Culinary Lunch & Learn Classes
Sonoma County is all about great food and wine.
Learn creative recipes and techniques for cooking with seasonal ingredients, including farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, artisan cheese, locally raised meat and other Sonoma County specialties as you savor a fresh and delicious wine country lunch.
At these Lunch and Learn events, hosted every Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:00 PM at the Relish Culinary Center in charming downtown Healdsburg, guests will enjoy a one-hour, information-packed cooking demonstration by a talented local chef.
Lunch & Learn guests savor a main course lunch (vegetarian option available), seasonal dessert and one glass of wine, and take home copies of all recipes. For added fun, we often have a winery representative join us for lunch to say a few words about the featured wine.
Advanced registration is highly recommended. Call 877.759.1004 or register online. We will do our best to accomodate walk-ins.
Price: $39 per person (No volume or group discounts)
September - Fresh Harvest Flavors
with chef Monica Sallouti
Wednesdays, September 1, 8, 15 & 29
12:00 - 1:00 PM
September is an amazing time of year in the wine country. Farmers are busy harvesting everything from Armenian Cucubers to Zebra Striped Tomatoes, not to menion grapes, of course! Chef Monica Sallouti will capture some of these wonderful flavors in her fantastic seasonal menu. So much to cover in one hour: we'll start with a lovely chilled cucumber soup that is transformed into something special with the tomato ginger relish. Guests will get hands-on as they rub crostini with a variety of garlics, learning about the radically different flavors of these heirloom bulbs. And we'll end with a luscious olive oil cake with a glaze made with our local HelloCello Limoncello. Yum!
The wine for the month is the fresh, bright Longboard Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.
August - Tomato Creativity
with chef Victoria Blumenstein
Wednesdays, August 4, 11, 18 & 25
12:00 - 1:00 PM
The wonderful chef Victoria Blumenstein returns with creative seasonal dishes that honor summer tomatoes. Chef Victoria will talk about the different types of tomatoes—sweet cherries, colored heirlooms, romas, classic beefsteaks, etc.—and how they are best utilized in each dish. Chef Victoria's creativity is evident in this varied menu and guests are sure to learn new techniques (such as how to make consommé - a clear tomato soup essence) to jazz up their summer tomato menus at home.
The wine for this month is the wonderful Michel-Schlumberger Pinot Blanc, another fresh, crisp white wine that works so well with the tangy tomatoes in the August lunch. Each guest will receive a 5 oz glass of wine with their lunch and can purchase additional wine by the glass or bottle.
July - Asian-Inspired Lunch
with chef Mei Ibach
Wednesdays, July 8, 21 & 28
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Charming chef Mei Ibach is back to lead July's Lunch & Learn classes laced with the flavors of Asia. Mei just led an exciting and delicious culinary tour of Asia—Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand—and will be sharing stories and recipes from her trip. I'm always excited about creating dishes with Asian flavors; it is so easy to completely transform a dish with seasonings and herbs inspired by the different regions of Asia. The Grilled Lemongrass Beef sounds particularly tasty with a light, seasonal Rice Noodle Salad for a fresh summer menu. Mei will also demonstrate a creative dessert with fresh summer berries.
The wine for July is our neighbor Murphy-Goode's Fumé Blanc, a fresh, crisp summer wine perfect with the Asian flavors in our lunch. Each guest will receive a 5 oz glass of wine with their lunch and can purchase additional wine by the glass or bottle.
June - Lunch in Puglia, Italy
with chef Domenico Cardano
Wednesdays, June 9, 16, 23 & 30
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Kick off summer with a virtual trip to Italy. Join chef Domenico Cardano leads the June 2010 Lunch & Learn classes with this lovely summer menu inspired by the flavors of Puglia, the region of Italy where he's from. Guests will learn how to make traditional Cavatelli Pasta and a fresh sauce with tangy summer flavors. Once lunch is served, chef Domenico will shift gears to demonstrate a luscious ricotta mousse using locally-made ricotta cheese from Bellwether Farms and strawberries and mint from the Tuesday night Healdsburg Farmers Market. Guests will savor every bite as they take in authentic Italian cooking methods.
We're pouring a lovely Rosé from our neighbors Thumbprint Cellars with our June lunches. A representative from Thumbprint will join us for lunch to tell us more about this fantastic summer wine.
