November 21st - Fall & Holiday Cooking and Wine Classes @ PCI November 21, 2009

Hearty Soups with Chef Randy Torres
10:00am-2:30pm - $150 per person
Fall and winter are great for curling up next to the fireplace with a hearty bowl of soup. In this class you will learn the secrets and techniques of making great soups, as well as walk away with the recipes and hand-on experience with a number of stocks, consumes, soups, stews and more. Chef Randy is a full-time instructor at PCI as well as the Department Chair of our Culinary Arts program. He has taught at other culinary schools as well as competed in many culinary competitions, and taken gold in many events around the world, including at the 2008 World Culinary Olympics

Sauces, Gravies and Au Jus with Chef Jeremy MacVeigh
10:00am-2:30pm - $150 per person
Ever wonder how they make those rich and flavorful sauces in the restaurants? In this class you’ll explore a variety of sauces and pair them with common meats and poultry. From classic sauces such as those made from demi-glaze, to pan sauces that can be made quickly at home, to more modern and leaner sauces such as coulis, chutney and salsas, this class will unveil the secrets of the professional kitchen to enable you to produce highly flavored foods at home. Special attention will be given to sauces applicable to the holiday season (gravy for turkey, brown sauce for roast etc) Chef Jeremy is a fulltime instructor at PCI and has recently published a cooking text called “International Cuisine”.

Secrets of Chinese Cuisine with Chef Tomm
10:00am-2:30pm - $150 per person
Chef Tomm from the cooking show “Culinary Secrets” (www.cheftomm.com), will teach you how to make Chinese food just like you find in the restaurants. We will begin with a demonstration on the ancient art of Chinese hand pulled noodles. This is a specialized technique that not many chefs use, but will be sure to “wow” you friends and family. Then you will move on to some classic dishes like General Tso's chicken, beef with broccoli, honey walnut prawns and more. Chef Tomm has trained all over the world including Italy, Mexico and Thailand. As an accomplished culinarian, he is now a full time instructor at PCI and believes in the hands on approach with an emphasis on fresh and new products. This belief, as well as his many talents has made him sought after as one of the best Chef Educators in the country.

Wine Basics – Breaking Down the Barriers with Certified Sommelier Dave Eriksen
12:30am-2:30pm - $50 per person
Gain the confidence to buy wine at any shop or restaurant without feeling like you don’t know enough. We will cover basic history and wine production, learn where the flavors come from, as well as try eight different wines from around the world to figure out what you like and don’t like. We will talk about tasting techniques, tasting room etiquette, ordering wine at a restaurant and how to use the Sommelier. Make sure to have a bite to eat before class. Instructor Dave Eriksen has worked in the wine industry locally and in Monterey for the last 8 years and after managing restaurants in the bay area as well as Pebble Beach he is now teaching a wine foundations course at PCI. He is a humorous and dynamic instructor sure to make everyone comfortable and more confident in wine decisions after the class.

Baking and Pastry Basics – Dinner Rolls and Pecan Pies with Chef Stephany Buswell, CMB
10:00am-2:30pm - $125 per person
Gearing up for the holiday feasts, the class will teach you how to make a variety of dinner rolls from scratch that are sure to impress your family and friends. Some of the hands-on recipes will include butter-flake, fancy knotted rolls, parker-house, and classic white rolls. You will also learn the art or “par baking” which you will take home a batch of “brown-and-serve” style rolls for your holiday dinner along with a beautiful southern style Bourbon Pecan Pie. Chef Stephany is a Certified Master Baker and has worked in the baking industry for over 30 years. During this time she perfected the art of cake decorating, pastry baking, wedding cakes, and bread baking, and is currently a fulltime instructor at PCI. Bring a snack or bag lunch to balance out all of the good sweets you will be enjoying in class.

For class availability and to enroll call (408) 370-9190

Official Website: http://www.pcichef.com/hobbyschedule.html