Jamie, it is such a pleasure to read your posts. I'm glad that they are here at TVWB for me to reference, for there are so many good tips and information that I want to get back to.

This is a tall order, but I'd like to know more about your pantry.

I love cooking Asian cuisines, but not to the exclusion of Mediterranean, European, Scandinavian, Spanish/Mexican, South American...etc. If it's not too much to ask, could you give us a list of ethnic ingredients in specific cuisines that you keep handy for spontaneous cooking, such as:

MEXICAN:
Ibarra Mexican chocolate
Epazote
Piloncillo....etc.

We are so grateful for all the time and help that you have given us. I, for one, would like to see you come to Atlanta if you can find the right venue. Please post your schedule on this site for us.

Rita

Hi Rita,

I am enjoying the Q&A, too. Today I'm much busier than earlier in the week with some other responsibilities, so please forgive me if I am too brief. My pantry is not terrifically exotic. I try to develop recipes that most people can make with ingredients they will find in a well-stocked supermarket. Of course I always have these in dry storage: extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, toasted sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, red and white wine vinegars, rice vinegar, honey, mirin, and maple syrup. My favorite dried spices are cumin, pepper, chile powder, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, and always kosher salt (sea salt, too). My refrigerator always has various mustards, ketchups, prepared horseradish, lemon/limes, and whatever vegetables are in season where I live. That's pretty much it. It's interesting that so many cuisines around the world have distinct characteristics, yet they draw from so many similar ingredients. Take chilies, garlic, and citrus fruits. You find various combinations of those in Mexican, Italian, Thai, Moroccan, Indonesian, Brazilian, and on and on.

I’d LOVE to cook in Atlanta. It might happen this year. Please write to me if you have ideas about schools with outdoor cooking areas.

Thanks,
Jamie

I'm looking for a place, Jamie. The one large cooking school here is in a shopping center - no outside area, but I have a couple of other ideas and if anything looks likely, I'll let you know. We would love to have you come to Atlanta.

Note for your schedule: In the loveliest part of the Spring when all the azaleas and dogwoods bloom, we have a few weeks of yellow-green pollen dust from the great variety of pine and other trees here (i.e. right now), settling on everything; not optimum conditions for teaching outdoors.

Rita

Okay, Rita. I appreciate the inside scoop. If a place and time come to mind, please shoot me an email: jamie@jamiepurviance.com.

Thank you!

Jaime, what are you looking for for an outdoor cooking area (other than being away from the dumpsters as you said in an earlier post). I love to have you come to Austin.

Kent,

Do you know of any cooking schools in Austin that have outdoor decks or patios big enough for a few grills and a few dozen people? Sometimes good schools operate in connection to supermarkets. For instance, I beleive Austin is home to the Whole Foods Market headquarters, right? I wonder if they have a school and outdoor cooking area there.

Jamie

Kent - another option to check out would be Central Market. I know that they have a cooking school there, and they hosted Bobby Flay a year or so ago. Further, the store in central Austin has that very large patio area just outside of the restaurant.

Maybe if several of us inquire there about Jamie coming in, they might take the hint! What do you think?

Both Central Market and Whole Foods have large presence here (Whole Foods is HQ'ed in town). Whole Foods just finished building a corporate anchor store downtown which I have not yet visited. Central Market North has a beautiful deck and patio area which multitasks between an outdoor performance area and an outdoor cooking area. It would be my personal first choice.

There is also a chef school - Texas Culinary Academy - in Austin, but their outdoor facilities would be less than optimal.

The link for Central Market is http://www.centralmarket.com/cm/index.jsp

The link for Whole Foods is http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/lamar/index.html

Cool. I see grilling classes offered at both Whole Foods and Central Marekt. They must have some outdoor cooking areas. I'll look into it.

Thanks!
Jamie