The classes listed below are the same as those listed in the interactive calendar above. Simply click on the following links for details and menus for each class.

Essential Technique

• Italian Summer Feast June 1
• Pasta, Focaccia, & Beyond June 8 at 12PM
• Essentials of Southern Italian Cooking June 22
• Italian Surf & Turf June 20 at 12PM
• Cooking with Wine June 26
• Northern Italian Classics June 27 at 12PM
• Italian for Beginners July 11 at 12PM
• Pizza Workshop July 18 at 12PM
• The Ultimate Seafood Feast July 20
• Northern Italian Favorites July 24
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 July 25 at 12PM
• Summer Entertaining Italian-Style July 27
• Essentials of Tuscan Cooking August 1 at 12PM
• East Meets West: Italian with a Twist August 7
• Seafood for Beginners August 8 at 12PM
• Elegant Entertaining August 14
• Neapolitan Cooking 101 August 15 at 12PM
• Sicilian Summer Cooking August 21
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 August 22 at 12PM
• Al Fresco Seafood August 28
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 September 12 at 12PM
• Glorious Garlic September 18
• Italian Home Cooking September 19 at 12PM
• Funghi! Funghi! Funghi! A Mushroom Feast September 21
• Hot & Spicy Italian September 25
• Tuscan Harvest September 26 at 12PM

Daytime Classes

• Entertaining all'Italiana June 6 at 12PM
• Pasta, Focaccia, & Beyond June 8 at 12 PM
• Italian Surf & Turf June 20 at 12PM
• Northern Italian Classics June 27 at 12PM
• Italian for Beginners July 11 at 12PM
• Pizza Workshop July 18 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 July 25 at 12PM
• Essentials of Tuscan Cooking August 1 at 12PM
• Seafood for Beginners August 8 at 12PM
• Neapolitan Cooking 101 August 15 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 August 22 at 12PM
• Magical Calabria August 29 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 September 12 at 12PM
• Italian Home Cooking September 19 at 12PM
• Tuscan Harvest September 26 at 12PM

Seafood & Healthy Cooking

• Sicilian Classics June 19
• Italian Surf & Turf June 20 at 12PM
• Tuscan Summer Classics July 10
• Luscious Liguria July 17
• The Ultimate Seafood Feast July 20
• Seafood for Beginners August 8 at 12PM
• Al Fresco Seafood August 28

Regional Cuisine

• Evening in Venice June 5
• Pasta, Focaccia, & Beyond June 8 at 12 PM
• Summer in Milan June 12
• Sicilian Classics June 19
• Essentials of Southern Italian Cooking June 22
• Northern Italian Classics June 27 at 12PM
• Tuscan Summer Classics July 10
• Summer in Piedmont July 13
• Luscious Liguria July 17
• Northern Italian Favorites July 24
• Essentials of Tuscan Cooking August 1 at 12PM
• Neapolitan Cooking 101 August 15 at 12PM
• Sicilian Summer Cooking August 21
• Magical Calabria August 29 at 12PM
• Italian Home Cooking September 19 at 12PM
• Tuscan Harvest September 26 at 12PM

Wine Tasting Classes

• Cooking with Wine June 26
• Wine Tasting: Riesling June 29
• Wine Tasting September 14

• Homemade Cavatelli with Broccoli Raab & Sausage
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Lamb Saltimbocca Stuffed With Mozzarella & Fresh Herbs
• Stuffed Zucchini with Mint & Ricotta
• Limoncello-Spiked Mousse with Fresh Summer Berries

Vibrant pastas, herb-kissed meats and vegetables, and fresh fruit desserts are the dishes I crave most when summer begins to make its presence felt. We'll start off by preparing a traditional pasta dish from Puglia: handmade cavatelli tossed with spicy broccoli raab and sausage, dusted with a good dose of grated Pecorino. Cavatelli are so much fun to make, and once you get the hang of working the semolina dough into a smooth mass, you'll find yourself making this pasta with all manner of sauces; it's just wonderful with roasted peppers and fresh basil, a simple beef ragu and a generous dusting of Parmigiano, or a chunky seafood sauce splashed with white wine. Next, we'll stuff tender lamb scaloppine with fresh Mozzarella and herbs, wrap the resulting bundles in Prosciutto, sear them to a glorious golden brown, and finish them with a hint of wine and tomato. Such a richly flavored main course requires a light accompaniment: mint- and cheese-stuffed zucchini "boats" are a classic choice in southern Italy, and they pair splendidly with our lamb. For a sweet ending to our summer feast, we'll whip up a light, bracing Limoncello zabaione, and spoon it atop liqueur-soaked ladyfingers and fresh berries. This is voluptuous summer cooking at its absolute best.

$95 pp | Italian Summer Feast | Monday June 1 at 6PM

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Wines Served:
Ronco del Gnemiz Tocai Friulano 2006
Frescobaldi Castello di Pomino Rosso 2003
Rosso dei Cavalieri Negroamaro 2006

• Individual Lasagna with Caramelized Radicchio, Onions, & Pancetta
• Drunken Chicken with Brandy & Porcini Mushrooms
• "Smashed" Onion & Potato Pancake
• Miniature Tiramisu Tartlets

Venice: city of romance, city of mystery, it was once a great commercial and maritime power. Its empire extended across the Mediterranean and beyond, into the Byzantine world, bringing in exotic goods and spices which spawned a flavorful, eastern-influenced cuisine. From the Venetian lagoon come soups and risottos studded with seafood; in the valleys and hills surrounding Venice, myriad specialties feature radicchio (both the round and elongated variety, known as Chioggia and Treviso respectively after their native cities); and all across the Veneto, most meals bring polenta in one form or another: right out of the pot, fried, grilled, layered and baked, even cooked into rustic desserts. This brand new menu features some of the classic flavors of Venice and its surrounding towns. We'll begin our Venetian menu with a deeply flavored homemade lasagna layered with caramelized radicchio, Pancetta, and onions (I'll show you a time-saving shortcut to homemade lasagna that you won't believe!). Slow-cooking chicken with brandy and aromatic vegetables yields succulent results; adding porcini mushrooms elevates this delectable main course to new heights. A crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside pancake of potatoes and onions is a lovely counterpoint to the chicken's rich flavors... and delicate little pastry tartlets filled with a dark chocolate mousse and espresso-spiked Mascarpone top off our Venetian feast in high style.

