I love attending cooking demos. They’re fun, educational, and delicious.

The most recent one I went to was with my buddy Shauna. It was put on by The London Chef, Dan Hayes, and was called La Dolce Vita - Amalfi Coast.

The demo was put on in the Monterey Community Centre. Just based on location, it was probably the worst demo I’ve been to: it was tiny, crowded, and hard to get a good view. However, the delicious food we ate more than compensated for it. I was thinking about it, and it was probably the tastiest, most plentiful food I’ve had at a cooking demo.

If you’re interested in the ingredients list for any of these dishes, let me know. Instructions and proportions weren’t provided. I think the point was that you should just taste everything as you go along and adjust proportions to get things just the way you like them.

The first course: Fried Mozzarella Di Buffala

Second (this one was amazing): Pan Roasted Asparagus Bruchetta with Pancetta and Salsa Verde. You can’t see the Salsa Verde, it was under the ham, but dayum. So tasty! I will definitely be making this.

Third: Spaghetti with Prawns and Tomato (by this point I was getting pretty full)

Still not done! Next was Fried squid and arugula salad with lemon and caper dressing. This was another favorite of mine. Even though I was full, I practically inhaled this one.

Dan also gave us a helpful squid cleaning lesson. I used to do this with my dad when I was a kid, but it was a good refresher.

And lastly, pan-roasted ling cod with a fennel salad.