September 26th - Fall & Holiday Cooking Classes @ PCI September 26, 2009

Basic Culinary Skills I (1st of 3-Part Series) with Chef Peter Maguire
10:00am-2:30pm - $450 per person
Saturday, September 26th, October 3rd & October 17th
Offered only as an entire series! This series will help you to be more confident in the kitchen, develop your palate and help create a new sense of cooking enjoyment. We will cover knife skills, soups, stocks, sauces and methods of cookery including: sauté, braising, roasting, grilling, frying, en paillote and en croute. You’ll learn the fundamentals of herbs and spices, complex sauces, garnishing, plate presentation, side dishes and of course food and wine pairing. Each class will cover necessary knife skills, each building on the last, and of course a touch on dessert each day. Your tuition includes the hands-on production of the dishes to enjoy in a family style buffet at the end of each class, the recipes to take home a replicate with loved ones, and a new friend to call on to ask for cooking advice.
Chef Peter, a full time instructor at PCI, has worked and taught in the culinary industry for over 25 years; he has won many awards and accolades in hot food competitions as well as ice carving.
Due to the popularity, the entire series is non-refundable after 12pm on Wednesday September 23rd, no discounts apply towards the Basic Skills Series.
These classes are not a prerequisite for any of our other hands-on Hobby Classes; we hope to see you in the kitchen soon!

Harvest Bounty – Fall Dishes with Chef Jeremy MacVeigh
10:00am-2:30pm - $150 per person
Learn what to do with the abundance of squash, the piles of tomatoes and the baskets of lemons which are all ripe at the same time! We will teach you techniques for preserving the bounty and for creating unique recipes to get the most out of the season’s offerings. This class will cover a few great tasting entrees and side dishes as well as topics of canning, jams, pickling and other methods of utilizing the bounty of the growing season. Chef Jeremy is a fulltime instructor at PCI and has recently published a cooking text called “International Cuisine”.

Breakfast Pastries – Croissant Dough with Chef Alex Trouan
10:00am-2:30pm - $125 per person
Learn techniques in perfecting the layered puff pastry that has been integrated into many cuisines since the middle-ages. You will learn hands-on how to make the classic croissant, chocolate croissant, almond croissant, ham and cheese croissant and a delicious cinnamon bun. We will provide cold cuts and cheese to make your own sandwiches for lunch in the class. Chef Alex is a full-time instructor at PCI. He was born and raised in France where he began his career in the Pastry Arts over 20 years ago. He has worked in top pastry shops both in France and in the USA where he has been living and teaching for more than 5 years.

Favorite Desserts – FOR KIDS with Chef Michelle Encarnacion
10:00am-2:30pm - $100 per child
From devilish chocolate brownies, delicate rice-crispy treats, gooey cinnamon rolls, to scrumptious monkey bread and more, your child will learn easy step-by-step recipes that they can make again and again for you at home. They will leave feeling a huge sense of accomplishment and be comfortable in any kitchen, all with an emphasis on proper safety and sanitation. Chef Michelle Encarnacion is a professional teacher who also graduated from PCI’s professional Baking and Pastry Arts program. Bringing her two passions together makes her a great instructor for these and other types of classes. We will also provide a healthy lunch for the kids of fresh sandwiches, vegetables and fruit.

The Professional Culinary Institutes hands-on Hobby Classes are where you will learn to cook like the pros in the most fun and exciting amateur cooking program in the Bay Area. Each class begins with a detailed demonstration by our expert staff. Then in one of our state-of-the-art professional pastry or culinary kitchens you will be given hands on instruction from our world class Chef Instructors. Not only will you advance your cooking techniques and culinary knowledge, you will also get to enjoy the delicious fruits of your labor. You will be given a souvenir apron and packet of recipes from the day. Classes fill quickly so make your reservations at 408-370-9190

You can check out other great classes that the Professional Culinary Institute offers at: http://www.pcichef.com/hobbyschedule.html

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