Cook

SOLD OUT - but we will be offering it again on August 8th.

A hands-on cooking class culminating in dinner served with wine.

A hands-on cooking class culminating in dinner served with wine.

Join Program Director, Michelle McKenzie, as she explores some of summer's most exciting produce. These recipes are delicious on their own, and are the perfect sides for summer's grilled mains and picnic potlucks.

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Charred Padrons, Goat Cheese, Purslane
Melon, Cucumber + Avocado Salad
Sprouted Chickpea Croquettes, Yogurt, Tahini, Coriander
Potato Salad, Green Garlic, Fresh Horseradish
Polenta, Wild Mushrooms, Nori Butter, Flowering Chive

A hands-on cooking class culminating in dinner served with wine.

Viola’s wildly popular class on pasta for the holiday table returns in 2014 with new ideas to stir your inner Italian cook. This menu is sure to wow your family and friends!

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Spaghetti alla spoletina
spaghetti in black truffles and anchovy sauce

Tortelli di magro
spinach and chard tortelli for Christmas Eve

Timballo di pasta alla Napoletana
Neapolitan style pasta pie

A hands-on cooking class culminating in dinner served with wine.

In a country where the typical cocktail party is called for 7pm, being at least an hour late is a necessary condition for socializing and invitations have a beginning but never an end time, finger food often takes the place of dinner, in imaginative ways that draw from the tradition and trends of the country’s cooking scene . Take a trip with Viola through the hors d’oeuvre of Italy, from the simple to the elaborate, and learn how to entertain as artfully and effortlessly as the Italians do.

A hands-on cooking class. Savory snacks will be served; class will end with tarts and tea.

To Viola, a tart is a blank canvas to fill with the culinary imagination that runs through her veins. The fragrance of a crostata baking conjures her mother’s voice, and she is excited to share the secrets she learned from years of smelling, watching and eating Italy’s most beloved dessert.

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Pasta frolla a prova di cuoco (fool proof pastry crust)

Pasta frolla al cioccolato (chocolate pastry crust)

A hands-on cooking class culminating in dinner served with wine.

Gnocchi, the word for dumplings, are ubiquitous in Italian cuisine: some types are linked to their territory of origin, others showcase the season, while others yet humbly serve as a vehicle to recycle bits of this and bites of that leftover from previous meals. In this 4 hour primer, Viola will lead the class on exploration of gnocchi made from semolina (a product very close to her heart) and day-old bread.

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Gnocchi alla romana 
classic semolina gnocchi

A hands-on cooking class, culminating in dinner served with wine.

Gnocchi, the word for dumplings, are ubiquitous in Italian cuisine: some types are linked to their territory of origin, others showcase the season, while others yet humbly serve as a vehicle to recycle bits of this and bites of that leftover from previous meals. In this 4 hour primer, Viola lead the class through an exploration of the classic potato gnocchi as well as specialty gnocchi, featuring regional cheese.

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This class is a mix of demonstration and hands-on; it culminates in dinner served with wine.

Our resident Italian instructor Viola Buitoni is passionate about her larder and is excited to share how a dedicated Italian home cook stocks his/her pantry year-round and through the seasons. The year-round pantry is what defines Viola’s identity, her foundation wherever in the world she’s cooking. Her seasonal larder, dictated by the whims of nature, is how she plants her roots. In this class, we will make three dishes made with her favorite fall ingredients!

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A hands-on cooking class culminating in dinner served with wine.

In the Italian kitchen, salumi are not just for sandwiches or antipasto, they hold their own as an ingredient which is rarely seen, but can turn any dish from delicious to unforgettable. Learn with Viola Buitoni how to put local artisanal cured meats to best use in your Italian home cooking in dishes that are customizable to the bounty of the season and the shelves of your larder.

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