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$95 pp | Evening in Venice | Friday June 5 at 6PM

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Wines Served:
Antinori Orvieto Classico Campogrande 2007
Varrone Lazio Rosso 2001
Duca San Felice Ciro Librandi Riserva 2005

• Crispy Shrimp & Basil "Ravioli" over Smoky Fennel-Red Pepper Slaw
• Roasted Rack of Lamb with Spicy Herb Rub & Saffron Aioli
• Ricotta-Stuffed Cabbage Bundles
• Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla-Scented Whipped Cream

Entertaining can be stressful, especially when you have to be in the kitchen while your guests are enjoying each other's company and you're rushing to make the meal come together. This new menu was designed with entertaining in mind, so that you can be free to enjoy your guests and have as little to do at the last minute as possible. The key to stress-free entertaining, after all, is a workable menu that impresses guests without overwhelming the cook. This brand new menu features elegant crowd-pleasers that can be prepared mostly ahead: crispy shrimp, rosy rack of lamb, and decadent chocolate. We'll begin our meal with basil-wrapped shrimp baked to golden perfection in a fresh pasta wrapper; served atop a bed of smoky fennel and red pepper salad, these shrimp "ravioli" will look as beautiful as they taste, and they can be prepared entirely ahead. A main course of herb-rubbed rack of lamb leaves you free to sit at the table with your dinner companions; all you need to do is carve the rack after it emerges from the oven, and serve it with a cold saffron-hued garlic sauce. Delicate bundles of cabbage stuffed with lemon-scented Ricotta are a sophisticated side for the lamb; best of all, the bundles can be assembled a day ahead and baked while the lamb roasts. And for dessert, what could beat a deep, dark, delicious molten chocolate cake? These glorious little cakes can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to bake, and a tuft of homemade whipped cream is all they need as embellishment.

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$95 pp | Entertaining all'Italiana | Saturday June 6 at 12PM

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Wines Served:
Antinori Orvieto Classico Campogrande 2007
Rubrato Aglianico Feudi San Gregorio 2005
Il Nero di Casanova Sangiovese 2006

• Crispy Focaccia with Sea Salt & Rosemary
• Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta with Garlicky Chickpeas
• Stuffed Sausages with Smoked Mozzarella & Prosciutto
• Sauteed Broccoli Raab with Garlic & Chili
• Flaky Ricotta Cheesecake

If you want to learn to make fresh pasta and focaccia, don't miss this one time-only class. Here is a class featuring all my favorite foods: addictively crispy focaccia; handmade tagliatelle with garlicky chickpeas; tender morsels of roasted lamb; silky broccoli raab; and creamy, light cheesecake. These five dishes all hail from Basilicata, a breathtakingly beautiful and rarely traveled region in southern Italy that was recently written up by Saveur Magazine as one of Italy's last culinary frontiers. Subtly spicy, laced with garlic, kissed by ripe summer tomatoes and fruity olive oil, the cuisine of Basilicata is among Italy's most flavorful. We'll begin our taste journey by making a crispy, thin focaccia topped with sea salt and a hint of rosemary. We'll also prepare my favorite version of pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas, a cousin to pasta e fagioli): rustic homemade tagliatelle, tossed with a rich chickpea sauce. (The technique for making these tagliatelle, or lagane as they are called in Basilicata, can be used to make all manner of fresh pasta, so it's an essential technique that will serve you well time and time again.) The residents of Basilicata have been famous for making sausages since Roman times, so many meals in this area feature sausage in one form or another. Our main course: plump sausages stuffed with smoky Mozzarella, wrapped in Prosciutto and roasted until the cheese melts... the perfect partner for a garlic-infused tangle of sauteed broccoli raab. Dessert is a sweet ode to Ricotta, one of Basilicata's most beloved ingredients: buttery shortcrust dough encasing a heavenly Ricotta filling.

$95 pp | Pasta, Focaccia, & Beyond | Monday June 8 at 12PM

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Wines Served:
Antinori Orvieto Classico Campogrande 2007
Rubrato Aglianico Feudi San Gregorio 2005
Il Nero di Casanova Sangiovese 2006

• Homemade Pasta in Creamy Mascarpone Sauce
• Slow-Cooked Stuffed Veal Bundles
• Roasted Asparagus with Parmigiano
• Light-as-Air Lemon Cake with Warm Berry Coulis

I was born in Milan, and my parents still live about an hour away from this bustling northern Italian city... so I often make my way over there, and whenever I do, I try to discover a new restaurant and taste the local cuisine. A savory interplay of butter, cow's milk cheeses, rice, polenta, fresh pasta, veal, beef, and pork, and humble vegetables and beans, Milanese cooking is robust, perfumed, and just right for a summer feast. We'll start our Milanese menu by kneading and rolling out fresh egg pasta; we'll whip up a simple but intensely satisfying Mascarpone sauce for our fresh pasta (you have surely enjoyed Mascarpone in tiramisu, but this rich, buttery cheese is just as wonderful in savory dishes and pasta sauces). We'll prepare a luscious herb- and Parmigiano stuffing for veal scaloppine, and we'll braise the resulting bundles in a light tomato and wine sauce until they emerge perfectly tender and juicy; a savory side of roasted asparagus rounds out the meal. And for dessert, we'll bake a cake that is the very essence of Italian summer: light, airy, and lemon-scented, this cake is especially glorious topped with a colorful berry coulis.

