Great Escape: Coastside Edition

Last week, Great Escape class to learn to live your life more fully, efficiently and comfortably.

This week’s outlet is an armchair trip to Italy with The Family Chef Amy Fothergill, who is hosting Italian Delights, a cooking demo and tasting at in Half Moon Bay on March 23 from 6 to 7 pm.

“Italians enjoy good tasting food that is shared with family,” said Fothergill, who also teaches cooking classes at Draeger's Markets, Whole Foods Markets and the Farmers Market at the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco. “It's more about the ingredients than it is about the complexity of the dish. These recipes are ones that are not only delicious, but also easy to recreate at home with your own family.”

Chef Amy will show how easy it is to make polenta and risotto, “two dishes that people often find intimidating to make at home,” she said. “You will learn how to make a firm polenta that can be used for appetizers or lasagna. You will also learn how to sauté shrimp, which can be used in main courses as well as appetizers.”

Fothergill, mother of two, has adapted her technical cooking knowledge to cater to the busy lifestyle, taste buds and food sensitivities of everyone in the family, even those with certain allergies.

Her approach to risotto is straightforward and simple.

“You will walk away with the confidence to cook this again and again,” she said.

Her version of tiramisu is quick and easy, and she’ll show how to make a delicious one in less than 30 minutes.

“In this class,” said Fothergill, “you will feel like you are eating in mama’s kitchen.”

To register for the class, go to www.newleaf.com.