Techniques of Cake Decorating 1

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.

These delightful cupcakes come in a range of flavors and frostings, not to mention some well-matched fillings. As we make the cakes, fillings and frostings from scratch, we'll pair strawberry with vanilla, chocolate with white chocolate ganache, peanut butter with chocolate icing, and even birthday cupcakes with a piñata surprise of sprinkles inside. Your cupcake menu: strawberry shortcake with vanilla bean cake and whipped vanilla bean buttercream; chocolate trio with dark chocolate cake, white chocolate ganache and milk chocolate frosting; birthday "piñata" cupcakes with sprinkle buttercream; and peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

The history, culture and geography of Morocco are all richly evocative. It is easy to imagine yourself sipping mint tea while sitting on a terrace in Casablanca or Marrakech, or hiking the Atlas Mountains. The cuisine of Morocco reflects its Berber, Mediterranean, African and European influences, with a generous use of powerful spices. In this class, you will make some of the most acclaimed dishes of the Moroccan repertoire, including: grilled kefta (lamb) kebabs; chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives; sweet spiced couscous; carrot salad with lemon-herb dressing and harissa.

The lush, green Pacific Northwest is famous for its wild salmon, oysters and beers, but that's just the tip of the gastronomic iceberg. Its forests are home to mushrooms and berries that turn up in countless recipes. Cedar planks become grilling beds for fish, meat and vegetables, imparting them with the unmistakable flavor of the Northwest. You will learn how to use these techniques and ingredients to make: Pacific oysters with mignonette; pan seared salmon with crispy skin and blackberry sauce; sautéed mushrooms and herbs; salt-and-vinegar potatoes; and kale, hazelnut and goat cheese salad. You will enjoy those with a selection of wines from the region.