$95 pp | Summer in Milan | Friday June 12 at 6PM

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Wines Served:
Ca' Viola Dolcetto d'Alba 2006
Masi Campofiorin 2005
Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva 2005

• Homemade Cannelloni with Ragu & Melting Cheese
• Swordfish Bundles with Pine Nuts & Raisins in Lemon Sauce
• Shaved Fennel & Orange Salad
• Miniature Cannoli with Bittersweet Chocolate Morsels

There is something magical about Sicily. Maybe it's the volcanoes, Etna and Stromboli and a handful of smaller ones, forever threatening eruption, making every day seem like a gift. Maybe it's the perfume of jasmine and rosemary that hangs in the air, or the golden light that warms everything it touches. Maybe it's the way a Greek temple will suddenly appear on the skyline, or the way the vendors' voices at the open-air markets rise and fall like waves on the beach. Whatever it is, Sicily's magic extends to its food, to its Baroque concoctions of pasta, its monumental seafood creations, its exuberant almond-laced pastries, its sweet, potent wines that taste like a distillation of the Sicilian sun. Join me for a new class and prepare four fabulous dishes in true Sicilian tradition. We'll start by rolling out homemade pasta dough; we'll cut the dough into squares and stuff it with a rich, garlic-scented beef ragu and melting Caciocavallo cheese (similar to Provolone, but with greater compexity and character). Our main course perfectly embodies Sicily's culinary artistry: thin slices of swordfish wrapped around a sweet-and-savory stuffing, roasted until tender and served with a light lemon and olive oil sauce known as salmoriglio; a refreshing salad of thinly sliced fennel and sweet oranges flavored with a few mint leaves is the ideal complement to the swordfish. And for dessert, we'll make our very own crisp cannoli, boasting a rich, creamy cheese filling studded with dark chocolate.

$95 pp | Sicilian Classics | Friday June 19 at 6PM

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Wines Served:
La Cala Vermentino di Sardegna Sella & Mosca 2007
Le Coste Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2006
Mirabile Nero d'Avola 2006

• Crispy Shrimp & Asparagus Triangles with Saffron Aioli over Baby Greens
• Herb-Rubbed Filet Mignon in Leek & Red Wine Sauce
• Smashed Baby Potatoes with Mint & Garlic
• Orange-Scented Almond Cakes with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Join me for a brand new class that highlights the pleasures of cooking (and eating) the finest seafood and meat Italian-style... and bring your father or the special man in your life to celebrate Father's Day in a truly memorable way! We'll make the crispiest shrimp- and asparagus-stuffed phyllo triangles ever, an impressive appetizer served over baby greens in a light lemon dressing; once you've mastered the technique of working with phyllo, you'll find yourself making all manner of dishes with it. (And I guarantee you that the saffron aioli we'll be preparing to accompany our shrimp triangles is going to find its way onto your table time and again... it's that easy, and that good!) As a main course, few things are more memorable than a tender, rosy filet mignon in a heady red wine sauce; I'll share my secrets for perfectly roasted beef and show you how to make an incredibly delicious sauce for your beef masterpiece. Crispy garlic-kissed potatoes are just right alongside filet mignon, and a heavenly, moist almond cake topped with vanilla bean ice cream concludes the meal on a sweet note. Even expert cooks will learn plenty in this new class... and of course, after the cooking is done, we'll sit down to enjoy our southern Italian feast with three specially selected wines. If you're looking for a unique Father's Day gift this year, don't wait too long to reserve your spots in this one time-only class!

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$95 pp | Italian Surf & Turf | Saturday June 20 at 12PM

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Wines Served:
Fiegl Collio Pinot Grigio 2007
Villa Pillo Borgoforte 2007
Cortegiano Rosso di Toscana 2002

• Homemade Pizza with Tomatoes, Ricotta, & Arugula
• Beef Pizzaiola with Mozzarella & Marinara Sauce
• Roasted Eggplants & Peppers in Basil-Scented Oil
• Flaky Italian Cream Tart

Join me for a brand new class on the essential techniques of Southern Italian cooking! I'll teach you to knead and bake authentic homemade pizza; the trick is in the dough, of course, a recipe I've perfected over many years of baking (once you've mastered this dough, you'll be able to bake focaccia, bread, pizza... you'll be amazed at how versatile this recipe is). We'll cook tender, cheese-topped beef scaloppine in a delicate marinara sauce studded with olives and capers, traditional flavor boosters in southern Italian cuisine. We'll turn out a platter of the most addictive roasted vegetables imaginable, kissed with fresh summer basil and fruity olive oil. And for dessert, we'll whip up a luscious, tender butter crust for southern Italy's classic cream-filled tart, scented with a touch of lemon zest and a secret ingredient that will transport you to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Even expert cooks will learn plenty in this new class, as the menu covers many of the basics of Southern Italian cuisine... ... and of course, after the cooking is done, we'll sit down to enjoy our southern Italian feast with three specially selected wines.

$95 pp | Essentials of Southern Italian Cooking | Monday June 22 at 6PM

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Wines Served:
Anselmi Soave San Vincenzo 2008
Santa Marta Salustri Montecucco Sangiovese 2005
Axee Rosso Piceno Superiore 2003

• Handmade Cavatelli Pasta with Seafood & Prosecco Sauce
• Chicken Scaloppine in Marsala Glaze
• Risotto with Caramelized Radicchio & Chianti
• Mini Apple Cakes in Moscato Wine Syrup

Italians take wine very seriously. And just as they eat regionally, Italians drink regionally. Go to Tuscany, and you'll find locals drinking Chianti, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Brunello di Montalcino, and other Tuscan wines with their meals. Head to Abruzzo, and you'll find Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, or Trebbiano d'Abruzzo on the table. Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world, and it exports much of its wine to North America. Every Italian region produces good wine (some more than others, of course). And every Italian region cooks with wine-using it in every dish from antipasti to desserts to lend flavor and body, to add depth and complexity, and to elevate the simple to the sublime. Join me for a brand new class on cooking with wine Italian-style. We'll start our wine-centric menu with homemade cavatelli pasta in a chunky seafood and Prosecco wine sauce. Marsala (the dry variety) becomes a velvety sauce for tender chicken scaloppine, and a dry Chianti lends color and fruitiness to a radicchio-laced risotto. And for dessert, we'll bake delectable little cakes and bathe them in an aromatic Moscato wine sauce... of course, our menu will be paired with three fabulous wines, so get ready for a night of amazing food, wine, and fun!

