Asphalt Green is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting people to achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. Asphalt Green has a campus on the Upper East Side, and more recently, in Battery Park City. A super fun way to spice up your week is by visiting Asphalt Green Battery Park City’s culinary center. Brought to you by their partner, Great Performances, these classes encourage attendees to build healthy eating habits and learn creative cooking. Whether you can’t tell a fork from a spoon or you’re a seasoned expert, these cooking classes cater to everyone.
Additionally, the center also offers Culinary Bootcamp, a three week series every Monday night, for those who want to take their cooking skills to the next level. Over the weekend, Manhattan with a Twist enjoyed a fun and educational evening of Entertaining, with chef Katie Hoffmann. During the two hour class, we learned how to make some marvelous dishes, perfect for holiday entertaining. Whether you are throwing a party, attending a party, or just want to impress someone at home, these dishes are clever, fun and easy to make — but are sure to impress.
A good host knows that alcohol can be the key to any great party, so we prepared Pumpkin Pie Martinis. These are in time with the season and an adorable treat worthy of any holiday bash. You can have them pre-arranged for your guests as they arrive, or serve them up in a pitcher for guests to make their own, complete with garnish.
As an appetizer, easy for passing around, we made Asiago Crisps with Olive Salad and Prosciutto. The crisps were unbelievably easy to make, yet will impress any crowd. We played around with different versions of the topping, catering to all palates. If you want to switch it up, you could try your hand at making cheddar crisps, topped with guacamole and beans or even parmesan crisps.
For the main course, we made and devoured a Caramelized Onion, Cranberry Chutney and Chevre Pizza. This was a real winner — a unique twist on a classic pizza. The cranberry chutney made it feel right at home during these colder months and gave it the look of a traditional pizza. Our chef was great; she encouraged the class to play around with ideas and variations of each dish, allowing us to get creative.
All attendees get to take home the recipes and are supplied with an apron to wear during the class. Feel free to get hands on, or simply watch and learn. We had a blast at this class and can’t wait to show off our newfound cooking skills. Be sure to check out their schedule of classes here.
Happy cooking!
