Save the Third for Chef Irv: Cooking Demonstrations and Cocktails at Jackson's Steakhouse

Join Chef Irv Miller of Jackson's Steakhouse as he leads another 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 begin 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 $40 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. Advanced reservations are required, so be sure to make yours by calling Maria Goldberg, Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Special Events at 850-217-2347 or the restaurant at 850-469-9898.

Gulf Coast Catch: Wednesday, July 21
Chef Irv will share tips for purchasing, storing, preparing and cooking fresh seafood and shellfish. He will discuss basic marinades and demonstrate several of his favorite dishes, including ceviche. With a bit of pre-planning, a trip to the local seafood market will inspire you to use the freshest seafood available by purchasing over-the-counter seafood fresh off the boat. Locally prized seasonal catches include red snapper, grouper, scamp, cobia, pompano, triggerfish, swordfish, wahoo, mahi-mahi, amberjack, sheepshead, speckled trout, flounder, yellowfin tuna, king and Spanish mackerel and shovelnose lobster. Some East Coast favorites are scamp, tilefish, snook, drum and tripletail.

Fusion Cuisine: Wednesday August 18
Chef will explain the fusion-cooking concept and how it began in the 1970s and how it changed the face of American cooking and new restaurant concepts by blending regional ingredients with classical cooking techniques. Other fusion cuisines combine global regional cooking techniques with local seafood, fresh out of the water. Fusion cuisines began with French-Asian. Popular fusion cuisines include Pan-Asian (Asian countries that share common threads in terms of ingredients and seasonings) and Tex-Mex (Several hundred years ago, during the mission era, Spanish and Mexican-Indian foods were combined with Anglo fare in Texas, as in other parts of what was called the Northern Frontier of New Spain. It was this cuisine that would eventually be called Tex-Mex). Fusion cooking is fun, and uses ingredients from all around the globe to achieve a personal interpretation of specific ingredients and used in other countries while shopping locally. Other fusion cuisines include (but are not limited to) Floribbean and New World Cuisine. Good fusion cuisine combines ingredients and cooking techniques from several cultures in a way that pulls together well, creating a seamless, fresh dish.

The Jewish Kitchen: Wednesday, September 15
This particular class was inspired by our very own Jackson's cooking-class students. Chef Miller will discuss and share Jewish-inspired family recipes and several holiday recipes. He will demystify the preparation of some the historic family recipes that we still appreciate and celebrate today. Miller will share his mother's kugel recipe and recipes of some of his favorite Jewish cookbook authors, including Claudia Roden (The Book of Jewish Food); Barbara Tropp of China Moon Café (China Moon Cookbook), and Joan Nathan (The Jewish Holiday Kitchen, which includes Nathan's honey-orange chicken and potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce). For the grand finale, Chef will prepare his favorite blueberry blintz with mascarpone filling and roasted-pecan-infused maple syrup.

Slow Southern Foods: Wednesday, October 20
Living here on the Gulf Coast, cooking Southern slow food is must, especially in cooler weather. "Slow-Food Chef Irv" will walk you through perfecting Southern slow-cooked foods: grits, barbecue brisket, roasted pork shoulder, and chicken and dumplings. "Slow food is not so much food that's slow to cook, as food that's worth waiting for. It bubbles and bakes, simmers and slowly soaks up flavors...food that often comes from the earth, and is eagerly anticipated with the seasons," according to Michael James in his cookbook Slow Food. The national program "Slow Food USA" is an idea, a way of living, and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Holiday Harvest: Wednesday, November 17
Chef will offer some of his favorite holiday cooking tips and provide a cross-section of delicious, creative holiday recipes. Chef Irv will showcase some easy-to-prepare and tasty indulgences to keep your friends and family coming back for more. Recipes will include alternative ideas for turkey and a sampling of turducken from Pensacola-based Cajun Specialty Meats. Chef will also create some new and interesting holiday-inspired vegetable alternatives. Chef will cook country ham and duck breast. You don't want to miss the butternut squash recipes, one savory and one sweet!

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