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$110 pp | Cooking with Wine | Friday June 26 at 6PM

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Wines Served:
Masi Masibianco 2006
Mirabile Nero d'Avola 2006
Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva 2004

• Ligurian Focaccia with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
• Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Delicate Leek Sauce
• Nonna's Lemon Veal Cutlets
• Fennel Gratin with Parmigiano
• Individual Brown Sugar & Pecan Cakes with Warm Caramel-Rum Sauce

This class always fills quickly, so don't wait too long to sign up! This is a menu that takes me back to my childhood in Italy, specifically the northern regions of Lombardy, where I was born, and Liguria, where we spent our summers. Liguria is where I first discovered the pleasures of fresh-baked focaccia drizzled with olive oil: soft on the inside, crisp around the edges, it is eaten as a snack, served at the table instead of bread, and split in half and stuffed for the most heavenly panini imaginable. We'll learn to bake this delectable focaccia, then we'll make my mom's famous potato gnocchi; served with a delicate leek sauce, my mom's gnocchi are light as pillows and (once you've got a hold of her foolproof recipe) relatively easy to make. My grandmother's lemony veal scaloppine were my favorite as a child; lightly flavored with garlic, they are so tender and so satisfying. A side of my mom's famous fennel gratin, generously topped with Parmigiano, is all the veal needs as a partner on the plate. And for dessert, we'll bake an amazingly decadent cake: who knew butter, brown sugar, eggs, and flour cook taste THIS good? (Well, the warm rum-spiked caramel sauce studded with pecans may be partly responsible!)

$95 pp | Northern Italian Classics | Saturday June 27 at 12PM

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Wines Served:
Anselmi Soave San Vincenzo 2008
Santa Marta Salustri Montecucco Sangiovese 2005
Axee Rosso Piceno Superiore 2003

• Crispy Phyllo Baskets with Riesling-Poached Shrimp & Sweet Peppers over Baby Greens
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Fontina Cheese in Marsala Sauce
• Roasted Wild Mushroom Risotto
• Caramelized Fennel & Baby Carrots with Sage & Nutmeg
• Apricot & Almond Paste Squares with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

If you love wine, don't miss this one time-only hands-on cooking class and dinner featuring summer's perfect white wine: Riesling. Beloved for its flowery, almost perfumed aromas and refreshing acidity, Riesling embodies all the attributes of a great warm-weather wine. So join us for a wine lovers' tour of Riesling just in time to welcome summer: we'll savor Rieslings from Germany, Italy, France, the United States, and beyond, reveling in the unique pleasures of this amazing wine. You'll enjoy a brief hands-on cooking class during which you'll learn to prepare five fabulous Italian dishes. We'll poach shrimp in an aromatic Riesling broth, and serve the shrimp over slivered sweet peppers in crispy phyllo baskets of our own making; this is truly an elegant appetizer, and once you've learned to work with phyllo you'll surely be making all manner of phyllo baskets, both savory and sweet. We'll top tender herbed chicken morsels with Fontina cheese and wrap them in Prosciutto, then bake them to succulent perfection as we put the finishing touches on our Marsala wine sauce. Risotto with roasted wild mushrooms and a gratin of fennel and baby carrots rounds out the meal splendidly. And for a sweet finale, we'll bake a flaky, buttery pastry stuffed with apricots and almond paste, absolutely sinful with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Dinner will be paired with a tasting of 8 or more Rieslings from all over the world, each of which will be presented by our charismatic Wine Director Costas Mouzouras, so get ready for a night of amazing food, wine, and fun!

Course price includes...

$150 pp | Riesling Wine Tasting | Monday June 29 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Herbed Shrimp & Cannellini Beans over Peppery Arugula Salad
• Spinach- & Ricotta-Stuffed Chicken Bundles in Fresh Tomato Salsa
• Five-Herb Risotto
• Pear & Almond Crostata

Get ready for an unbelievable evening of Tuscan food... Light, yet full of flavor, this menu will transport you to the Tuscan countryside on first bite. Our starter: an elegant marriage of herb-marinated shrimp, creamy cannellini beans, and peppery arugula spiked with olives and lemon zest; this salad is so delicious, in fact, you'll find yourself making it time and again for guests on lazy summer days. Our main course is a stunning chicken involtino (bundle in Italian) stuffed with fresh Ricotta, spinach, and Parmigiano, dredged in egg, rolled in sesame seeds for extra crunch and flavor, and baked rather than fried... just perfect with a refreshing tomato salsa accented by summer-sweet basil, and a side of herb-kissed, creamy risotto. For dessert, we'll bake up a buttery, flaky crostata (Italian for tart) bursting with vanilla-scented pears, so lovely with espresso or a glass of Vin Santo at meal's end.

$95 pp | Tuscan Summer Classics | Friday July 10 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Perfect Homemade Pasta with Two-Meat Ragu
• Chicken Scaloppine with Fontina & Prosciutto in Marsala Glaze
• Escarole with Garlic & Chili
• The Ultimate Tiramisu

Although we designed this class with beginner cooks in mind, the techniques we'll be covering are so basic and so important to Italian cooking that anyone who enjoys Italian cuisine is sure to learn something new. We'll start off by making fresh egg pasta; I have devised a special formula that is foolproof and yields consistently delicious results, no matter what shape of pasta you're craving... it's all about which flour you use and how many eggs you add to your dough. We'll cook a perfect ragu sauce for our pasta, and there's a key to success here too, one that many advanced home cooks often skip, with disappointing results. As a main course, we'll brown chicken scaloppine, top them with cheese and Prosciutto, and finish them in the oven as we create a flavorful pan sauce with Marsala wine. Escarole with garlic and chili makes a refreshing accompaniment to the chicken. And for dessert, I'll share my recipe for tiramisu with you... it's so good, you'll never be able to eat the store-bought stuff again.

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$95 pp | Italian for Beginners | Saturday July 11 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Summer Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Arugula, and Balsamic Splash
• Ricotta & Spinach Gnocchi with Mint-Infused Parmigiano Fonduta
• Vitello Tonnato (Thinly Sliced Veal in Tonnato Sauce)
• Marinated Zucchini "Pappardelle"
• Light-as-Air Lemon Soufflé

If you're a gnocchi lover, don't miss this class: I've had (and I've made) a lot of gnocchi over the years, but the recipe I'll be featuring in today's class is by far my favorite. Before we indulge in our gnocchi, we'll savor a colorful summer bruschetta topped with arugula, goat cheese, and a splash of honey-balsamic glaze. Next, we'll learn to knead and shape fresh gnocchi, and you'll be amazed at how delicious they are when we add a touch of fresh mint to our creamy Parmigiano sauce; the mint lightens the gnocchi and sauce, making it a perfect dish for a warm summer evening. Thinly sliced veal in tonnato sauce is a classic, prepared in Piedmont and Lombardy in the summer months; my favorite version is my mom's, and there's a trick to her sauce that I'll share with you in class (who knew something so simple as a carrot could make THIS much difference?). A side of zucchini ribbons (shaved as wide as pappardelle pasta) marinated with lemon, garlic, and herbs is the ideal complement for the veal. And of course, what could be a more elegant ending for our northern Italian meal than a sophisticated lemon soufflé? Light, airy, and refreshing, this soufflé is sure to impress your guests at your next alfresco Italian dinner.

