Core Classes

Make everyone’s favorite cheese for yourself*.

We’ll start with a discussion on sourcing and selecting the cheese curd, then dive right into the hot water, literally. You’ll melt the curd in 170-degree salty water and learn how to retrieve it, pull it, stretch it, squeeze it and form it into the perfect ball. Once you’ve mastered that, you’ll make the delicate stuffed version, Burrata. The favorite variety of the favorite cheese.

Just to keep the hands-on Italian experience going, you’ll make a beautiful tomato basil salad, the perfect accompaniment.

*The 2016 US per capita consumption of mozzarella is reported at 11.27 pounds; cheddar came in second at 9.6 pounds.

Unlock your inner sushi chef…and don’t worry if you don’t like fish, it’s all about the rice and roll.

First learn how the rice is selected and prepared, from rinsing the raw grains to perfectly seasoning the fluffy cooked final product.

Get a little knife skills lesson so nobody hurts themselves. Then choose your ingredients to prepare from the variety of fish and vegetables the chef has selected for the day.

The chef will demonstrate techniques for four rolls-a traditional maki roll, an inside-out roll, a hand roll, and even a soy paper roll, then guide you through making your own.

Class will also include discussions on the sourcing quality fish, accompaniments such as wasabi, ginger, soy, unagi sauce and spicy mayo. Proper slicing and serving techniques of course, as well as use of specialty equipment like the bamboo matt. We’ll even cover the use of chopsticks. No forks, but fingers are ok!

Ravioli don’t make you fat, YOU make fat ravioli!

Learn to make traditional semolina dough from scratch with just a few ingredients, let it rest, then expertly roll it into sheets ready for your filling.

Make your cheesy filling with a blend of ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. You decide how much of each. Be creative. Add some fresh herbs or sundried tomatoes. Like spicy, ok. How about prosciutto? Roasted Garlic, yes please. You’re the ravioli maker. And no experience necessary.

Then learn how to fill and seal your delicate pillows. Finally cook them to perfection and toss with simple, yet delicious sage browned butter sauce.

Yeah, we all know thin crust NY pizza is the best, but we’ll make some Chicago deep dish too, because it’s still pizza.

You’ll make the dough from scratch. Only 5 basic ingredients-flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar, creates your canvas.

Just for fun we will make the cheese. You’ll select and cut your toppings. All sorts of fresh vegetables like vine-ripened tomatoes, sweet onions, portobellos, peppers, or broccoli. Proteins from bacon to grilled chicken, pepperoni of course. Add a few artisan touches like truffle oil, black olives, or roasted garlic. Finally tear up some fresh basil and/or oregano leaves and shave some Parmesan Reggiano as a finishing touch.

You’ll fashion a one of a kind masterpiece. Two actually, and it will definitely take more than 30 minutes to deliver, but that’s the beauty of it!

However you feel about the border wall, I think we can all agree, that empanadas, make your kitchen great again!

Learn how to make the flakey dough for this beloved street food. While it is resting, create your filling for the pocket. You’ll get to be imaginative with a variety of ingredients. Roll out the dough, put it all together, then crimp them closed. We’ll fry some. We’ll bake some. Then we’ll vote on which is best. You will also produce three different sauces to go with your creations. As spicy or not spicy as you prefer. Viva empanadas!!!

Thai the knot with these two dishes.

Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand, a lofty title for street food. Created in the 1930s by order of the prime minister in an effort to westernize Siam, now called Thailand. The literal translation of Pad Thai is fried Thai. There are clear influences from China but with a flavor profile all its own. Ok, enough with the history lesson, let’s chop chop some ginger, lemongrass, cilantro, shallots, mint, cilantro, etc…and start cooking!

We’ll fill out the class by making delicate rice paper summer rolls, which include some of the same ingredients. Cross utilization of prep, we chefs love that. And of course, we’ll share in that famous peanut dipping sauce.

You’ll go to culinary church for this lesson-The Cajun holy trinity is onions, peppers and celery. However we may add some other vegetable, so they all can Coexist.

This Louisiana “one-pot” dish has a deep history with influences from Spain, Africa and France. Hearty yet light, aromatically aggressive yet subtle, homestyle yet refined, classic yet timeless. Easy to make once you master the steps, yet hard to resist once it’s done. The perfect combination of rice, spice, veg, meat and shellfish. Almost no need for any accompaniments, maybe some cornbread. While your Jambalaya is cooking the chef will demonstrate a classic southern dessert-Bread Pudding, for everyone to enjoy after they eat. Or before. No rules on the Bayou.