Are you nervous about cooking for your Valentine? In this class is designed for novice cooks, our chef will walk students through a delicious menu that’s surprisingly easy to put together. We’ll also share do-ahead tips so you’re not stuck in the kitchen the whole night!

Are you nervous about cooking for your Valentine? In this class is designed for novice cooks, our chef will walk students through a delicious menu that’s surprisingly easy to put together. We’ll also share do-ahead tips so you’re not stuck in the kitchen the whole night!

Please join us for an exciting evening of culinary delights

from Queens' top restaurants!

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Terrace on the Park

On Tuesday, February 7, 2012, Queens Centers for Progress will be hosting their annual Evening of Fine Food Event.

An Evening of Fine Food provides an informal setting for many people from the community, including a large representation of Queens business community, to socialize as they sample the gourmet delicacies provided by Queens' top restaurants and chefs. The event benefits over 1,200 children and adults challenged by mild to severe developmental disabilities.

Each year we honor an individual whose dedication to making a difference in the community is exemplary.

Some of the Evening's
Participants Include:

Anthony's Restaurant

Art O Polis

Austin's Steakhouse

Bourbon Street

Brooklyn Brewery

Buddy's Kosher Deli Restaurant & Caterers

Cascon Baking Company

Café Triskell

Kati Allo Greek Restaurant

Luigi's Restaurant

Caffe Sacco Coffee

Papazzio Restaurant

Strawberry's

Tandoor

Tavern 18

Tequila Sunrise

Trattoria Neo

Valentino's on the Green

Vetro Restaurant & Lounge

The Wonderful Wines of Tricana Imports

And the list continues to grow...

Please join us for an exciting evening of culinary delights

from Queens' top restaurants!

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Terrace on the Park

On Tuesday, February 7, 2012, Queens Centers for Progress will be hosting their annual Evening of Fine Food Event.

An Evening of Fine Food provides an informal setting for many people from the community, including a large representation of Queens business community, to socialize as they sample the gourmet delicacies provided by Queens' top restaurants and chefs. The event benefits over 1,200 children and adults challenged by mild to severe developmental disabilities.

Each year we honor an individual whose dedication to making a difference in the community is exemplary.

Some of the Evening's
Participants Include:

Anthony's Restaurant

Art O Polis

Austin's Steakhouse

Bourbon Street

Brooklyn Brewery

Buddy's Kosher Deli Restaurant & Caterers

Cascon Baking Company

Café Triskell

Kati Allo Greek Restaurant

Luigi's Restaurant

Caffe Sacco Coffee

Papazzio Restaurant

Strawberry's

Tandoor

Tavern 18

Tequila Sunrise

Trattoria Neo

Valentino's on the Green

Vetro Restaurant & Lounge

The Wonderful Wines of Tricana Imports

And the list continues to grow...

The foundation of many Indian recipes begins with lentils (dal). This grain is an essential source of inexpensive protein throughout the country for people on a vegetarian diet. They are relatively easy to prepare and they absorb many other flavors which makes them incredibly versatile and useful even in non-vegetarian dishes. Indian food served in restaurants can sometimes be thick and heavy, but in this class, Palak's Indian Kitchen: The Indian Lentil, chef Palak Patel will introduce you to light and fresh tasting recipes with lots of spices and aromatics. Using organic and sustainably produced ingredients, you'll see a number of uses for this amazing grain in dishes can be used as a sides or main courses. The beauty of these dishes lies in the simplicity of creating them, contrasted by the complexity of the flavor. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will walk away from this class with the benefits of knowing how to make hearty nutritious dishes using this amazing ingredient.

Recipes: Curried Yellow Lentils and Sweet Potato Soup; Warm Lentil Salad with Coconut and Tomato; Spiced Lentils with Chicken

Class Type: Series: Palak's Indian Kitchen

Class Notes: Learn to prepare lentils with all the complex flavors and tastes of great Indian cuisine.

Palak Patel

Chef Palak Patel moved to NY from San Francisco where she served as personal chef to the well to do crowd of the Silicon Valley. She competed on the Sears Chef Challenge, one of only 12 chefs selected to compete in a national cooking competition for charity and featured on CBS series about outsourcing your life. As a teenager, she learned everything she could from her mother about traditional Indian cuisine. Palak's main goal is to integrate fresh produce and flavors of Indian cooking with French techniques. Palak is currently enrolled in the French Culinary Institute, a premier member of United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA), Women Chef Restaurateurs and Slow Food USA