A Vegetarian Valentine's Day Dinner

Sushi-making doesn't have to be limited to the view from a seat at your local Japanese restaurant. Bring the sushi bar home by practicing your skills at preparing nigiri (sashimi fish on top of thumb-size, compact sushi rice), perfecting the texture of rice, and learning the proper techniques to create a stellar hand roll. Once you've gotten the basics down, you will try your hand at: sushi rice; maki and futomaki rolls (both thin and thick), inside-out rolls; nigiri and temaki (hand roll).. You will soon learn that sushi is something you too can master.

Join Ethan Frisch, co-founder of Burlap & Barrel, for a flavorful, hands-on evening exploring the world of single origin spices. Discover the stories behind the world's most exceptional ingredients-from the cinnamon forests of Zanzibar to the chili fields of Guatemala-and learn how sourcing directly from smallholder farmers transforms both flavor and sustainability. You'll start with a guided tasting that awakens your senses to the depth and nuance of Burlap & Barrel's spices, followed by a live demo revealing how each spice performs best in your kitchen. Then, roll up your sleeves for a spice blending workshop, where you'll create your own custom blend to take home-perfect for elevating your pantry and adding bold, aromatic flair to your holiday cooking. Come curious and leave inspired-with new flavor knowledge, blending techniques, and a jar of your own handcrafted spice mix as a delicious reminder of the night.

Master some of the most fragrant and distinct dishes in this country's rich and varied cuisine, emphasizing a riot of toasted spices. You'll learn all about the vegetables, seafood and other featured ingredients, with a range of geographic and climatic origins, from hearty masalas to spicy curries to cooling raitas. We'll assemble a menu of: chana masala (chickpea curry); chicken tikka masala; palak paneer (spinach with paneer cheese); pulao (spiced basmati rice); and cucumber raita.

Nothing beats the rich flavor and perfectly al dente texture of handmade pasta. So let's practice making our own pastas by hand and concoct some rich fillings, learning how to stuff ravioli, tortellini and cannelloni. As we make these three heavenly pastas, we'll complete them with homemade sauces that are the perfect complement to each shape and filling. You'll handcraft: lemon ricotta ravioli with safe brown butter, roasted red pepper tortellini in fra diavolo sauce, and beef angolotti in brodo.