ICE Boot Camp: Cooking Essentials

Seafood, vegetables, whole grains, herbs and olive oil are among the ingredients most associated with countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. They make for flavorful dishes that trigger memories of sunbathed vacations and leisurely meals. This class focuses on the cuisines of Southern France, Eastern Spain, Italy and Greece. You will cook your way through a menu-map that includes French olive tapenade on garlic toast; Greek briam; Spanish fideua Catalania; and Sicilian pesce spada.

As a natural extension of its expansive pastures, renowned ranches and roaming cattle, Texas has a longstanding steakhouse tradition. There, juicy steaks are often served with a hot and rich chile sauce, which mashed potatoes or cornbread greedily sop up. Enjoy these dishes and more as you celebrate the Lone Star State by making and dining on: homemade chips and guacamole; skirt steak with tomatillo-serrano chile sauce; jalapeño creamed corn; and buttermilk mashed potatoes

You want to make great food in a minimum amount of time, but don't have a clue how to go about it. Or you're on your own for the first time and have discovered that eating out is expensive and takeout is tiresome! You need a small repertoire of dishes for daily dining, but you can barely manage instant coffee. Does this sound like you? Then this is the course to take. We assume you know nothing --- absolutely nothing --- about cooking and take it from there. In three relaxed, fun-filled classes, we'll get you on your cooking feet, teaching you how to prepare simple, healthful, delicious food. You'll learn about basic cooking equipment and menu planning; knife skills, including vegetable chopping and paring; how to make salad, vinaigrette, and other easy no-cook dishes; how to roast garlic and root vegetables; how to prepare delicious pasta; how to sauté and roast meats and more; and how to make desserts in minutes. You will learn to make three complete meals in three easy lessons, including: guacamole and chips, make-your-own taco bar, tres leches cake; classic Caesar salad, roast Cornish hens with root vegetables, and blueberry crisp; shrimp cocktail and garlic bread, classic fettuccini alfredo, arugula and radicchio salad with apples and glazed walnuts, and ice cream tiramisu

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.