Participation Class

Sign-up early!  Some students learn best by doing. Our hands-on classes have a limited size to give you optimum time with your chef/instructor.  Starting times, items to bring, and the costs are listed with each class.  Aprons recommended for all classes.

Wed. Apr. 23: ESSENTIAL KNIFE SKILLS-CHICKEN

Catherine St. John, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

Knowing how to cut up a whole chicken gives you fresher poultry and bones for stock for less money than those unsavory packaged birds floating in their juices. Savvy cooks make the most of fresh local chicken saving money and time. We utilize every part of the bird five ways so you can learn to make stock and turn it into rich Classic Chicken Stock for French Onion Soup; Boned and Stuffed Chicken Legs with Dried Fruit Compote; Chicken Sauté with Artichokes & Tomatoes in a White Wine Sauce. BRING: chef’s knife, boning knife and a paring knife.

Wed. Mar. 12 or Wed. May 28: ESSENTIAL KNIFE SKILLS-VEGETABLES

Catherine St. John, 6:30-9:30pm, $60

Nothing separates the pros from the rookies like good knife skills. Find out how to buy, sharpen, hold, and use the most important tool in your kitchen arsenal. Learn to chop and dice with the best of them while Catherine cooks up your freshly cut veggies into Pasta Primavera with Julienned Vegetables; Kung Pao Chicken; Roasted Vegetable Pizza with Goat Cheese; and more! BRING: chef’s knife and a paring knife.

Thurs. Jan. 24: FONDUE PARTY

Jennifer Wolfe Webb, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

Enjoy a night out with friends! Basil Pesto Fondue with Italian Cheeses; Brie, Roquefort, and Wild Mushroom Fondue; Cheddar Fondue with Beer and Mustard; Toblerone Dark Chocolate, Honey, and Almond Fondue; Praline Pecan Fondue.

Thurs. Feb. 7: CAKE DECORATING

Nita Moczadlo, 11:00am-2:00pm, $65

Learn the skills you will need to decorate a cake like a professional. Beginning with the basics, you will learn how to bake, torte, fill, and apply icing. Receive proven recipes and learn basic techniques for handling the tools of the trade. A decorating kit with pastry bag and tips are included. BRING: Ask at registration for supply list.

Thurs. Feb. 7: CHINESE NEW YEAR DIM SUM PARTY

Catherine St. John, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

Chinese New Year is the most glorious and colorful Chinese festival on the lunar calendar. If you can’t fly off to Hong Kong to enjoy the timeless traditions and exciting attractions join us for an enticing Cantonese style celebration. Learn the basics of making your own Dim Sum for a party no one will soon forget. Steamed Plum Chicken Buns; Mini Meat Balls in a Peanut Coconut Sauce; Shrimp Shui Mai; Pork Pot Stickers with Soy Dipping Sauce; Fresh Basil Spring Rolls with Chicken & Shrimp and a Spicy Peanut Sauce.

Sat. Feb. 9: PASTA WORKSHOP

Mary Jones, 10:30am-1:30pm, $65

There is no comparison between store-bought and homemade when it comes to pasta. Learn how to make fresh pasta by hand and machine. We’ll turn our creation into Homemade Linguini with Broccoli Florettes and Traditional Alfredo Sauce; Homemade Angel Hair Pasta with Vodka, Tomato and Onion Sauce. BRING: Take home container for pasta.

Sat. Apr. 19: FRENCH BREAD WORKSHOP

Kathy Lehr, 11:00am-2:30pm, $60

This class will give you a formula to create any bread you desire! Follow Kathy through the basic chemistry of what happens when you combine yeast, flour, water, and salt. Once these are mastered, you should be producing beautiful and tasty breads!! We will be working with various mixing and shaping techniques as well as baking methods for the perfect French Bread. You also will learn about various grains and how they react to yeast. There are many tips for the busy, working person and how to eliminate many of your fears and misconceptions. BRING: flexible bench scraper and an instant-read thermometer.

Mon. Feb. 25: LE CREPERIE I - The Basics

Cynthia Holub, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

You’ll be flipping crepes in no time as you master the art of crepe making in this introductory course. This tasty, yet super simple menu will have you serving up crepes anytime. Bring an apron and order your 8-inch nonstick crepe pan and spatula when registering. Basic Savory Crepes; Fruity Goat Cheese Triangles; Black Forest Ham and Roasted Vegetable Crepes; Chocolate-Hazelnut Half-Moon crepes with Crème Chantilly.

Thurs. Feb. 28: TOM JOHNSON’S ORGAN RECITAL

Tom Johnson, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

Organ meats have taken an extremely bad rap in America, because of a lack of knowledge of simple advance preparation, cooking techniques, and timing. Tom will guide you through an illuminating taste of these culinary delights which will change your perspective, allay your prejudices, and delight your taste buds. Mousse-Pâté of Duck Livers laced with Grand Marnier; savoury Venetian-style Calves Liver sautéed with White Wine, Lemon Zest, and Caramelized Onion; the classic Parisian Bistro Salad of Calves Brains and Field Greens with Brown Butter Vinaigrette; and a sumptuous Puff Pastry Feuilletée filled with Veal Sweetbreads and Fresh Mushrooms braised in Cream and Cognac, atop Fresh Asparagus Spears.

Sat. Mar. 1: STUFFED PASTA WORKSHOP

Mary Jones, 10:30am-1:30pm, $65

Once we cover the technique of basic pasta making, the options are endless. Use your imagination to sauce, stuff, and fill your way to a fantastic meal. Handmade Stuffed Ravioli with Mushroom Duxelle in a Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce; Roasted Vegetable Lasagna with a Velvety Béchamel Sauce. BRING: Take home container for pasta.

