The Sculpted Cake

These desserts are perfect for winter, not just because of their wintry flavors of ginger, peppermint and more, but because of their clever use of fruits that are easily available in winter. And, naturally, you can't forget the chocolate. We'll make: peppermint chocolate truffles; gingerbread cake with chai-spiced frosting; and cranberry and pear crisp.

Throughout Italy, Christmas Eve is the occasion to sit down to a feast of fish and seafood dishes. In this holiday class, we will cover five classic dishes. We will make baccala mantecato; linguine with clams, grilled calamari with aioli and arugula; baked branzino with fennel and olives and zuppa di pesce.

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.

From bibimbap to bulgogi, the signature dishes of Korea have seduced America with intoxicating flavors. Sweet-spicy flavor combos are popular, as are the vegetables, meat and seafood that are featured in main dishes as well as in banchan, the Korean assortment of side dishes that appears in most traditional meals. You will learn to make dakgangjeong (hot chicken wings); bulgogi (grilled seasoned sliced beef) with assorted banchan; and bibimbap (seasoned vegetable rice bowl).