Light, Fast Dinners

Sharpen your most essential cooking competency — Knife Skills! — in this hands-on workshop that teaches precision, efficiency, and professional techniques. Designed for cooks of all levels and taught by Steven Gao, Per Se alum and the content creator behind @stevenmotocooks, the workshop covers starter to more advanced executions in an approachable, real-world setting. You’ll start with fundamentals that support consistency and control. These include grip, stance, safety, and economy of movement. Steven will then demonstrate the core cuts used in professional settings, after which, you’ll roll up your sleeves and practice yourself – with fresh ingredients and personal guidance. You’ll also enjoy light bites and a selection of mocktails and cocktails, followed by a Q&A with Steven, wherein you’ll get cooking tips and insights to working in professional kitchens. This workshop is ideal for home cooks looking to build confidence; aspiring home chefs developing core skills; and anyone interested in better understanding professional culinary standards. This workshop offers a focused environment grounded in technique, clarity and practical application — because great food starts with knife skills.

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.

Expand your knowledge and techniques in preparing dishes using fresh pasta dough, homemade sauces, fresh herbs, and more. Over the course of the evening, you will learn to create intricate, trattoria-quality pastas, such as: Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce; Ricotta Cavatelli with Peas, Mint and Lemon; and Spaghetti Carbonara.

Sitting down to an assortment of dim sum in a bustling restaurant is the culmination of a weekend stroll through Chinatown. It's never easy to choose from the myriad of delicacies that pass by the table, or to not try just one more thing. In this class, you will learn to prepare a variety of popular dim sum dishes, to impress family and friends with a feast of your own. You will make: shrimp shao mai; spring rolls; spareribs with balck bean sauce, and pan-fried vegetable dumplings with spicy dipping sauce.