Broening lands at Denver culinary school

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 19, 2005 by TERESA J. FARNEY Staff Food columnist

Be still my heart: A new culinary school has opened in Denver, and one of its instructors is John Broening, a top-notch chef with ties to Colorado Springs.

I learned about about the school when I was flipping through the December issue of Bon Appetit and saw, not one, but two full-page ads (backback) for mise en place, the name of the new school. Odd, I thought, that I hadn't heard of it, but after a little research, I discovered it was a work in progress and wouldn't open until this month.

I got a little more insight into the project during a recent call from Broening, former chef at the exquisite -- but now defunct -- Colorado Springs restaurant Primitivo. Broening wanted to tell me that Brasserie Rouge, the Denver restaurant he's been cooking for, is going to close, and he will offer some cooking classes at the new school while he looks for another job.

Broening hooked me up with Paula Lueske, one of the school's owners. She had worked in the software industry for 20 years and decided she wanted to do something more fun: cook. So she went to Johnson and Wales University in Denver to complete the culinary arts program. Her dream was to start a cooking school for the home cook, but not just any school.

"There are several culinary schools aimed at professional cooking," she said. "We wanted to have a place that would be strictly for the hobby cook, yet high enough level to reach the more sophisticated home cooks. We think we will do that with our lineup of instructor chefs."

Mise en place (pronounced MEEZ ahn plas, a French term meaning "everything in its place") is in The Ice House at 1801 Wynkoop St. Brasserie Rouge, where Broening worked, was at the opposite side of The Ice House, which is how Lueske and Broening met. Lueske enjoyed the food at Brasserie Rouge and arranged for Broening to be one of her visiting chef instructors.

If you were lucky enough to attend one of the cooking classes Broening taught while he was at Primitivo, you will recall his passion for food, especially anything that had been grown locally. You'll also remember what a good instructor he was and the load of culinary information you came home with.

So if you're up for a drive to Denver, try to catch one of his classes. He has seven lined up, including one that sounds especially tempting: "Chocolate Gone Wild! Vertical & Horizon- tal Tasting & Dinner!" on Feb. 5. It's being held in conjunction with The American Institute of Wine and Food. Initially it was set up as one session, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., but it was filling so quickly that a second session was added for noon the same day.

Participants will taste delectable chocolates, learn about the history of chocolate and how it's made (from bean to bar), what its health benefits are, what distinguishes great chocolate from average chocolate and how to properly taste it (like one tastes wine).

Broening also will prepare some entrees that include chocolate, as well as a dessert. Wines will be served that complement the chocolate, such as Port, Amarone and Malbec.

Cost is $65 for AIWF members, $75 for nonmembers. To register, call AIWF at 1-303-333-2378.

For more about mise en place classes and its lineup of chef instructors, go to www.misenplaceschool.com.

Teresa J. Farney's column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at 636- 0271.