Winvian Cooking School

Six weeks.  One day per week.

Offered early spring, March into April, and late fall, November into December - $2400 + tax per person.  Maximum 12ppl. 

Includes apron, knives, equipment.  Overnight rooms:     a la Carte $400 / $600 / $800 + tax and service per night.

 Six Consecutive Wednesdays in March - April, 8 hour days including lunch, 6 weeks in November and December but skips Thanksgiving week.

March – 2^nd, 9^th, 16^th, 23^rd, 30^th, April 13^th

November 2^nd, 9^th, 16^th, (skip a week of Thanksgiving) Nov 30^th, Dec 7^th, 14^th 

 Winvian’s six-week cooking class offers an in-depth teaching of classic French cooking techniques, including selecting the best herbs and aromatics paired with the best ingredients and how to make simple dishes that pop.  Recipes and a Winvian apron are included.

Week One—Salads & Eggs

The miraculous egg is the star in this week’s class with classic egg dishes like an omelette with cheese, herbs, and spinach, scrambled eggs with truffles, or baked eggs in ramekins? Recipes might include custards, quiches, or a spectacular soufflé!  Pair egg dishes with salads with warm goat cheese, mushroom salads, warm lentil salads, and classic French vinaigrettes to top them off, and you’ve got a French feast.

 Week Two—Hearty Soups & Stocks

Ladle up a warm bowl of soup today, with possibilities including French onion soup, and a Mediterranean fish soup or lobster bisque.  A delicious stock makes any dish better and we will also learn how to make the best homemade chicken, seafood, and beef stocks.

 Week Three—Basics of Vegetable Cooking, Bread

Learn best how to cook several of your favorite vegetables, from gratins to stuffed vegetables, and perhaps a delicious mushroom risotto.  During the second half the day, the smell of warm, crusty French bread straight from the oven will waft throughout the grounds of Winvian, as you learn the best ways to cook fresh bread at home.

Week Four—Classical Cooking Methods for Fish

First, we’ll learn the best methods for selecting fish and shellfish when we buy at local grocery and seafood shops.  We’ll learn the best recipes and tips for broiling, sautéing, and oven-poaching fish. 

Week Five—Preparation of Poultry Dishes

Chicken is the basis of so many wonderful dishes, but we can often get stuck in a rut of not knowing how to make chicken special. Today, that problem is solved with various classical chicken dishes, like coq au vin, roast chicken provencal, and chicken cordon bleu.

 Week Six—Preparation of Meat Dishes, including Beef and Pork