Tired of Turkey?  Want a great way to spend time with your family with an atypical Wisconsin Friday Fish Night?  This class is for you!  Sushi is fun to make, and it’s not just raw fish; it’s a way of preparing food.  Participants will learn to prepare dashi (seaweed stock) for Miso Soup as well as Shari rice, the rice used to make sushi.  They will then learn techniques for rolling sushi and choose from plenty of ingredients to prepare their own special sushi rolls.  On the menu: Miso Soup with Tofu; Assorted Vegetable Rolls; California Rolls, Wisconsin Rolls; Spicy Tuna Rolls, and Inside-Out Rolls.  (In this class, no raw fish will be used.)  Families will also make Sesame cookies for dessert.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $75 per parent-child pair (each additional child is $35; additional adults are $50).

Why do some food and wine combinations dance gracefully on your palate and others stand around and disagree? Learn the basic characteristics of three major red wine varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Taste these wines along with three different plates of food encompassing the taste sensations of sweet, salty, bitter and sour. The play of herbs and spices, plus the role of the fifth taste sensation umami will be explored as well.  The recipes are vegetarian but not vegan.  Register Here

Who doesn’t love chocolate?  Parents and kids will learn about cooking with chocolate and will make these scrumptious chocolate eats and treats to try as well as to take some home to share (or not!).  On the menu: Pulled Chicken with Chocolate BBQ Sauce; Chocolate and Orange Soufflés; Phyllo Cups with Chocolate Crème Chantilly and Fruit; Double Chocolate Cookies; and Chocolate-Covered Mint Patties.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $75 per parent-child pair (each additional child is $35.  Max 2 children per adult).

Who doesn’t love chocolate?  Kids will learn about cooking with chocolate and will make these scrumptious chocolate eats and treats to try as well as to take some home to share (or not!).  On the menu:  Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting; Raspberry and Chocolate Bonbons; Chocolate Chip Mousse; Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie; and Chocolate-Covered Holiday Mint Patties.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $50.

What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon---making (and eating) delicious fresh, homemade Donuts with a special child!  You will be making both Cake Donuts and Yeast Donuts.  Pairs will prepare the yeast dough, then fry donuts to take with and share (or not!).  Cinnamon Sugar Donuts and Just Plain Good Donuts are on the menu.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $75 per parent-child pair (each additional child is $35).

This festive holiday cooking class offers an amazing chance to “go behind the scenes” at Smoky’s, learn some great culinary skills, and enjoy an incredible meal that you helped to prepare under the guidance of nationally-known culinary instructor/professional chef Joel Olson of Hemmachef.   This wonderful celebratory menu offers wines to taste with every course.  Location: Smoky’s Club.  Class Cost: $85 per person.

1st Course:  Roasted Butternut Bisque with Apple Cranberry Chutney and Ham & Cheddar Biscuits  (Dry Riesling and Pinot Pairing)

Creamy, lush and rich butternut squash bisque with a delicately balanced sweet and sour fresh apple and cranberry chutney and fresh-from-the-oven ham and cheddar cream biscuits.  You can decide which wine goes best for your palate!

2nd Course:  Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Sauce Poivrade, Red Wine Risotto with Parsley and Parmesan and Wilted Spinach with Mushrooms and Peppers  (Zinfandel Pairing)

Bacon appears again--this time wrapped around herb-rubbed pork tenderloin, served with the classic French pepper sauce, sumptuous red wine risotto with parsley and Parmesan cheese and just-warmed baby spinach with mushrooms and bell peppers.

3rd Course:  Tart Tatin with Caramel Port Sauce  (Port Pairing)

Apples cooked in caramel then topped with puff pastry, baked and inverted to make this classic French dessert--the original upside down tart.  Served with a caramel Port sauce.

Empower your child to help with the cooking by learning real knife skills/techniques that will stay with them for as long as they cook!  Children are great at chopping, dicing and mincing when they learn the proper techniques and safety guidelines.  Kids will practice cutting a variety of fruits, vegetables, and bread.  They will learn special techniques for cutting onions, carrots, peppers and other vegetables, as well as learning how to paste garlic, mince parsley, and make chiffonade of lettuce.  Sign them up now for this intense hands-on life skills lesson with Chef Joel!  A light meal will be served during class but Chef Joel recommends participants have a snack before class.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $40.

Share a Saturday morning learning to make delicious holiday treats with Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, or a special friend!  Adult-child pairs will prepare all of the following recipes and will have plenty to take home to share (or not!): Baby Bûche de Noël with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting; Sparkling Red and White Pinwheel Sugar Cookies; Holiday Gingerbread Wands; and Happy Holiday Mint Pearls.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $75 per parent-child pair (each additional child is $35).

Kids will spend a Saturday morning learning to make delicious holiday treats.  Participants will prepare the following recipes and will have plenty to take home to share (or not!)  On the menu: Holiday Red and White Pinwheel Sugar Cookies; “Hot Chocolate” Cookie Mugs; Chocolate Sprinkle Bark; Holiday Gingerbread Wands; Holiday Mint Pearls.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $50.

Want to be able to give meaningful homemade holiday gifts?  Need something in a pinch for last-minute giving that will impress?  Learn about an amazing variety of great recipes for fun, easy and delicious homemade gifts from your kitchen, and make and taste many of them.  Topics and recipes covered will include:  Infused Oils and Vinegars including Wisconsin Cranberry Bitters;  Flavored Sugars;  Fruit Butters;  Jams, Jellies, Ketchups, Mustards and Marmalades; Pickled Peppers;  Quick Breads;  Yeast Breads;  Spice Rubs and Blends;  Homemade Marinades;  Liqueurs; and Bath Salts and Soaks.  A light meal will also be served to enable participants to taste and savor recipes prepared in class.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $65.

Give the kids and yourself a break this Holiday Break!  Kids will learn a myriad of French techniques as they prepare a meal for them to enjoy each day in this two day Holiday edition of Classic French Cooking Mini-Camp.  Day One:   Le Tourin Gascon à la Tomate (Tomato Soup Gascon-Style); Handmade Baguettes with Beurre Maître d'Hôtel (maître d’hôtel compound butter); Blanquette de Poulet (Chicken and Vegetable Stew); Pomme Purée (Mashed Potatoes); and Sable Breton (French Butter Cookies).  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $100.

Give the kids and yourself a break this Holiday Break!  Kids will learn a myriad of French techniques as they prepare a meal for them to enjoy each day in this two day Holiday edition of Classic French Cooking Mini-Camp.  Day Two:  Flamiche aux Poireaux (Leek and Onion Pie from the Picardy region of France); Pain de Campagne (French Country Loaf) with Simple Garlic Confit; Boulettes de Porc with Caramelized Onion Sauce; Riz au Fromage (Rice with Cheese); and Le Mille-feuille for dessert.  Location: St. Mark’s.  Class Cost: $100.