$95 pp | Summer in Piedmont | Monday July 13 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Handmade Pasta in Heirloom Pine Nut & Marjoram Pesto
• Orata (Sea Bream) with Artichokes, Parsley, & White Wine
• Crispy-Topped Zucchini & Potato Torta
• Lemon-Scented Genoise Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream

I love Liguria. A small crescent-shaped region immediately north of Tuscany, it is where my family has had a home for nearly four decades, and where I spent most of my childhood summers. It is also where I first understood just how regional Italian cooking is: living in nearby Milan, just two hours north of Liguria, our everyday fare was so different from the light, herb-kissed cuisine I encountered in the seaside Ligurian towns of Rapallo, Santa Margherita, and Portofino. Olive oil, rather than butter, was used with abandon; cheeses were fresh and creamy; pastas were lighter, the dough less redolent of eggs; fish and seafood were often paired with potatoes and pine nuts, or porcini mushrooms, or artichokes... Ligurian cuisine became my entry point to the amazing diversity of Italian regional food, and it remains one of my favorites to this day. In this new class, we'll explore some of the lesser-known gems of Ligurian cooking. We'll start off by making corzetti, a unique handmade coin-shaped pasta that was once stamped with the coat of arms of noble families for the wedding day feast; we'll prepare a creamy pesto featuring pine nuts, garlic, marjoram, and a splash of cream, a true revelation for anyone who loves Genova's more famous basil pesto. Our main course is a seaside fantasy of sea bream; known as orata in Italy, sea bream is quite a delicate fish (it is similar to, but even sweeter than, branzino, aka Mediterranean sea bass); we'll cook our orata with artichokes, white wine, garlic, and parsley, a classic combination in Liguria. Ligurians are masters at cooking vegetables, and their potato and zucchini torta is just the thing for a hot summer day: similar to frittata, but lighter and with a crispy bread crumb topping, it can be eaten hot or cold, and leftovers make a fabulous filling for panini. For dessert, we'll bake an ethereally light lemon-scented Genoise (the French word for Genovese, a nod to the origins of this delicious cake in Liguria's capital, the city of Genova).

$95 pp | Luscious Liguria | Friday July 17 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Classic Pizza Margherita
• Pizza Rosa with Truffle Oil and Mascarpone
• Pizza with Artichoke Hearts, Goat Cheese, and Olives
• Pizza Dolce with Apricot and Chocolate

I've been teaching Italian cooking for years, and the thing that seems to scare people off more than anything is working with yeast. Maybe it's the fear that, left to its own devices, yeast will take over the kitchen--just think of dough ballooning out of the oven in that episode of "I Love Lucy". But I've found that once people get their hands into the dough and get familiar with how yeast works, the fear disappears. All it takes is understanding a few rules, getting comfortable with basic techniques such as kneading and shaping the dough, and a reliable recipe. Whether you're making bread, focaccia, pizza, or any other yeast-risen dough, the principles are the same. It's all about temperature, ingredients, and technique. If you've ever wanted to bake crisp, thin-crust pizzas, this hands-on class is for you: I'll take you through the essential techniques of kneading, rolling, topping, and baking pizza dough and demystify the process of working with yeast. We'll bake Italy's most famous pizzas, starting with the classic tomato- and Mozzarella-topped Pizza Margherita, then set our imaginations free and combine various toppings for a true pizza-lover's fantasy. We'll even make a sweet pizza with chocolate and apricots--delicious with a glass of sweet wine at meal's end!

$95 pp | Pizza Workshop | Saturday July 18 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Crispy Crab Ravioli with Saffron Aioli & Caramelized Asparagus
• Classic Cioppino (Ligurian Seafood Soup) over Garlic-Rubbed Bread
• Red Snapper & Scallops in Parchment Paper with White Wine & Capers
• Roasted Plum Tomatoes with Balsamic Vinegar & Tarragon
• Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake in Brown Sugar-Almond Crust

I have to admit to selfish motives when I planned this class: I really love seafood. And summertime is the perfect time to savor seafood in all its glory... so this class just HAD to happen. We'll talk about how to select and store seafood, and then roll up our sleeves to create a veritable seafood feast starring crab, shrimp, mussels, cockles (similar to clams, but much sweeter and more delicate in texture), scallops, and red snapper... We'll start with crispy crab-filled ravioli, an elegant appetizer served with an addictive garlic-kissed sauce. Next, we'll cook up a flavorful seafood soup from northern Italy called cioppino; I use a secret ingredient in my cioppino that infuses the broth with a heady scent, and of course I love to serve the soup over a slice of garlic-rubbed bread to soak up the rich cooking juices. As a main course, we'll learn to cook fish and seafood al cartoccio (in parchment paper), a time-honored Italian technique that yields succulent, moist fish amply perfumed with whatever seasoning is tucked into the parchment paper packets; we'll serve our snapper and scallops with juicy roasted tomatoes, and for dessert, we'll whip up the most decadent chocolate cheesecake imaginable, featuring deep, dark, bittersweet chocolate swirled inside a buttery brown sugar and almond crust...

