Weekend Kitchen

Weekend Kitchen Weekend Kitchen is a small ecclectic kitchen shop in the quaint village of Essex CT. Please visit o

Weekend Kitchen is a small eclectic kitchen shop and cooking school in Essex CT. Also the home of Green Grape Press bespoke letterpress printing.

The food was absolutely the stars of the day! We made Dakos- Greeces answer to bruschetta. Local tomatoes 🍅 grated int...
09/03/2026

The food was absolutely the stars of the day! We made Dakos- Greeces answer to bruschetta. Local tomatoes 🍅 grated into barley rusks (my new favorite obsession- fiber and b-glucans). They were the surprise hit of the day! Iranian black-eyed pea stew (aka longevity stew)- amazing… toss those beans into everything! Stufico (not pictured but Greece’s much tastier version of ratatouille) was perfection but took longer than I thought to cook- the beauty of a cooking class with lots of hands, pans and few stove burners, the Cretan cod was so simple and foolproof- perfect for a dinner party. The Prasorizo, a Greek rissoto type dish, with leeks and lemon, was addictive. I think this was my favorite menu ever- ate it 3 days in a row! No wonder they live so long in Greece- it’s to look forward to the next serving! We finished each dish with a generous pour of EVOO… oh, other deliciousness, were the Horta- the boiled greens, maroulosalata, and Greek yogurt with honey, fruit and walnuts. All nutrition packed!

This one has to be a 2 parter- one for the experience and the second for the food. Last Sunday I teamed up with 2 friend...
09/03/2026

This one has to be a 2 parter- one for the experience and the second for the food. Last Sunday I teamed up with 2 friends I met last year- you know when you have something in common with people it just clicks! Carolann is a writer and works for the best olive oil company and I met Artemis Dr Artemis Morris at an EVOO symposium at Yale last year. She’s a fabulous naturopathic physician and speaker. Specializes in the Mediterranean diet. I though what a great team to do a clsss with as part of my fledgling Basil Health spinoff! Then we had Piro’s founder Marie Charlotte zoom in and tell us all about the health benefits and olives that go into making a high polyphenol EVOO. It was awesome! Everyone got a small bottle of Piro to take home and try! Artemis then went deep into the Mediterranean diet- why it’s considered the number one diet for health and longevity. Then I instructed a cooking class with the best recipes from Ikaria and Crete tying in some recipe history and nutritional tidbits. It was a lot of fun and the food was absolutely delicious and healthy! More about the food next! But, big thanks to everyone who joined us and my fabulous women who helped make the day informative, fun and tasty! 🇬🇷🥰

I absolutely love private cooking classes… when a group of friends get together to cook, talk, laugh, learn new things i...
08/23/2026

I absolutely love private cooking classes… when a group of friends get together to cook, talk, laugh, learn new things it opens up a whole new level of friendship. Last night we produced a restaurant quality (or beyond) classically french meal. From southern France a lentil and chickpea salad and rustic galette to haricot vert almanine, flounder en papillote with a beurre blanc sauce and finally, grilled cote de beef with fine herb butter. Chef Aerin Zavory Chef Aerin Zavory did a great job guiding the students through the recipes and interjecting her quiet humor into the evening. Even though Aerin focused on Italian foods, her classical French training and fine dining experience at Michelin and Beard restaurants comes through. Paella Party with chef Dani and a Fall Harvest class with chef Jeanine are on tap in September- find signups on our website!

Paella Party!Saturday, September 12 | 6:30–10:00 PM | Cost $95Chef Dani RocheThere's a reason our Paella Party has becom...
08/21/2026

Paella Party!
Saturday, September 12 | 6:30–10:00 PM | Cost $95
Chef Dani Roche

There's a reason our Paella Party has become one of Weekend Kitchen's most anticipated events of the year!

We have a handful of spots left for this fun evening! Join Chef Dani Roche under the Weekend Kitchen tent for an evening filled with incredible food, laughter, and the aromas of one of Spain's most iconic dishes. Paella is far more than a recipe—it's a celebration. Traditionally cooked outdoors and shared with family and friends, it's a meal that brings everyone together around the pan.

As the evening unfolds, you'll watch Chef Dani demonstrate the techniques that transform simple ingredients into something truly spectacular. Learn how to build layers of flavor beginning with a deeply savory broth, choose the perfect rice, and carefully add each ingredient at just the right moment. The magic of paella is all about patience—allowing the rice to absorb every bit of flavor without stirring, creating the coveted socarrat: the crisp, caramelized layer of rice at the bottom of the pan that paella lovers consider the ultimate prize.

While the paella slowly cooks over the flame, we'll enjoy homemade pico de gallo with fresh tortilla chips, great conversation, and plenty of stories from Chef Dani. Then, we'll gather around the pan to enjoy generous servings of perfectly cooked paella, finishing the evening with Dani's famous homemade flan.

Bring your friends, your appetite, and your favorite take-home container—there are always delicious leftovers. And, as Dani likes to remind everyone…

"Don't forget your stretchy pants!"

