Fall 2014 Cooking Classes

My new menus include a couple of Girls' Night Out demo classes on October 18 & December 13. The first contains recipes that focus on spices: cinnamon, paprika, saffron, cumin, peppers, etc. The latter is a champagne-laced feast that features seared scallops and white chocolate cupcakes.

I also have a few new Date Night for Couples classes. My favorite one, on November 9, will feature my grandmother's Croatian dishes. Once again, I'm throwing an Ultimate Cocktail Party on December 21 with a couple drinks and several appetizers. Another fun couples class on December 27 includes a smoked lentil salad, cayenne & coffee rubbed steaks, homemade sweet potato tots.

Below is my schedule through December. To register, call Kitchen Conservatory at 314-862-2665 or register online.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: READY TO RUM-BLE - October 11 @ 6:00-8:30 (hands-on)

• Learn to prepare coconut bisque with rum flambé, macadamia-crusted scallops with rum beurre blanc, jerk pork tenderloin with spiced rum glaze, Caribbean rice, mini-hot buttered rum cheesecakes with caramel sauce, plus a piña-limonada cocktail.

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT: SUGAR AND SPICE - October 18 @ 6:30-9:00 (demonstration)

• Enjoy a maple-cinnamon apple martini and five-spice cashews, freshly-baked skillet bread with Old Bay artichoke-spinach-crab dip, paprika-spiced cauliflower soup, tomato-poached salmon with saffron, roasted carrot and red quinoa salad with spicy cumin dressing, plus buttermilk panna cotta with strawberries in port wine-peppercorn caramel sauce.

HEIR AND A PARENT: WIZARDS IN THE KITCHEN - October 26 @ 12:30-3:00 (hands-on)

• Attention all Muggles! Experience the world of Harry Potter and make magic in the kitchen as I help you prepare delightful dishes described throughout the J.K. Rowling series, including The Three Broomsticks' butterbeer, ham-and-cheese pasties from the Hogwarts house-elves, and Mrs. Weasley's potatoes with béchamel sauce. Before you apparate home, you'll make Aunt Petunia's individual berry-pudding trifles. This class is designed for children, at least 7 years of age, plus a parent.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: CONTINENTAL AND COASTAL CROATIA - November 9 @ 5:00-7:30 (hands-on)

• Discover authentic Croatian cuisine from the coast to the continent, as I share my grandmother's recipes. You will learn to create cevapcici - lamb meatballs with an eggplant-pepper relish (ajvar), brodet - fish stew with shrimp and mussels and cod, sarma - cabbage rolls stuffed with beef and pork and rice in a tomato sauce, blitva - sautéed potatoes and Swiss chard, plus potica - sweet walnut rolls.

SUPPER BOWL SUNDAY - November 16 @ 12:30-3:00 (hands-on)

• Join me in the kitchen to create four steaming pots of soup: andouille and corn chowder, creamy butternut squash and ginger soup, egg drop soup with homemade pressure cooker chicken stock, lamb minestrone, plus quick and easy yeast-risen baguettes.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: SUSHI U FOR TWO - November 20 @ 5:00-7:30 (hands-on)

• This menu includes tempura-fried shrimp rolls, sesame tuna hand rolls, smoked eel rolls, spicy scallop rolls, hot-smoked salmon rolls with mango and jalapeño, plus ginger-peach green tea ice cream - all served with cold beer.

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT: BUBBLES! - December 13 @ 6:30-9:00 (demonstration)

• Who doesn't love the sound of a popping champagne cork? Celebrate the season as I make pomegranate champagne punch, pear and endive salad with gorgonzola and a champagne vinaigrette, seared scallops in champagne-mushroom sauce, champagne risotto, plus white chocolate cupcakes with champagne buttercream frosting.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: THE ULTIMATE COCKTAIL PARTY  - December 21 @ 5:00-7:30 (hands-on)

• In the midst of a festive holiday season, we will mix up cranberry-champagne sangria and gingersnap-apple vodka martinis. Then learn to create a dazzling spread of roasted five-spice cashews, baked cheddar coins with pecan-pepper jelly, caramelized onion bread topped with olives and anchovies, smoked shrimp with cilantro-lime yogurt dipping sauce, plus homemade marshmallow s'more skewers.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: HIGH STEAKS - December 27 @ 6:30-9:00 (hands-on)

• Menu includes bruschetta with winter fruit, brie & fennel-infused honey; smoked lentil salad with creamy Sriracha dressing; cedar-grilled flat iron steaks with cayenne-coffee rub; sweet potato and goat cheese "tater tots"; bacon-wrapped green beans with brown sugar and garlic butter; and salted caramel pots de crème.