Cooking classes at Tess’ Kitchen Store and BriarPatch this summer

“WE’RE TALKING ABOUT COOKING MORE, but survey research confirms we’re cooking less and buying more prepared meals,” as food activist Michael Pollan explains in his book Cooking.

Pollan explains the paradox by theorizing, “We might not feel we have the time, energy or knowledge to do it ourselves every day, but we’re not prepared to see it disappear from our lives altogether.”

It’s timely then, that BriarPatch Co-op, at its cooking school in Nevada City—along with Tess’ Kitchen Store in downtown Grass Valley, among others—are expanding their repertoire of cooking classes.

BRIARPATCH & THE WOODEN SPOON
Classes are held at the BriarPatch Community Cooking School at 648 Zion Street in Nevada City. The BriarPatch is offering a summer special—sign yourself up with a friend and pay only $25 each. Examples of BriarPatch’s classes this summer include “New Orleans Style Cooking” (July 15), “Grilled Pizza” (July 25), “Preserving the Harvest” (August 5), “Veggie and Nut Burgers” (August 13) and “Ancient Navajo Cuisine” (August 28).

Some of the BriarPatch’s classes come with free cooking tools provided as gifts by The Wooden Spoon in Grass Valley— BriarPatch’s new partner for its cooking school. In the “Preparing the Harvest” class on August 5, participants receive a 5-piece canning kit. BriarPatch.coop and AToyStoreforCooks.com

TESS’ KITCHEN STORE
Tess’ summer lineup of cooking classes includes a cadre of new in-house chefs, including Alan Tangren, who worked at Alice Waters’ renowned Chez Panisse in Berkeley for 22 years (see page 2). Tangren will teach the Chef’s Table series and “Thursday Night Market Forage,” foraging local ingredients for a fresh meal.

Others include Tess’ canning specialist Annica Hagadorn, who teaches a class on canning (July 12); Roberta DesBouillons on “Summer Indulgence” (July 15); and DesBouillons on Cuba cooking (Aug. 19).

Chefs Roberta and Alan will host a cooking demonstration at the California State Fair on July 12: “Fresh Summer Corn Chowder with a Red Pepper Puree.” This year a theme at the Fair is “From Our Farm to Your Table”. TessKitchenStore.com

(Photo: Alan Tangren at Tess’ Kitchen Store by Rachel Rosenthal)

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