$110 pp | The Ultimate Seafood Feast | Monday July 20 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Individual Lasagna with Shrimp & Asparagus over Warm Artichoke & Spinach Medley
• Herb-Rubbed Filet Mignon in Salsa Verde
• Garlicky String Bean Sformato
• Summer Berry Tiramisu

Northern Italy: a vast area covering Val d'Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino, Friuli, The Veneto, and Liguria. Each of these regions boasts its own distinct cuisine, and one class can't possibly do justice to the many traditions of this fascinating area. What we can do in this one class, though, is learn to prepare a fool-proof summer menu that draws its inspiration from this glorious part of the world. We'll begin our northern Italian feast with a light, elegant lasagna studded with tender shrimp and creamy asparagus; I'll show you a trick for making the lasagna quickly and easily, and you won't believe just how delicious the results are. We'll roast an herb-rubbed beef tenderloin (aka filet mignon) until it is perfectly rosy, and serve it in hearty slices with a bracing caper-and-parsley sauce known as salsa verde in Italy; this recipe will not only demistify the cooking of filet mignon, it underscores how important the fact that a delicious, versatile sauce need not be difficult to make. We'll cook a classic Italian sformato featuring string beans, dried porcini mushrooms, onions, and plenty of Parmigiano to serve with our filet; a sformato is similar to a frittata, but less eggy and less dense, with a definite shift of focus on vegetables and cheese rather than eggs. Once you've learned to make a string bean sformato, you can apply the same basic technique to other vegetables: artichokes, potatoes, peppers, zucchini, or whatever strikes your fancy at the market. For dessert, we'll whip up a colorful berry-laden tiramisu starring creamy Mascarpone, one of northern Italy's most luscious fresh cheeses... what a way to end a summer feast!

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$95 pp | Northern Italian Favorites | Friday July 24 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Light-as-Air Gnocchi with Delicate Beef & Red Wine Ragu (Tuscany)
• Ricotta & Basil Ravioli in Sage Butter (Liguria)
• Cavatelli with Broccoli Raab & Sausage (Puglia)
• Baby Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Tuscan Almond & Anise Biscotti with Espresso

If you love fresh pasta, don't miss this one time-only hands-on cooking class. This is your chance to learn to make three different (and very delicious) regional Italian pastas: light Ricotta gnocchi from Tuscany, rolled out by hand and sauced with a delicate beef ragu laced with red wine and fresh herbs; plump ravioli stuffed with fresh Ricotta and basil (plus a secret ingredient that makes this first course absolutely unforgettable!) drizzled with sage-infused butter and showered with freshly grated Parmigiano, a specialty of Liguria; and rustic cavatelli from southern Italy, tossed with garlicky broccoli raab and spicy sausage. You'll not only learn to make, roll out, and shape the dough for these three very different pastas, you'll participate in preparing the sauce for each so you can recreate these three delectable first courses at home for family and friends. After the cooking is done, we'll sit for a pasta-lover's feast, accompanied by three fabulous wines and a refreshing green salad to cleanse the palate. And since no meal is really complete without dessert, we'll indulge in Tuscany's famed almond biscotti and some freshly brewed espresso. Don't wait too long to sign up for this class--it's sure to sell out!

$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 | Saturday July 25 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Risotto with Shrimp, Asparagus, & Saffron
• Veal Scaloppine with Artichokes, Olives, & Lemon
• Grilled Sweet Peppers in Basil & Garlic Marinade
• Tiramisu Tartlets

Here's a brand new menu that highlights the pleasures of summer cooking: fresh, bright flavors that pay homage to the season's bounty, the sort of food that encourages us to linger just a little longer at the table with friends with family. We'll learn the key to perfect risotto first (a hint: yes, you have to stir, stir, stir constantly, but it's not just that... it's all about the temperature of the stock, how often you add the stock, and most of all, the variety of rice you use). After indulging in a creamy risotto with asparagus, shrimp, and saffron, we'll savor thin slices of veal cooked with a splash of lemon, a handful of artichokes, and some olives; the lemon is key to the flavors of this dish, counterbalancing the richness of the meat perfectly. Grilled sweet peppers are a summer favorite, and in Italy, they are often showered with fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, and a hint of wine vinegar... what a lovely and colorful pairing for the veal scaloppine. And finally, we'll knead the dough for Italy's famous crostata; called pasta frolla, this rich, buttery crust is flavored with citrus zest and vanilla, and encases a heavenly combination of dark chocolate mousse and espresso-spiked Mascarpone to top off our summer feast in high style.

$95 pp | Summer Entertaining Italian-Style | Monday July 27 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Herbed Zucchini & Feta Fritters
• Filet Mignon Bites with Mediterranean Spice Rub & Balsamic Dip
• Bruschetta with Spicy Tomato Spread
• Smoked Salmon Crostini with Mascarpone & Chives
• Golden Crab Ravioli with Lime-Yogurt Sauce
• Endive Spears Stuffed with Honeyed Walnut-Gorgonzola Mousse
• Wine-Poached Shrimp with Tarragon Pesto
• "Pizza" Quesadillas
• Frittata with Two Cheeses & Arugula
• Crispy Polenta "Fries" with Saffron Aioli

This class promises to be one of the year's most unique evenings of food, learning, and fun! I've always loved tasting a little bit of many different things, rather than a lot of any one thing. This class is for those who, like me, long to savor as many of life's offerings as possible. Here's a chance to learn to make ten different dishes, each bursting with personality and flavor. Fritters laced with fresh herbs and zucchini owe their addictive creaminess to French Feta, a sharp sheep's milk cheese. Filet mignon is always a favorite, but we'll make ours even more memorable by marinating it with a medley of Mediterranean spices (including a hauntingly smoky pepper) before roasting it to rare perfection. Bruschetta can be topped in hundreds of ways, depending on what's available and what you're in the mood for; tonight we'll spoon on a spicy tomato topping that, should you have any leftover (we doubt it), doubles as a heavenly pasta sauce. We'll top crostini with smoked salmon and creamy Mascarpone cheese, and turn a handy kitchen staple into a crispy casing for sweet crabmeat. Endive is a natural for finger foods, especially when it's stuffed with a creamy Gorgonzola and walnut mousse. Shrimp poached in white wine emerges tender as can be, and marries beautifully with a fresh tarragon sauce laced with garlic. Two other marriages made in food heaven: flour tortillas stuffed with Provolone and sundried tomatoes, a tasty shortcut to pizza; and frittata studded with arugula, smoked Mozzarella and Ricotta. But the most surprising dish of the evening will likely be the crispy polenta fries, my husband's absolute favorite finger food… Don't miss out on our first Italian Tapas night, it's sure to sell out fast!

