Cooking Classes
The delicious experience of eating your way through the Hudson Valley can only be rivaled by joining top chefs in their kitchens to learn their techniques. Cooking classes at farm-to-table restaurants and cooking schools not only reveal culinary secrets, they're great fun and a terrific way to expand your culinary know-how. The best part is that there's no final exam, just a delicious finish as you taste the results of your slicing, dicing, kneading, and sautéing.
A world-renowned culinary school, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park produces more top chefs for the region than any other institution. Experience one of their hands-on cooking classes to learn from the masters in a wide variety of programs – from international flavors and gourmet meals, to gluten-free baking and artisanal breads. Sample your cuisine and take home a CIA cookbook to recreate it all again in your own kitchen! 1-866-652-9470 • www.ciafoodies.com/cooking-baking-and-wine-classes-at-the-cia
Top chefs are also teaching at Different Drummer's Kitchen in Albany. Whether you're a 4-star chef or someone who wants to be, this place will teach you to face the stove with a whole new attitude. Come to learn, come to laugh, and come to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by you. No experience necessary, the chefs work with novices as well as accomplished cooks. (518) 459-7990
Or visit the beautiful kitchens of Don Coqui at their vintage factory building in New Rochelle. Go behind the scenes of this exciting restaurant where chefs explain the food and wine you'll be working with, give you your own Don Coqui apron, and get you cooking! Once the meal is prepared, you'll sit down to dine and share the experience with your fellow cooks. (914) 637-3737
From factory to farm house, The Iron Forge Inn is well known beyond the Warwick area. CIA Chef/owner Erik Johansen shows you how to use seasonal ingredients fresh from the farms near the restaurant. It's a relaxed environment that illustrates just how easy cooking from scratch can be! (845) 986-3411
Baking is an art perfected by the French. Croissants, cream puffs, breads, and fruit tarts are a snap to make under the careful tutelage of Brewster Pastry's French chef Thierry Danvin. The shop has provided signature breads and treats to the Brewster community for years. Everything you bake in class can be taken to friends and family, that is if you can resist them on the car ride home. (845) 278-2555
Hip kitchen shop in the heart of Uptown Kingston, where visitors can hone a culinary lifestyle with a host of classes and workshops in collaboration with area farms and backyards yielding quality produce. Shop for quality kitchen ware here too. (845) 514-2300
Boost your kitchen confidence at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy. Upcoming classes include "Chi Mangia Bene, Mangion Italiano," (He who eats well, eats Italian) on March 21st. You'll create from original Italian recipes while broadening your knowledge of the language and culture. Other spring classes include Water Bath Canning, Gluten Free-Savory & Sweet, and Condiments. (518) 273-0552
Just down the road, Malden Bridge Chef shows you how to cook everything from soup to nuts, your way. Dazzle your guests with dishes created specifically to your taste (or theirs). It's a place to explore flavors and develop your own culinary style. (917) 714-8082