Reserves from the ICE Cellar

Come join NYC’s longest running wine course. Over its 45+ year history, thousands of students, food and wine professionals and the wine interested public alike, have participated in this program. This six-session course, crafted by ICE director of wine studies Richard Vayda, uses grape varietals, as well as winemaking regions, as the keys to understanding the full wine spectrum. You will receive a thorough introduction to winemaking, tasting, laws and labeling as you learn about wine components and taste some of the world’s most celebrated wines. In these six sessions, you will sample up to 60 wines! Session 1: Winemaking and Wine-Tasting Basics. Session 2: France: The Wines and Grapes of Burgundy and Bordeaux. Session 3: The Major Wines and Grape Varieties of Italy. Session 4: Spanish and other Warm-Climate Wines. Session 5: Wine Tour of the US West Coast. Session 6: A Tour of Sparkling Wine from Around the World.

Immerse yourself in the food traditions of French cuisine with "French Classics: Coq Au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon." You’ll make two dishes that define rustic French cooking: rich, wine-infused Coq Au Vin (learning to braise chicken to tender perfection) and hearty, slow-cooked Boeuf Bourguignon (learning to layer and amplify deep umami flavors). You’ll also make Haricots Verts Amandine and velvety Cauliflower Puree. Take a “tour-de-food” in this course that teaches essential techniques and cornerstone dishes of the French countryside

Do you have a spice blend in your cabinet that you picked up on vacation, but you're not sure how to use it? If you're one of those people, or a cook who would like to incorporate spice blends into your culinary repertoire, then come to ICE for this educational class. We'll travel around the globe as you learn to create spice blends like: Indian masala; Jamaican jerk seasoning; French herbes de provence; and Moroccan ras el hanout. You will then use these aromatic spice blends to prepare: Provençal vegetable gratin; jerk chicken wings; and cauliflower tikka masala.

ICE’s Fine Cooking series are the classes on which our recreational program’s reputation was built. This intensive course expands on our Fine Cooking 1 series and takes a deeper dive into essential culinary techniques. These full-participation classes teach fundamental skills, not recipes. This course covers everything from fileting a fish, to properly sautéing, to cover poaching techniques and fundamental sauce making. As you advance through the series, you’ll gradually come to understand each cooking concept. You’ll have a firm grasp of ingredients and equipment; you’ll know why things happen; you'll learn how to avoid and correct mistakes. Most importantly, you’ll gain the experience you need to cook with confidence and pleasure - without relying strictly on recipes. Each class culminates with a student-prepared meal. Prerequisite: Fine Cooking 1.