Cooking Class Schedule
Some upcoming classes, email or call me for details...and please know that my classes can be customized or completely reinvented at your whim and fancy ~ just say the word! Now, let the cooking begin!
Cooking in Venice!
Ahh, Venice ~ also known as the ‘city of water’; for me it was a city of new food discovery. Walking the streets and visiting the open-air markets is a journey through ‘L'Arte di Vevere’ (the art of living) Venetian-style.
Join me as I share my cooking adventures in Venice, Italy. Together we will cook the foods that have made Venice famous. We’ll create our own Bottega (artist’s workshop) and enjoy rustic and refined Italian cuisine, Venetian-style.
We can begin our journey to discover Venetian food with cicchetti (say ‘chee-KET-tee’) which are little snacks that are served at many of the bacari (pubs) in Venice. They include things like tiny salami sandwiches, small plates of olives, various fish and other pastes spread on breads (like crostini), and whatever else comes to mind – or to market ~ these should be enjoyed with ombra (a small glass) of wine.
For pasta dishes, the Venetian cuisine has a lot of different specialties to offer such as Risi e Bisi and adding Pancetta to give it a rich, smoky flavor ~ this risotto made with peas that the Doges ate on San Marco’s day; Pasta with Clams; Butter-Poached Seafood Ravioli and of course, Pasta e Fagioli.
For main fish courses we can prepare Scampi alla Busara, made with tomato and chili pepper; Roasted Sea Bass with Potatoes and Olives; Venetian Fish Stoup. Don’t care for seafood? Then perhaps Veal Stew with Rosemary and Lemon; Chicken (or Rabbit) with Bay Leaves…and more contact Chef Laura for all the delicious details!
Foods of Bavaria
One of my very favorite cuisines…hearty, tasty, universally loved and served in an atmosphere of conviviality. We can start with Pretzel Soup, an interesting, hearty tradition, not to mention a great way to use up all those pretzels ~ who would have thought?
For the entree choose from
- Bavarian Pork with mushrooms, sour cream and beer
- Bavarian Bratwurst Patties with all the aromatic flavorings
- Three Meat Stew with Vegetables (Pichelsteiner) includes pork, beef and lamb
We’ll top off the meat choice with some of these favorites
- Bavarian Green Beans with Bacon
- Spaetzle
- Warm Potato Salad
- Red Cabbage
- Carrot Salad, and on
Getting hungry yet? Contact Chef Laura for more information.
Wine Country Cooking
Pizza
Pizza seems to be like a universal language, Americans eat a lot of pizza and I was happy to find out that in Germany they enjoy their pizza too. I enjoyed one in Oberagammerau topped with arugula, goat cheese and tomato called Flammkuchen. Of course the Italians eat pizza, we enjoyed several with buttery mushrooms and slices of ham (speck).
For our Wine Country Pizza Class we’ll try some new flavor combinations, such as
- Pizza with Shrimp and Spicy Garlic Mayonnaise
- Pizza with Artichokes, Ham and Gruyere cheese
- Pizza with Sausage, Olives and Roasted Eggplant
- Pizza with Buffalo Milk Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Fresh-Made Tomato Sauce
- Pizza with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onions and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Pizza with Lamb Sausage, Roasted Red Peppers and Feta
The idea are endless and maybe you have a favorite you’d like to share. We’ll begin the class by making our dough and adding flavorings of our liking.
Contact Chef Laura for more information.
Bites and Nibbles
Call them starters, hors d'oeuvres, antipasti, tapas…everywhere around the world people enjoy a bite of this or a taste of that before a full meal. These are personally some of my favorite meals ~ a full range of flavors. For our class we can choose from any of the following:
- Wild Mushroom and blue Cheese Crostini
- Soft Mozzarella Poached with Tomatoes and Basil
- Goat Cheese and Green Onion Galette
- Ricotta and Mint Ravioli with Sweet Tomatoes
- Mini-Calzones with Oven-Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers
- Fresh Fennel with Olive Oil Dipping Sauce
- Spiced Bocconcini (bite-sized mozzarella) and Tomatoes
- Crostini with Smoked Trout with Homemade Mayonnaise and Lemon Zest
- Rolled Grape Leaves with Rice, Feta, Currants and Pine Nuts
Contact Chef Laura for more information.
Salads from the Garden
Salads are especially easy and alluring during the summer months. The Farmer’s Markets and roadside stands are full of tempting fresh ingredients that need only the slightest of hand to bring them to life.
Some tempting ideas:
- Stone Fruit Summer Salad
- Seared Tuna Salad with Tomatoes and Garlic Aioli
- Tartine Salad with Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Tapenade
- Roasted Corn and Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmigiano
- Greek Summer Vegetable Salad
- Fattoush (a Middle Eastern bread salad)
- Romaine Salad with Oranges, Walnuts and Manchego
These are just some of the dozens of recipes we can prepare and enjoy.
Contact Chef Laura for more information.