$110 pp | Italian Tapas | Friday July 31 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Panzanella (Bread, Tomato, & Basil Salad) with Crispy Pecorino Wafer
• Homemade Ricotta Agnolotti in Sage-Scented Butter
• Chicken Fricassee with Slow-Cooked Onions
• Braised Cannellini Beans with Rosemary
• The Ultimate Almond Biscotti

A playground for the rich and famous from all corners of the globe, Tuscany has attracted tourists and visitors since the golden age of Michelangelo, Leonardo, and the de' Medicis. From the Renaissance marvels of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to the colorful costumes of the horse Palio in Siena and the splendors of its hilltop towns, Tuscany combines art, culture, architecture, and natural beauty in a seamless tapestry. And there may be no better time to explore Tuscan cuisine than in the summer, when the markets offer a bounty of fruit and vegetables ready to be transformed into memorable meals. Our own Tuscan summer menu features ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, creamy Ricotta, homemade pasta, and tender chicken, cooked in true Tuscan form and served with three fabulous wines. We'll begin our Tuscan taste journey with a traditional summer salad: juicy tomatoes, delicate basil, and crispy bread, garnished with a shatteringly crisp and addictively salty Pecorino wafer. Next up: we'll roll out fresh pasta and stuff it with creamy Ricotta, making agnolotti (round ravioli) that are the very essence of summer tossed with a simple sage-scented butter sauce. Our main course combines tender chicken morsels with slow-cooked onions, carrots, and celery, just right served alongside braised beans with garlic and rosemary. And for dessert, we'll bake picture-perfect, delicious almond biscotti… you'll never buy biscotti again after you get a hold of my foolproof recipe.

$95 pp | Essentials of Tuscan Cooking | Saturday August 1 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Sausage & Mozzarella "Potstickers" with Fresh Tomato-Chili Sauce
• Crispy Homemade Spaghetti with Tender Beef Ragu
• Gently Spiced Cabbage & Carrot Salad
• Silky Spinach & Edamame Sauté
• Double-Citrus Coconut Cake

I love Asian food, and I cook it a lot at home. And while I am not a fan of fusion cooking in general, there are certain dishes that have evolved naturally over the years as a result of my Italian expertise and my enjoyment of Asian cuisine. This class is the first ever to focus exclusively on my favorite East-Meets-West dishes, preparations that are a seamless blend of Italian and Asian techniques and flavorings. We'll begin by making the most delicious Asian-inspired crispy ravioli imaginable: stuffed with sausage and cheese, our ravioli will be cooked "potsticker-style": with a bit of oil and a bit of water, until they emerge browned and crispy on the bottom, tender within. A homemade chili-laced tomato sauce is all these potstickers need as seasoning. If you like panfried Chinese noodles, you'll love panfried Italian spaghetti; we'll make the pasta fresh, roll it out, and cook it to al dente perfection, the ideal vehicle for our richly flavored beef ragu. Warm cabbage and carrots gently infused with sesame oil and garlic are a lovely side dish, as are bright edamame pods sautéed with spinach. For dessert, we'll bake the moistest lime and coconut cake ever; this cake is so good, in fact, that you'll find yourself experimenting with lemon and orange versions just so you have an excuse to make it as often as possible.

$95 pp | East Meets West: Italian with a Twist | Friday August 7 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Handmade Cavatelli Pasta with Shrimp & Mussels Pugliese-Style
• Wine-Poached Red Snapper with Fragrant Tarragon Pesto
• Lemon-Laced Potato Torta
• Warm Spinach Salad with Garlic & Chili
• Summer Blueberry Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

The Italian seaside: lush visions of blue waters, gentle breezes, golden sun… Take a virtual journey to the Italian seaside with me in this new class devoted to the pleasures of Italian seafood cooking. Before we cook, we'll talk about how to select and store fish and seafood; next, we'll roll up our sleeves prepare a first course you'll find yourself making time and again: homemade pasta tossed with a garlicky seafood ragù featuring a hint of tomatoes, a touch of wild fennel, and a secret ingredient that elevates this dish to surprising heights (no, it's not white wine; it's much better than that!). Our main course is a savory ode to the sea: tender fillets of red snapper, poached in a delicious white wine broth and napped with a heady tarragon pesto. Two sides round out the meal in true Italian style: a lemon-scented potato gratin and silky spinach infused with garlic and a hint of chili. Dessert is my favorite summer pie: fresh blueberries encased in flaky, buttery pastry dough of our own making. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you're all set for a true summer feast.

$95 pp | Seafood for Beginners | Saturday August 8 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Tuscan Shrimp Soufflé over Baby Greens
• Filet Mignon with Rosemary Rub & Chianti Glaze
• Fennel & White Wine Risotto
• Warm Chocolate & Hazelnut Pie

Home cooking is often the best cooking of all: tasty, satisfying, never pretentious, it delivers great flavor and a comforting sense of being taken care of. In Italy, home cooking varies from region to region, town to town, cook to cook. This class features four typical home-cooked dishes from Tuscany, Lombardy, and Piedmont, ideal for summer entertaining: and best of all, most of the preparation can be done entirely ahead of time, leaving you free to relax with your guests over a glass of wine. We'll begin with a sophisticated Tuscan shrimp soufflé; served in generous scoops atop peppery arugula, it's a delicious opener to a summer meal. Our main course: rosemary-rubbed filet mignon (aka beef tenderloin), roasted to rosy perfection and served with a rich, garnet-hued Chianti wine glaze. Risotto is always impressive, and when it's flavored with caramelized fennel and white wine as in my native city of Milan, it makes an ideal partner to the filet. For dessert, we'll bake a decadently rich hazelnut and chocolate pie, a heavenly offering from thern Piedmont, where both chocolate and hazelnuts are kitchen staples.

$95 pp | Elegant Entertaining | Friday August 14 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Handmade Spaghetti in Puttanesca Sauce (with Capers, Olives, & Tomatoes)
• Beef Scaloppine with Mushrooms & Prosciutto
• Slow-Cooked Zucchini, Potatoes, Eggplants, & Peppers with Basil
• Almond-Scented Ricotta Cheese Pie in Rich Butter Crust

Best known around the world for its pizza and pasta, Naples' exuberant cuisine relies on sun-kissed vegetables and herbs, dried pasta, and fresh farmhouse cheeses (chief among them water buffalo's Mozzarella). In the nineteenth century, people living in the capital city of Naples were nicknamed Mangia Maccheroni (Maccheroni Eaters); to this day, Neapolitans remain devout pasta eaters, and their pasta is among the best and the most varied in all of Italy. Join me for a taste of Naples right here in Manhattan, a chance to explore the cuisine of this lively southern Italian city without getting on a plane. We'll begin our Neapolitan feast with a timeless classic: homemade pasta tossed with a vibrant, racy tomato sauce flavored with capers, olives, and anchovies. (If you find yourself short on time at home, you can use store-bought spaghetti instead, and the results will still be delectably authentic). Our main course: thin slices of beef, roasted atop mushrooms, Prosciutto, and herbs, drizzled with a hint of lemon to lend a bright note. A classic Neapolitan vegetable medley known as cianfotta rounds out the meal perfectly, and a buttery pastry dough stuffed with almond-scented Ricotta cream closes the meal on a decadent sweet note.

