Essentials of Tuscan Cooking II

Treasures abound in Italy's Piemonte region. This gorgeous tasting canvasses the landscape by highlighting some of its gems, centering on the region's tasty Nebbiolos, including Barolo and Barbaresco. But the region has so much more to offer too, with grape varieties like Roero Arneis, Barbera, Dolcetto and more. Floral, earthy, red fruit with leather---these wines range from rustic to elegantly regal. ICE's resident sommelier, Richard Vayda, guides your tour of this region's wine delights. The tasting will include at least 8 wines accompanied by some appropriately refined cheeses and other treats.

Sitting down to an assortment of dim sum in a bustling restaurant is the culmination of a weekend stroll through Chinatown. It's never easy to choose from the myriad of delicacies that pass by the table, or to not try just one more thing. In this class, you will learn to prepare a variety of popular dim sum dishes, to impress family and friends with a feast of your own. You will make: shrimp shao mai; spring rolls; spareribs with balck bean sauce, and pan-fried vegetable dumplings with spicy dipping sauce.

Emilia-Romagna, which stretches between the Adriatic coast, northern Tuscany, and the Po Valley, is one of the most prolific agricultural regions of Italy. It is known for its pasta, balsamic vinegar, Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano, among a wealth of other products. While enjoying wines such as Sangiovese and Barbera, you will learn to make traditional dishes that include: brodetto fish stew; cotechino con lenticchie; chicken cacciatore with creamy polenta; and warm zabaglione with Marsala wine for dessert.

Whether you're making a casual dinner or a gourmet multicourse meal. We'll cover techniques including poaching, sautéing, grilling and cooking risotto. Using your newly acquired skills, we'll make and dine on a complete meal of: grilled vegetable gratin; mushroom risotto; pan-seared steak with compound butter and mesclun salad with Dijon vinaigrette.