, and some new sauces, will be presented: agnolotti and cannelloni; and a fabulous new gnocchi technique. Let's sip some delicious wine while we go into pasta production-fun!! A full dinner, and booklet of recipes to go home with you, too!  Registration ends 1/16/19 Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10


CHEESE 101A-The Basics
with Cindy Della Monica
Wed, 1/23 6-7:30 pm
$25 per person

Cheese and cheese-making--an interesting and complex subject. Explore an overview of the cheese families, how to taste cheese, and taste examples of a four of the cheese families we have discussed: Mild/Buttery, Alpine/Mountain, Chevres, and Cremes.      This class also available selected dates upon request. Call to schedule your group's personal party.  Registration ends 1/20/19 Minimum of 8 guests for class to be held, maximum of 10 guests 
 
 
  FONDUE!
with Cindy Della Monica
Mon, 1/28    6--8 pm
$65 per person
 
Classic cheese fondue recipe will be presented, but the hands-on class instruction will include some interesting flavors made with cheeses not normally intended for fondue preparation. A variety of "dippers" that are common to our palates will make an appearance as unusual stars of our fondue show!  Wine, class booklet and dinner included.  Registration ends 1/24/19 Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10

 
SOUP ADDICT
sold out--new date will be scheduled
with Cindy Della Monica
Thurs 1/31    6-8 pm
$65 per person
 
Explore the definitions of different types of soup—chowders, bisques, creams, minestrone and more! We will make and sample a wonderful variety of soups to ward off the (welcome) winter chill. I’m very optimistic that the rain will come, so our soup dinners will NEED to be varied just to avoid dinner boredom. I can’t wait to get you “hooked” on my favorites!   Registration ends 1/28/19 Minimum 8 guests, maximum 10 guests

 
AMERICAN MELTING POT  Ukranian Cuisine
with Cindy Della Monica
Sat, 2/2 6-8pm
$65 per person

You really should The flavors of simple Ukranian cuisine are filled with surprises.... tart and tangy, smooth and creamy, freshly herbal, and hearty but delicate.  This Babushka's kitchen will have pelmeni, zakuski, ikra, fresh horseradish, kulich and more!  Come have a hearty dinner with me, view icons and pysanki eggs, and more...  Registration ends 1/27/19   Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10 guests


SPUDS AND STUDS
with Cindy Della Monica
Tues, 2/5   6-8 pm
$65 per person
 
Husbands, dads, brothers, nephews and more... the hunky studs in our lives appreciate a great potato dish--and not all of the dishes accompany the classic "meat" of Meat And Potatoes fame! Some great twists to use this root vegetable will have you hooked, right down to the dessert recipe. Come learn new techniques for adding flavor to this wonderfully neutral background! Registration ends 2/1/19 Minimum 8 guests, maximum 10 guests


RIJSTAFFEL
with Cindy Della Monica
Fri, 2/8   6-8pm
$65 per person
 
Dutch for “rice table,” rijsttafel (“ryst-tah-fell”) is a by-product of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, which, if we count the days of the Dutch East India Company, stretched for more than three centuries, formally concluding in 1949. When the Dutch returned home, they brought with them the practice of serving many small Indonesian dishes, revolving around rice. An excellent dish for young and old, this is not spicy (unless you choose to make it so!), and without out using any unusual ingredients, our modern-day rijsttafel is the same exact idea. We will present a simple, stream-lined Rijsttafel party to liven up the dreary late winter days! Just show up hungry...  Registration ends 2/3/19 Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10
 

FILLED PASTAS
sold out--new date will be scheduled
  With Chef Sara Blighton
Tues, 2/12 6-8 pm
$65 per person
 
A popular class! Learn how to make fresh pasta, and roll it out with the classic Atlas pasta machine and the stand-mixer. In the meantime, learn how to make your own fresh ricotta cheese, which we will use our pasta fillings. Two filled pastas, and some new sauces, will be presented: agnolotti and cannelloni; and a fabulous new gnocchi technique. Let's sip some delicious wine while we go into pasta production-fun!! A full dinner, and booklet of recipes to go home with you, too!  Registration ends 2/7/19 Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10


AND THE OSCAR GOES TO… APPETIZERS!
with Cindy Della Monica
Fri, 2/15   6-8pm
$65 per person
 
Glitz, glam, and a red carpet!  Plan an all appetizer dinner buffet complete with signature cocktails and bubbly… then invite all your “celebrity” friends to indulge with you on Oscar night (March 4)—fancy dress and up-do optional.  Registration ends 2/11/19  Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10 guests


LOADS OF LEMONS
with Cindy Della Monica
Mon, 2/18  6-8 pm
$65 per person

Fresh, ripe and winter perfect, though reaching the end of our local picking season by this date! Lemons provide bright flavor to many foods. Ever tried the bubbly cocktail called Sgropino? Tea breads, salad dressings and marinades, soups and tarts with perfect pie crust...endless variations on this deliciously citrusy theme!  Booklet and dinner included      Registration ends 2/13/19 Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10 guests  


CHEESE 101A-The Basics
with Cindy Della Monica
Fri, 2/22   6-7:30 pm
$25 per person
 
Cheese and cheese-making--an interesting and complex subject. Explore an overview of the cheese families, how to taste cheese, and taste examples of a four of the cheese families we have discussed: Mild/Buttery, Alpine/Mountain, Chevres, and Cremes.      This class also available selected dates upon request. Call to schedule your group's personal party.  Registration ends 2/19/19 Minimum of 8 guests for class to be held, maximum of 10 guests 


BREAD BAKING BASICS
with Cindy Della Monica
Sat, 2/23   10:30am-12:30pm
$45 per person
 
Love bread? Want that ‘’fresh bread” aroma wafting through your home, and crusty deliciousness at your fingertips? Calling all beginner bread-bakers to come and learn the basic techniques for quick breads and scones, traditional yeast sandwich bread, and a surprising bread to bake in the microwave! Hands-on, light meal and take-home booklet included.      Registration ends 2/19/19   Minimum of 2 guests for class to be held, maximum of 5 guests  
 


PIGLET PARTY
with Cindy Della Monica
Wed, 2/27 6-8 pm
$65 per person

I love pork, you know, the other white meat! This class? Pork, accompanied by pork, and finished with bacon... are you in? (There might be a few hidden vegetables, too)... Freshen up winter menus with these recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner., and master new cooking techniques that will be useful again and again. Registration ends 2/23/19 Minimum of 8 guests, maximum of 10 guests  


CHILLIN’ WITH CHILI
With Cindy Della Monica
Thurs, 2/28  6-8 pm
$65 per person

The first time this class was offered, our participants were astounded at the range of flavors just in the three chilies prepared for class. THEN we used them in a couple of unusual ways instead of just a bowlful.  The cornbread alone is worth the visit to this class!  The WOW factor here is pretty big.  Full dinner and adult beverages included   Registration ends 2/25/19Minimum 8 guests and maximum 10 guests
 







 
CALL 209 368-3033 Phone registration with VISA or MC
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