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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Adventures in Cooking Class

I love to cook, and after taking a macaron class last spring, I learned that cooking classes through a local community education program are a fun way to learn new techniques,  eat well, and take home delicious leftovers. 


This fall, I decided to take some cooking classes with my friend, Chef Sherry B.  
What a treat! 


Over the course of three nights, I took classes in making Gifts from the KitchenA Passion for Pumpkinand Everything but the Turkey. 

My series began with Gifts from the Kitchen. In this class, we made sweet treats, including chocolate truffles...


peanut brittle...


and salted caramel sauce. 


Then, in A Passion for Pumpkin, we made pumpkin fudge (OMG!), pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce, pumpkin cookies, and this pumpkin risotto, with bacon and sage. 


The last class in the series was Everything but the Turkey. In this class dedicated to Thanksgiving sides, we made fresh cranberry relish...


pumpkin biscuits...



stuffing with sausage and sage...


and mashed potatoes with gravy. According the Chef Sherry, the secret to mashed potatoes is a ricer.  My mom uses an electric hand mixer to whip mashed potatoes; I use a hand mixer and sometimes, the electric mixer. Both work well for me. 

In every class, I learned new techniques, like differentiating between the ball states in candy making, how to make the perfect risotto, and the secret to fail-proof biscuits. It's an opportunity to expand my own recipe repertoire, and a fun opportunity to cook with friends. 

There are cooking classes offered all over the globe. You can find classes through international programs and tour groups, through adult continuing education programs, at independent cookware stores, and at larger chain stores, like Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma. From specialty cuisines to knife skills, there is something for everyone. 

Have you ever taken a cooking class? Do tell. 


12 comments:

  1. I think for so long I felt I should take a cooking class. It's only the past few months I've come to realization I want to :-)

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  2. Leanne@crestingthehillNovember 18, 2015 at 8:31 AM

    I've never been to a cooking class - I'm too scared that I'll like it and end up baking all kinds of goodies that will fatten me up too much! You classes sounded really useful though.

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  3. Those biscuits look amazing!

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  4. So much fun, and it all looks delicious!

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  5. Hi Kelly, your cooking class looks like so much fun and I love the gifting ideas, peanut brittle and salted caramel sauce! The dishes look delicious!

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  6. Hi Peggy. It was a lot of fun. Chef Sherry is great! I look forward to more in 2016.

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  7. It was a lot of fun, Christine. I look forward to more in 2016.

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  8. They were so good, Sharon. And surprisingly easy. Pumpkin everything is good at this time of the year.

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  9. They have all kinds of cooking classes, Leanne. I would love to take one in plant-based cooking, or maybe gluten free cooking. So many options.

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  10. It's a lot of fun, Carla. And they have classes to suit every taste. Sounds like 2016 will be a delicious year for us both. :-)

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  11. I took a cake decorating class at the local community college and really liked it. The risotto looks so tasty!

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  12. I love cooking classes! I've taken a few in Paris. The gifting idea is great!

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