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Macey’s offers helpful class for your garden zucchini explosion

September 22nd, 2012 Posted in Opinion

Story & photo by Dani Hayes

PROVIDENCE – The smell of freshly baked chocolate zucchini bread wafted through Macey’s grocery store Wednesday night, enhancing customers’ mundane shopping experience. The aroma came from the store’s Little Theater, where several times a week cooking classes are offered. Classes are free and taught by local residents who want to share favorite recipes.

“This is my first time teaching,” said Sarah Wall, the evening’s teacher. “I told Dawna [the program’s coordinator] that I would be more than willing to teach a class.” Wall is an employee at Macey’s and a culinary student at Bridgerland Applied Technology College. On Wednesday she chose to demonstrate how to bake chocolate zucchini bread from scratch.

“My favorite thing to do is to bake,” Wall said, “especially from scratch. It is so much better. If I were ever to own my own restaurant or bakery I would want things made from scratch.”

Three kinds of zucchini bread samples were offered to the audience. Many participants praised the moist bread and the taste of the chocolate.

The cooking classes include casserole recipes, appetizers and various ethnic foods like Indian curry. They’ve also held special segments on tailgating and how to host a Hawaiian luau.

Dawna Webb, the Little Theater coordinator, said management at Macey’s started the program based on cooking shows in which the audience is able to participate and taste the food. “We wanted to put it at a personal level where you could actually talk with the person teaching and ask anything you want,” she said.

Webb said because so many people are turning to the Internet, there is a lack of personal connection in the community. “This is why we’ve put together the program,” she said, “to help bring the community together – that’s pretty much the goal.”

Webb admires the program’s cooking variety and would like to continue bringing new ideas to the program.

“I want to get to a point where we are doing every kind of cooking style out there and not just focusing on the things you’ve heard of,” Webb said. “I want to have people learn how to do weird, unusual recipes.”

Webb, being new to the coordinating position, said she has a lot of ideas to expand the program. She wants to incorporate classes other than cooking. In the past they have had classes on floral arranging and photography.

“We’re trying to broaden the program,” Webb said, “because we have realized that there are a lot of things that people would love to come and learn.”

She also wants to see continuously full classes of 40-50 people. On Wednesday night only about 20 attended. Even with low numbers, Webb said there are regulars who come to the program every week.

“We have a group of five ladies who I don’t think knew each other before the class,” Webb said. “But by coming to these classes for the past five years they have become best friends. They come to every class, sit in the front row and chat back and forth. It’s great.”

People come back for many reasons. For one regular attendee, Relda Sandgran of Logan, it is a place to get new ideas. “I love to learn new ideas for cooking,” she said, “plus it’s a fun night out.”

“I’ve always appreciated the variety of recipes the teachers offer,” said Melinda Painter, a regular from Hyrum. “The recipes are family used, family budgeted and are wonderful ideas for holidays or picnics. It’s just a lot of enjoyment learning from each other and sharing ideas.”

The Little Theater Program has new classes every week. Its current schedule can be found on its Facebook page.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups grated zucchini
2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

Topping
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 loaf pans and set aside. Mix topping ingredients.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture to the batter and stir until combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Divide the batter between the pans and sprinkle the topping over each one. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes and check the bread with a toothpick or knife at the 45-minute mark.

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Zucchini Bread

2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups grated zucchini

Topping
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans; set aside.

Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt and baking soda in a bowl and whisk to combine. Beat eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla for about 30 seconds. Add sour cream and beat until combined. Mix in zucchini.

Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Divide the batter between 2 pans. Sprinkle topping evenly over tops. Bake 50-60 minutes.

Tags: bread, chocolate, cooking classes, Dawna Webb, Macey's Little Theater, Providence, Sarah Wall, zucchini