Essentials of Peruvian Cooking

Ayurveda is the world's oldest form of natural healing and health. Its basic premise is that there exists an innate intelligence in our body and mind to be balanced and healthy. Ayurveda offers a knowledge of life with down-to-earth practices to keep this intelligence alive and well during our lifetime. In this two-day weekend workshop with culinary training, we will learn the fundamental principles of Ayurveda. You will learn about the doshas, the mahabhutas, prakriti - body type, the elements, what is health - balance and imbalance. We will learn the simple practices of Ayurveda to maintain health and live in rhythm with natural laws. We will learn about the six tastes of Ayurveda. We will learn how to correct imbalances in our digestion. On both days, we will be in the kitchen preparing food that balances us. We will create two complete meals, including Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup with Cranberries, Cilantro-Stuffed Paratha, Savory Autumn Vegetable-Paneer Tart, Braised Red Cabbage, Poha (steamed dry rice) with Curry Leaves, Rice Pudding, Orange-Fig Compote in Cardamom Syrup

ICE's resident sommelier, Richard Vayda, pulls out all the stops for this very special holiday class. Too many people are intimidated by champagne, tending to tiptoe around it instead of enjoying and serving it with food. No longer! In this class, you will dine on beautiful hors d'oeuvres along with a select group of sparkling wines. Your evening begins with a discussion of the origin and making of sparkling wine, while tasting various examples---from non-vintage to vintage to rosé. The highlight of the tasting will feature a Prestige Cuvée Champagne paired with an American challenger. The class rounds out with students enjoying a buffet of classic luxury food matches while indulging in additional bubbly, making for a sparkling winter evening to remember! We'll taste at least nine wines, plus foods.

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.

Braising - searing at a high temperature, then finishing in a liquid at a lower temperature to infuse flavor - can add umami and more to pretty much any meal! And the best part is, it creates tender, juicy dishes with a minimum of effort. We'll master this technique as we make a braised banquet of: Guinness-braised short ribs with creamy polenta; braised chicken thighs with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar and braised fennel.