Tacos and Tequila

A tender, flaky and light crust is what often separates a good pie from a great one. In this class, experienced ICE pastry chefs teach you how to make that elusive perfect pie crust --- great for sweet or savory pies. Under their expert instruction, you’ll learn the same techniques and tips used by ICE career pastry grads at New York's top restaurants. You'll make and work with pâte brisée --- which you'll then use to make your very own double crust apple pie from scratch.

That chill in the air is simply inspiration for the warming and original dishes you'll learn to make in this cooking workshop, centered around the exciting produce and flavors of fall. From soups and salads to sides and ribs, all of the dishes on this seasonal menu are perfect for family dinners, parties and more. We'll make and dine on: roasted butternut squash and apple soup; Guinness-braised short ribs with creamy polenta and roasted cipollini onions; and roasted Brussels sprouts with lemon and pancetta.

ICE's resident sommelier, Richard Vayda, pulls out all the stops for this very special holiday class. Too many people are intimidated by champagne, tending to tiptoe around it instead of enjoying and serving it with food. No longer! In this class, you will dine on beautiful hors d'oeuvres along with a select group of sparkling wines. Your evening begins with a discussion of the origin and making of sparkling wine, while tasting various examples---from non-vintage to vintage to rosé. The highlight of the tasting will feature a Prestige Cuvée Champagne paired with an American challenger. The class rounds out with students enjoying a buffet of classic luxury food matches while indulging in additional bubbly, making for a sparkling winter evening to remember! We'll taste at least nine wines, plus foods.

Italy produces wine from hundreds of different grape varieties, making its wine varied and engaging, yet perhaps a bit hard to grasp. This tasting concentrates on the wines from Toscana, Italy's third-largest quality wine-producing region. Although many of the wines are Sangiovese-based, the distinctive terroirs and other cultivated varieties offer a diverse tasting opportunity, ranging from some tasty whites to Old World and even international-style reds, topping off with traditional sweet. ICE's resident sommelier, Richard Vayda, will also discuss Tuscan wine history and Italian wine labeling. Regional cheeses will accompany the eight or more wines featured in the tasting.