Ladies’ Night Out at Whole Foods

To continue with my summer of spontaneity, my cousin, Karen, asked me if I’d like to go to Whole Foods for their Friday night Napa Valley lifestyle center cooking school. Since my recipe book consists of carryout menus in my neighborhood, I thought this might be a very rewarding experience.

The beautifully printed menu included appetizers of: smoked salmon canapés and prosciutto-wrapped purple asparagus, the main entrees were: basil goat cheese ravioli with red pepper pesto and chardonnay braised halibut with garlic-roasted fennel. Finally, the dessert for this gourmet delight was peach vanilla sorbet with strawberry coulis.

And you thought a grocery store would only have bread and soft drinks! Plus, I forgot to mention that with each delectable category, there were wines that complemented the dishes such as: Echelon Pinot Grigio with the appetizers, Hendry Chardonnay and Frog’s Leap Zinfandel with the main courses, and Essensia Orange Blossom Muscat for the dessert.

Is your mouth drooling in overtime? It should be, since I had no idea that Whole Foods could produce such fine and fancy fare. I most certainly intend to sign up for more classes. Perhaps I may even try some of these recipes, since I enjoyed the wines and would need some food to accompany them. So if you live by a Whole Foods, make sure to ask when their Ladies’ Night Out is held. It sure beats a Lean Cuisine in front of the tv watching reruns of “Desperate Housewives”!