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Indulge your senses and feel the splashy effervescence of life in this interview (#thedeliciousstory podcast #63) with chef Terrie Kohl. Based in Des Moines, Iowa’s largest metropolitan area, she is a one-woman culinary powerhouse that dazzles and delights, one great meal at a time!

With a career in the food industry that spans decades, you’ll learn how Terrie took brave steps that earned her the credentials to become a top chef. She launched her business Country Club Market, where she offers outstanding catering and cooking classes.

I promised you “cooking party” ideas at the opening, and Terrie delivers. Sharing anecdotes of some of the cooking class styles she has provided over the years – she serves up a slew of ideas that will get your creative wheels turning for your next party.

Listen and soak in Terrie’s exuberance and her delectable food stories and suggestions. From her experiences, you’ll glean ideas to savor more of your own time around the table.

THE ART OF THE COOKING PARTY

If you find you’re one of those people who gets stumped when it comes to creating a memorable party for an event, then you’ll discover inspiration in Terrie’s cooking class tales. She has instructed many groups, some as large as 150 people and others as intimate as a gathering of 2.

Sharing food is a rich connector. No matter how different we feel we are from one another, we all must eat to live. Try as we might to differentiate ourselves from one another, we are all in this human story together, and eating, plus the pleasure of it, is one way we can all relate.

It makes sense that in addition to connecting through eating, you can blend in the cooking as a part of your gathering. Terrie describes several ways to bring cooking classes into your home – or hers – for a winning and memorable party.

Think about weddings, birthdays, special business clients, anniversaries, and you are just beginning to scratch the surface of the many cooking class party ideas. The key is to bring in an expert like Terrie, who can assure that everything is prepared from the thoughtfully selected ingredients, the engaging recipes, and stunning presentation that raises cooks at all levels.

PREPARATION IS KEY

A funny (and embarrassing) side-note about this interview is that I lost it for a time. I recorded with Terrie back at the end of 2019, intending to publish it as a podcast and blog in January of 2020.

Somehow, I mislaid the interview in the early months of the new year and just recently realized I’d missed publishing this gem. I blame it on the crazy of pandemic times.

Of course, the things Terrie talks about, from meal preparation to holiday planning and parties, are all timeless and valuable. But it feels especially great right now as we all plan for potentially opening up our lives after socially quarantining, entertaining again with family and friends once everyone is vaccinated.

Terrie’s advice about entertaining and how to make these special events work are spot-on practical. I bet we’ll all feel the heightened sense of pleasure as we gather at tables with friends and family and still being able to keep the focus on the people.   

A MEMORABLE MEAL FOR THE BOOKS

For those of you who proudly wear the mantle of “foodie” or love a bit of food history, Terrie’s memorable meal story is a stellar and one that involves culinary legend Julia Child. The story is set in Boston at the Westin Copley Square, 1997, and relates a scholarship from Les Dames d’ Escoffier.

I drop these bits of information because I wasn’t aware of the organization. Les Dames is a professional culinary organization that began in 1976 “for women leaders in the food, beverage, and hospitality industry.”

At the time of this story, Julie Child was already in her 90s. She has passed away but remains an icon of fine food, especially French cuisine. I’m a huge fan and enjoyed reading about her memories in the fantastic book My Life in Paris, where she talks about the process of publishing the seminal Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

A COOKBOOK FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Terrie is emphatic that her work is joyful every day. Her latest labor of love is her cookbook, called Bringing Friends and Family Back Around the Table, which was released in 2019. A very tasty publication!

Perhaps you’ve been fortunate to appreciate a resurgence of meals around the table during quarantine during the pandemic. I hope so. Or maybe you live on your own and are salivating to bring friends you’ve missed back together again. In any case, we are all hungry to be dining together again. Terrie’s book is filled with succulent recipes to inspire and help you plan.

Organized with recipes that are Terrie’s tried and true favorites from years of catering, you’ll find categories of recipes from breakfasts through desserts. The book finishes with a special section of recipes from the archives of her mother and grandmother’s recipe boxes in their handwriting.

There are recipes that are part stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, such as meatloaf and Sweet-Sour Spareribs. And others which are hale back to a time when it was mostly Mom who put the meal on the table. You’ll find recipes for bread pudding and pumpkin, for example, that scream of potluck days of the past.

TERRIE SHARES A FAVORITE

With so many recipes and food ideas included in her book, I did ask Terrie to offer one of her favorites. She mentioned a pork tenderloin dish transcribed from the book below with Terrie’s permission.

Maple Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary Cherry Sauce

Two 2-lb pork tenderloins, silver skin trimmed

1 ½ lbs. maple bacon

Olive oil

1 c red onion, julienned

¾ c dried cherries

2 t garlic, minced

2 t fresh rosemary, crushed

1 ½ c chicken stock

1 T red wine vinegar

1 T cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.

Spiral wrap pork tenderloins with bacon and secure with toothpicks.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. Add tenderloins to skillet and sear on all four sides, not cooking through. Transfer to sheet pan. Bake about 20 minutes until instant-read thermometer reads 145 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in same skillet heat 1 teaspoon olive oil on medium high heat. Add onion, dried cherries, garlic and rosemary. Cook 10 minutes or until onions are golden. Add chicken stock and scrape bottom to de-glaze. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.

Whisk together vinegar and cornstarch. Gradually add mixture to pan, whisking continuously until sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat, cover, and set aside until serving. If sauce cools, warm in pan, covered, over low heat. If it thickens, use whisk in a few tablespoons of chicken broth.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Terrie’s tidbit is that this recipe would work well with chicken breasts as well.

© Terrie Kohl

CONTACT TERRIE KOHL

You can contact Terrie on her Country Club Market FB page, and to order a copy of her cookbook or find out more about her catering and cooking class services, you can also email or call her.

Terrie has a website and a newsletter but says the best way to reach her is by phone 515.987.5957 or email Terrie (at) countryclubmkt.com.

If you love the comfort of delicious baked goods, Terrie is known for her baking services and world-famous scones. I’ve seen Terrie dozens of times on our local TV stations and radio outlets. She is a powerhouse of energy and delights in bringing joy to the table for her clients.

Postscript: When things seem out of control like it feels these days, acting where we have control is a comfort. Cleaning up your stuff is within your power! If you need help getting going on organizing your home check out Get Organized Gal’s courses for support.

I used her course to organize my office, and it is in pretty good shape these days. Success in one space has lead to cleaning channels to other rooms and photos as well. Check out he courses here. 

Sherry is the founder of Storied Gifts a personal publishing service of family and company histories. She and her team help clients curate and craft their stories into books. When not writing or interviewing, Sherry spends loads of time with her grandchildren and lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

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