Cooking Adventures in the heart of Napa Valley
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“… We came expecting to learn and expand our knowledge of cooking – little did we know how much more it would be!! … I can’t imagine a more complete experience.”
Steve & Karen C. – Palatine, IL


Culinary Learning Vacations
Essential Skills
Your next vacation becomes a culinary adventure as you learn skills and techniques you can use everyday. The Culinary Learning Vacations focus on essential skills ranging from basic cooking techniques to advanced. Skills that you will use everyday and that will give you confidence in the kitchen.

In the Culinary Learning Vacations, we cover topics ranging from pantry essentials, stocks, soups and sauces to cooking techniques for various cuts of meats, fish and vegetables. We talk about the difference between braising and roasting and why you should do one versus the other. Each day we’ll work with recipes that incorporate a variety of cooking methods such as sautéing, roasting, broiling and poaching. You will also learn basic cutting techniques, how to choose the right knife for the task, as well as how to select and care for your knives.

At the more advanced level, we use master recipes and recipe concepts as a springboard for “kitchen improvisation”. We study flavor dynamics and balance as you learn to enhance flavors while adding your own style and flare to the dishes we create.









In addition to our daily kitchen sessions, we will travel to local culinary points of interest. We may take an excursion to specialty and ethnic food markets where you meet purveyors and learn about the products they offer. Or, we may visit a winemaker, grower or farmers' market to learn about food at the source, how to select the season’s best picks and pairing food and wine when planning menus. Each evening is free time for you to enjoy and explore the Napa Valley on your own. Price includes hands-on instruction, reference manual with recipe handouts and meals prepared by the class served with wine/beverage. Accommodations are additional.

Menus are seasonally adjusted but may include items such as Garden Vegetable Soup; Caponata; Flat Bread with Grilled Vegetables; Herb Crusted Tenderloin; Salmon en Papillote; Hazelnut Biscotti and more. We will make pantry recipes to have on hand for everyday cooking like Red Pepper Aioli; Sundried Tomato Pesto and Garlic Béchamel Sauce


Sample 3-day Itinerary
Sample 5-day Itinerary

 

Please click to see our list of 3-day courses and enroll online:
3-day Courses
Please click to see our list of 5-day courses and enroll online:
5-day Courses




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