All About Bread

One of the world's oldest cultures, China has a complex cuisine, with a range of regional dishes often not found anywhere outside of the country. Some techniques, ingredients and dishes are similar throughout all of China; this Essentials class focuses on those, giving you a well-rounded overview of Chinese food and culinary culture. From stir-frying and braising to steaming and red cooking, you will learn to use traditional Chinese techniques to make a menu that includes: scallion pancakes with dipping sauce; red-cooked chicken with rice; dan dan noodles; and Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.

On Sundays in Italian neighborhoods in Brooklyn, families gather for hearty dinners of Italian-American favorites. You will enjoy the preparation of a generous Sunday dinner including: bucatini with meatballs, sweet sausage and Sunday gravy; chicken cacciatore with polenta; fennel layered with potatoes and breadcrumbs; and broccoli salad.

Hearty hardly begins to describe the extravagant steak feast you'll be making in this class. Not only will you learn how to make the perfect filet mignon, skirt steak and more, but you'll also become versed in the art of rich sauces, like cognac cream, béarnaise and chimichurri. Your saucy menu includes: filet mignon au poivre with cognac cream sauce; onglet béarnaise (hanger steak with tarragon sauce) and skirt steak with Rojo chimichurri.

By the latter half of the 19th century, bistros were centers of social life in Paris, catering to great painters, writers, musicians and other artists. The simple, down-to-earth food served at such bistros quickly became as celebrated as the eateries' most famous patrons - and it's still celebrated in Paris and around the world today. You will make traditional dishes of that bygone era, such as: steak tartare; frisée salad with apples, lardons and goat cheese in a warm shallot-bacon vinaigrette; moules frites and haricot verts amandine.