in cream, a tomato and basil tart, lobster thermidor and focaccia to be used for the following morning’s breakfast. Basehore and Lughes were among a group of cooking novices plus a student with cordon bleu training and husband-and-wife regulars on their way back home to Boston. The weekend had a simple and delicious routine – when they weren’t cooking, they were eating, starting with dinner Friday night followed by breakfast Saturday morning and a full day of cooking. That night, students would eat the fruits of their labor and finish up with breakfast Sunday morning. But on Saturday afternoon, it was all about the cooking. Patty
has the ability to make the most complicated recipe seem simple. An ice cream scoop is the trick to coring poached pears. Lobster tails are made easy with a pair of common kitchen shears. And taste tests are welcome. Students dipped spoons into amaretto cream just whipped up for the night’s dessert. “Oh that is good,” Basehore said with a groan.
Top | It’s not all work at cooking school, where the wine flows and samples abound. Opposite left | Poached pears in cream is just one of the yummy creations you could learn to prepare or simply savor at supper. Opposite top | Abingdon Manor may be off the beaten path, but it’s still a quick drive off Interstate 95. Opposite bottom | Abby, Abingdon’s unofficial mascot, may greet your arrival.
32 | Food & Wine • 2010
