Advanced Hydrocolloids

Provence is a gastronomic paradise where French techniques meet Mediterranean elements like garlic, basil, olives, lavender and honey. Throughout this enchanting evening, you will learn essential techniques to make simple and aromatic dishes that burst with flavor. On your menu will be: brandade de morue; chicken with potatoes, rosemary, olives and lemon; bouillabaisse with rouille and vegetable tian.

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.

For a flash course on all the basics you need to make a varied and impressive meal, look no further. With a professional chef, you'll gain the skills vital for moving through any simple menu with ease. You'll practice knife skills, roasting vegetables, cooking proteins with a pan sauce and a vinaigrette. Then you'll use what you learned as you make a menu of: popovers; sautéed chicken with classic pan sauce; roasted root vegetable salad with fresh herb dressing and garlic mashed potatoes.

Master some of Thai cuisine's greatest hits. You and a loved one will learn all about this country's exciting dishes and fresh ingredients, with their distinctly complex spicy, sweet, sour and salty components. You and your loved one will make and enjoy: green papaya salad; pad thai; yellow chicken curry; and green shrimp curry.