Can you not get enough of watching chefs in action on shows like Kitchen Nightmares, Iron Chef, Top Chef and the rest? Been itching to get into a professional kitchen but aren't ready to give it all up to become a line-order cook? Fret not, there is another way.
Now through April 27th, armchair foodies can get their hands dirty at a cooking class series held every other Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Offering a chance to get up close and personal with some of the Bay Area’s top toques, sommeliers and mixologists, forthcoming classes include:
February 17: Duck with Laurence Jossel (NoPa)
March 2: Asia Flavors with Hung Huynh (Top Chef season three winner)
March 16: Classic Food and Wine Pairings with Traci des Jardins (Jardinière)
March 30: Farmer’s Market to Table with Jonnatan Leiva (Jack Falstaff)
April 13: Indian Spices with Kirti Pan (Junoon)
April 27: Cuisine of Piemonte and Liguria with Staffan Terje (Perbacco)
In addition to cooking demos, featured guest chefs will step inside the kitchen of the resort’s well-regarded restaurant, Navio, after class and partner with chef de cuisine Aaron Zimmer to present a special tasting menu that features cuisine from both chefs’ restaurants (Sundays from 4–6 PM; $90 per student; class registration does not include dinner; for Navio dining reservations, call 650-712-7040; to register for a class, go to www.insidethekitchen.net).