Sign up here- https://www.weekendkitchenct.com/collections/frontpage/products/6-24-paella-party-with-chef-dani

You know when you are away from a place you love for a while and you return to it- you fall in love all over again? The...
08/17/2026

You know when you are away from a place you love for a while and you return to it- you fall in love all over again? The memories all flood back in one hard hitting blow. I’ve been going to nantucket since I was in high school… first as a vacation, then lived a summer between my masters and PhD… then to visit Dave while we dated. I went two weekends a month from UConn to the island for 7 years! In January and February the boat often has to crunch through ice to get to the dock. One summer I spent working at the scallop farm as a volunteer (2nd photo of building at brand point). Helping maintain the tiny scallops they hoped to farm (I think oyster farming is much easier). There’s nothing happier than a baby scallop and all its little blue eyes. Now, I go to visit my cousins and check our little cottage we bought many years ago. It’s was a great visit! Hanging out in Madaket with my cousins- far from the crowds in town. Taking the bus to town was awesome- so convenient! Going to the beaches, that are unlike any other on the planet… surf on the ocean side and calm and quiet on the harbor side- I had a wonderful swim (or float) at Mr Rogers beach (I am afraid of the waves). I learned the “old lady lay back” to start the swim (I think I qualify now-lol). I love walking through town admiring the flower boxes that are spectacular- one better than the next. The salt air and cool nights make them flourish! I can put all the same plants into my antique urns and never do they come close to flourishing. As much as things change… they also stay the same. The sky, the light, the smell of the ocean- I get why nantucket has been over run with “influencers”… I don’t have to like it, but I know there are still quiet peaceful sandy roads I can run far from the bustle of town… and think someday I’ll spend more time there!

Last night we learned all about plant pigments including my favorite carotenoids (my PhD thesis topic). These potent an...
08/17/2026

Last night we learned all about plant pigments including my favorite carotenoids (my PhD thesis topic). These potent antioxidants are the colorful reds (lycopene-tomatoes and beets), oranges (beta carotene- carrots), yellows (lutein and zeaxanthin-corn) and blue anthocyanins (blueberries and red cabbage). We paired all the colors with homemade pita bread and some Mediterranean grilled chicken- it was all super yummy! The weather was perfect to sit out under the tent! More classes being posted this week!

It’s been a minute since I was on Nantucket- I’ve been going to the island since I was a kid (we are talking the 1970’s)...
08/07/2026

It’s been a minute since I was on Nantucket- I’ve been going to the island since I was a kid (we are talking the 1970’s). Met my husband there (1993) … got married there (1999)… lots of great memories with family and friends. I see all the posts about the “influencers” and what they are doing to a once quaint and quiet oasis in the sea. It will be interesting to see first hand… meanwhile I will enjoy a lovely ferry ride from New Bedford. A little breezy on deck but at least im outside and not in the lab!

What a fantastic afternoon of cooking together and learning about Mediterranean cooking with Jeremy Rock Smith. Simple ...
08/01/2026

What a fantastic afternoon of cooking together and learning about Mediterranean cooking with Jeremy Rock Smith. Simple ingredients cooked intentionally produces the best flavors. Focus on the freshest ingredients…veggies and legumes. Add animal proteins as a side dish… lots and lots of olive oil! Thanks Jeremy for another crazy fun class!

I love these solar lights! We’ve sold them in the shop for years… and I’ve never thought to mention them. But they add ...
07/16/2026

I love these solar lights! We’ve sold them in the shop for years… and I’ve never thought to mention them. But they add so much wonderful ambiance to the yard. At night they come to life! The sun 🌞 was so jealous it decided to be an orb too- lol!

I’m doing my second ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet this week. It’s a kit format with 5 days of carefully researched and ...
07/14/2026

I’m doing my second ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet this week. It’s a kit format with 5 days of carefully researched and formulated meals to keep your body in a fasting state while having small amouns of food. Day 1 (today) has about 1100 calories. As the week goes on the calories decline. Tomorrow my body will enter ketosis afted using up all my stored glucose today. Day 1 wasn’t so bad… a little hungry but doable.

The first time I did the fast,I honestly had one goal: to see if it would help my hand eczema. After struggling with painful, inflamed, itchy hands for nearly a year, I finished the five days… and my eczema cleared. I couldn’t believe it. That doesn’t mean it will work for everyone, but it was enough for me to want to do it again.

So what is a fasting mimicking diet?

Think of it as putting your body into “maintenance mode.” When nutrients are plentiful, your cells are busy growing, dividing, and building. During a fasting mimicking diet, the body senses that resources are limited and temporarily shifts priorities. Instead of focusing on growth, it conserves energy, increases cellular quality control, and breaks down old or damaged proteins and cell components so they can be recycled into new ones later. This is called autophagy.

When you begin eating normally again, the body switches back into growth mode. That transition—from maintenance and recycling back to rebuilding—is thought to be one reason fasting mimicking diets are being studied for healthy aging, metabolic health, immune function, and reducing chronic inflammation.

As someone with a background in nutritional biochemistry and immunology, I find the science fascinating. As someone who lived with miserable hand eczema for nearly a year, I’m equally interested in what I experienced personally.

I’ll share how this round goes over the next few days!

Address

16 Main Street
Essex, CT
06426

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 5pm
Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+18607671010

Website

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