Winter cooking classes

Winter is an ideal time to sign up for a cooking class in the foothills. We’re indoors more, thanks to the winter weather, and a cooking class helps you master new recipes, perhaps with the kitchenware you received for the holidays—French cookware, a wok or a Vitamix.

TESS’ KITCHEN STORE
115 Mill St., Grass Valley
TessKitchenStore.com

Jan. 27 Winter Preserving Class
Jan. 30 Valentine’s Day Baking
Feb. 3 Winter Pizza
Feb. 6 Yummy Breakfast Breads
Feb. 13 Dungeness Crabfest
Feb. 17 Celebrating Chinese New Year
Feb. 20 Quiche
Feb. 24 Cheese Making
Feb. 27 Comfort Foods
March 3 Pastry Dough
March 6 Traditional Irish
March 13 Pancakes and Waffles
March 20 Tropical Desserts
March 24 Home Bread Baking
March 27 Dishes from India

BRIARPATCH CO-OP COMMUNITY COOKING SCHOOL
648 Zion St., Nevada City
Briarpatch.coop

Jan. 17 Winter Vegetarian Delights
Jan. 20 Make Your Own Miso
Jan. 24 Small Plates
Jan. 25 Big Flavor, Small Price
Jan. 28 Japanese Pancakes
Jan. 31 Thai Favorites
Feb. 1 Baking Sourdough

NEWCASTLE PRODUCE
9230 Cypress St., Newcastle
NewcastleProduce.com
Jan. 23 Let’s Eat a Pie
Jan. 28 Succulent Cupcake Workshop
Feb. 12 Under Pressure
Feb. 19 Preservation

Chef’s Table
Valentine’s Day Dinner February 10
Tess’ Kitchen Store
Prosciutto and goat cheese puff pastry heart with garlic and chives
Roasted beet, blood orange and Oregon hazelnut salad with winter greens
Pacific petrale sole filet with spinach, white wine and cream sauce
Beef loin strip steak au poivre with shallots and Cognac sautéed wild Oregon mushrooms
Spiced baked pears with vanilla custard sauce
Pecan and chocolate chip shortbread
Candied blood orange peel

Ballymaloe Brown Bread

On March 6, Tess’ in-house chef Alan Tangren teaches a traditional Irish cooking class. We were glad to see that Ballymaloe brown bread is on the menu, a testament to Alan’s know-how.

Last summer, we visited Ireland and the famed Ballymaloe Cookery School and organic farm and gardens near Cork. The school’s founder Darina Allen is Ireland’s best known cook and a best-selling author.

We spent the night at Ballymaloe House and enjoyed Irish soda bread for breakfast. Then we stepped into the cooking school kitchen and learned how it’s made. Alan is following a similar recipe, a treat for local cooking
enthusiasts.

(Photo: Rachel Rosenthal)