Wed. Mar. 5: GOURMET PIZZA AND CRAFT BEER

Jennifer Wolfe Webb, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

Taught with Fred Karm from Hoppin’ Frog Brewery; each pizza will be paired with a Hoppin’ Frog beer. Caesar Salad with Bacon; Cracker Crust Pizza Bianca and Wild Frog Wheat; Thai Chicken Pizza and Mean Manalishi Double I.P.A.; Deep Dish Sweet and Spicy Sausage and Pepper Pizza and Gulden Fraug Belgian Ale; Wild Mushroom, Blue Cheese, and Roasted Garlic Pizza and Bodacious Black and Tan; Dark Chocolate and B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout Brownies.

Sat. Mar. 15: SIMPLY DELICIOUS BRUNCH

Jennifer Wolfe Webb, 11:00am-2:00pm, $65

Entertain with ease. Devilled Eggs in Curry Sauce; Savory Ham and Mushroom Bread Pudding; Sausage, Pepper and Potato Frittata with Green Salad; Ginger-Glazed Fresh Fruit; Cinnamon Sugared Bacon; Morning Glory Muffins; Macadamia Nut Coffee Cake.

Mon. Apr. 7: TOFU TAKES THE STAGE

Anne Haynam, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

The health benefits of soy have both vegetarians and meat-eaters looking for ways to add tofu into their diet. This class will introduce students to using regular and silken tofu forms throughout a four-course meal in addition to the basics of tofu smoothies. Beer Battered Coconut Tofu; Mixed Greens with Creamy Basil, Lemon & Tomato Tofu Dressing; Tofu Country Captain Casserole; Chocolate Peanut Butter Tofu Cupcakes with Tofu Chocolate Frosting; Almond Joy Tofu Smoothie.

Sat. Apr 12: BAGELS, BIALYS AND BUNS

Kathy Lehr, 11:00am-2:30pm, $60

The bagel will show how breads can be made chewy by a water bath and baking. We will also dive into making soft pretzels. The bialy will become a weekly treat after you experience this class. Lastly you will learn how to make a great hamburger (or any other type of) bun using potatoes!

Sat. May 3: LE CREPERIE II - The Brunch

Cynthia Holub, 10:00am-1:00pm, $65

Now that you’ve mastered crepe-making, discover unique crepe presentations and batters that are sure to impress the guests at your next brunch. Baked Eggs in Savory Crepe Brunch Cups; Mesclun Salad in Herbed Crepe Baskets with Fruit and Cheese; Chicken Mushroom Torte laced with Mornay Sauce; and Hungarian Soda Water Crepe with Apricot Preserves. Bring an apron and order your 8-inch nonstick crepe pan and spatula when registering.

Thurs. May 15: MOZZARELLA WORKSHOP

Barbara Snow, 6:30-9:30pm, $65

Dreaming of salads and pizza with fresh Mozzarella? Learn to make fresh mozzarella at home! Using curd from Gallucci's Italian Market in Cleveland, we will be making Prosciutto and Roasted Red Pepper Mozzarella Roulade, Marinated Mozzarella bites; Baked Pasta with Mozzarella and Radicchio; Mozzarella-stuffed Turkey Cutlets; Mozzarella Bruschetta with Grilled Peppers and Garlic. BRING: a new pair of cotton-lined rubber gloves and a container to take home the cheese you will create!

Sun. May 4: SUSHI WORKSHOP

Catherine St. John, 1:00pm-4:00pm, $65

Love sushi but unsure of how to attempt it on your own? Learn the basics of preparing outstanding sushi at home. Impress friends with your knowledge of the history of sushi as well as your skill in creating it. California Roll (inside out roll); Vegetable Roll; Spicy Tuna Roll; Crab Roll with Wasabi Mayo; Sesame Salmon Roll. BRING: Take-home container.

Wed. May 7: BEEF TENDERLOIN WORKSHOP

Catherine St. John, 6:30-9:30pm, $75

Tenderloin is on sale again, but you’re not sure what to do with it. Bring a tenderloin with you to class and we will show you how to clean, trim and cut the tenderloin into serving pieces for 4 different recipes. We’ll wrap your tenderloin to take home and prepare recipes from our tenderloin in class. Black Bean Chili with Beef Tenderloin Trim; Grilled Korean Beef Kabobs; Seared Tenderloin Steaks with Green Peppercorn Sauce; Roasted Tenderloin Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pesto. BRING: 1 untrimmed Beef Tenderloin in a small cooler.

Sat. May 10: PHYLLO WORKSHOP

Catherine St. John, 11:00am-2:00pm, $65

Learn the tricks to make working with this centuries old pastry dough easy. Hot Apple and Fontina Cheese Turnovers; Deep Dish Sausage and Olive Pizza with Phyllo and Vegetable Pot Pies; Honey Walnut Baklava Rolls. Fresh Phyllo compliments of Athens Foods.

Wed. May 21, 6:00-9:30 or Thurs. May 22, 11:00-2:30: SEAFOOD WORKSHOP

Catherine St. John, $65 (Meet at Heinen’s)

Back by popular demand! Not confident about cooking seafood? Let us change you mind. This class begins at the local Heinen’s seafood counter. We will discuss how to buy, store, and select the best cooking method for each type of seafood. Crab Cakes with Roasted Tomato Aioli; Sear Roasted Salmon with Mango Basil Sauce, Steamed Mussels in a Saffron Garlic Broth with Garlic Toasts; Grilled Shrimp Salad with Feta Cheese and Oranges, Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs) Crusted Tilapia with Herbal Tartar Sauce and Oven Fries.

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