​​Join us as we tour NYC's largest and most beloved farmers market: the Union Square Greenmarket!

We'll wander through the farm stands, sampling and shopping for local produce and farm-made products to fill our shopping basket.
 
Along the way, we'll discuss:

• What makes something "local"
• Why "organic" is not the most important label at the market
• What is currently in season and at its peak of flavor
• What are the most important products to buy at the market
• Tips for choosing the best produce

After 45 minutes of tasting and shopping, we'll head downtown via subway to our cooking school in SoHo where…

There is little more soul-satisfying than a bowl of brightly seasoned noodles, teeming with crunchy, sweet, hot, and fresh ingredients. The varieties of textures and flavors and temperatures are what make Asian noodle dishes really stand out. Come see what all the fuss is about!

• Pad Thai with Shrimp and Roasted Peanuts
• Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Chicken and Fresh Herbs
• Japanese Miso-Sesame Noodles
• Korean Japchae (Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Seasoned Vegetables)

A crash course through the breath-taking array of cooking techniques, flavors, spices, and ingredients that make up some of the world's great culinary regions.

Each week we will explore what makes different parts of the world so unique in their culinary styles and flavor profiles, designed to help you  elevate your everyday cooking with a broader set of flavor-building and -balancing tools.

Each class includes a full sit-down meal at the end so you can enjoy everything you cooked.


START DATE + REMAINING CLASS DATES:

• Tuesday, May 19, 6-9pm + 5/26, 6/2, 6/9, 6/16 - Chef Erica Wides

WEEK #1:…

Everything you ever need to know about choosing, storing, sharpening, holding, and using the most important tool in the kitchen. We will have 8-inch chef's knives for you to practice on, but you are also welcome to bring your own knife. 

• Included in the price is a * knife sharpening stone of your own *, which we will teach you how to use flawlessly before you leave. 
• And so you have something to cook (and eat!) with all your expertly chopped ingredients, we'll also make a meal to share at the end of class, usually a minestrone soup or a vegetable stir-fry.

Learn to make some of your favorite Korean restaurant dishes while exploring the ingredients and cooking techniques that make Korean food so invigorating and delicious.

• Kimchi Mandu (pan-fried pork and kimchi dumplings)
• Doenjang Jjigae (richly-flavored stew with tofu, zucchini and rice cakes)
• Japchae (sweet potato glass noodles with vegetables) 
• Kimchi Fried Rice

This class will offer you a valuable set of culinary techniques to move you along in your kitchen education. 

• Knife Skills
• Cooking Meat to Perfection (Pan-Roasted Chicken)
• Making Flavorful Pan Sauces (Classic Chicken Gravy)
• Roasting Vegetables (Roasted Potatoes + Seasonal Vegetables)
• Blanching Green Vegetables (String Beans with Lemon Gremolata)
• Cooking Leafy Greens (Swiss Chard with Lemon and Garlic)

Learn the secrets to using Indian spices and cooking techniques, so you can make all of your Indian restaurant favorites at home. 

• ​Saag Paneer (with Homemade Paneer)
• Morgh Chole (Chicken and Chickpea Curry)
• Lentil Dal with Spiced Butter
• Cilantro-Mint Chutney
• Steamed Basmati Rice

This class is designed to be the end-all-be-all for your seasoning questions. We cover all of the following, and cook up a variety of different dishes that incorporate these techniques:

• ​Identifying every herb and spice available to you in the supermarket 
• When to choose herbs vs. spices
• Food pairings (what herbs/spices pair well with what meats, vegetables, starches, fruit)
• Medicinal properties
• Where to buy
• How to store

To highlight these teachings, we'll make a spiced rice pilaf, Indian lentil dal with aromatic butter, and fattoush (a Middle Eastern chopped salad with spiced pita chips and fresh…

The class offers the surest way for adding more vegetables to your daily regime. We'll help demystify all the different vegetation available at the supermarket and then teach you how to cook it so you enjoy every forkful.

• Blanching: Garlicky Broccoli Rabe; Green Beans with Lemon Gremolata
• Roasting: Roasted Potatoes + Fennel, Roasted Ratatouille
• Working with Leafy Greens: Sautéed Swiss Chard with Garlic and Almonds

This class will offer you a valuable set of culinary techniques to move you along in your kitchen education. 

• Knife Skills
• Cooking Meat to Perfection (Pan-Roasted Chicken)
• Making Flavorful Pan Sauces (Classic Chicken Gravy)
• Roasting Vegetables (Roasted Potatoes + Seasonal Vegetables)
• Blanching Green Vegetables (String Beans with Lemon Gremolata)
• Cooking Leafy Greens (Swiss Chard with Lemon and Garlic)