$95 pp | Neapolitan Cooking 101 | Saturday August 15 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Sfincioni (Thick-Crust Pizza with Tomatoes, Oregano, & Artichokes)
• Cannelloni Stuffed with Zucchini & Beef in Tomato Sauce
• Chicken with Eggplant, Pancetta, & White Wine
• Delicate Almond Paste Cookies

This class is my way of inviting you to Sicily on a fresh summer evening, so you can savor some of the island's most delicious dishes. We'll start by making Sfincioni: we'll knead a foolproof pizza dough enriched with olive oil, and top it with an aromatic tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, and cubes of melting Caciocavallo cheese… served in generous wedges, this Sicilian pizza deserves every bit of its world-wide fame. Next, we'll roll out fresh pasta for succulent zucchini and meat-stuffed cannelloni; called rosette in Sicily, this sumptuous first course perfectly embodies the Baroque spirit of Sicilian cooking. A savory chicken dish studded with eggplant morsels and smoky Pancetta makes a splendid summer main course. And what could transport us to Sicily faster (or more deliciously?) than chewy, moist almond paste cookies? My recipe for these addictive sweets is easy enough to make on a whim, and memorable enough to ensure you'll be back for seconds.

$95 pp | Sicilian Summer Cooking | Friday August 21 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto & String Beans
• Ricotta & Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli in Light Tomato Sauce
• Mom's Potato Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
• Mixed Baby Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Hazelnut Biscotti

Don't wait too long to sign up, our pasta classes always sell out! This is your chance to learn to make three different (and very delicious) regional Italian pastas: egg tagliatelle from Liguria in northern Italy, sauced with the most fragrant basil pesto imaginable; cheese-filled ravioli tossed with a delicate tomato sauce, a specialty of Tuscany and neighboring Romagna; and my mom's potato gnocchi, the best I've ever tasted, made according to a secret recipe that yields the lightest results possible, napped in a Gorgonzola cream sauce. You'll not only learn to make, roll out, and shape the dough for these three very different pastas, you'll participate in preparing the sauce for each so you can recreate these three delectable first courses at home for family and friends. After the cooking is done, we'll sit for a pasta-lover's feast, accompanied by three fabulous wines and a refreshing green salad to cleanse the palate. And since no meal is really complete without dessert, we'll indulge in crunchy hazelnut biscotti and some freshly brewed espresso.

$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 | Saturday August 22 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Warm Seafood Salad
• Homemade Spaghetti with Tuna, Cherry Tomatoes, & Mint
• Sea Bream (Orata) with Lemon & White Wine Glaze
• Summer Berry Tiramisu

Whether you're a seafood lover, a pasta addict, or an avowed tiramisu fan, you'll love this class devoted to summertime seafood and alfresco dining. Our menu is elegant enough for the most discerning palates yet simple enough to execute in your own kitchen. Our seafood salad is an Italian classic: sweet shrimp, tender squid, briny mussels and cockles, cooked with white wine and tossed while warm with a heady parsley and garlic dressing. Next up: we'll toss homemade spaghetti with sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes, tuna, olives, and mint, a powerhouse seasoning from Sicily that transforms a simple pasta dish into a memorable first course… if you find yourself with leftovers (highly unlikely) it's just as good the next day at room temperature. Our main course is a delicate fish called orata, imported from the Mediterranean and poached in a subtle white wine and lemon broth, then showered with fragrant basil. And for a sweet finale to our al fresco feast, we'll layer liqueur-soaked ladyfingers with creamy Mascarpone and fresh summer berries, creating a colorful edible masterpiece.

$95 pp | Al Fresco Seafood | Friday August 28 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Homemade Focaccia with Tomatoes & Oregano
• Fresh Cavatelli Pasta with Eggplants, Garlic, & Pecorino
• The Most Tender Pork Tenderloin in Honey-Chili Glaze
• Shaved Fennel Salad
• Walnut & Fig Biscotti

Surrounded by the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Seas, Calabria boasts 500 miles of coastline (the longest of any Italian region) yet it also boasts some of Italy's highest and wildest mountains, where boars, wolves, and other animals freely roam. Over the centuries, Greek, Arab, and Albanian influences have shaped the Calabrese kitchen: characteristic dishes are laced with chili pepper, sweet-and-sour notes mingle in savory preparations, and desserts are often deep-fried and drenched in honey, belying their Arab and Greek heritage. If you've never been to Calabria, don't miss this class: it's a rare opportunity to savor some of the regions' most beguiling dishes while you perfect the techniques needed for turning out light focaccia, perfect pasta, and crispy biscotti. We'll start off by making a classic Calabrese focaccia: about one inch tall, it is topped with thin slices of plum tomato and showered with dried oregano; when you make this focaccia at home, you can scatter cubes of Caciocavallo cheese on top before slipping it into the oven, or drape thin slices of rosy Prosciutto over the baked focaccia just before serving. We'll knead a hearty semolina dough into rustic cavatelli pasta, the ideal partners for a chunky eggplant, garlic, and tomato sauce. Our main course in an intriguing dish we tasted in a Michelin-starred restaurant in the town of Castrovillari, in northern Calabria: a tender filet of pork, marinated in a wild fennel, chili, and salt rub, roasted to perfection and sauced with a slightly sweet honey and chili glaze... a simple salad of shaved fennel is perfect alongside this succulent pork. For dessert, we'll bake my absolute favorite biscotti: rich with nuts and dried figs, scented lightly with cinnamon and orange, they're so good that you'll find yourself sneaking back to the kitchen for seconds (and thirds!).

$95 pp | Magical Calabria | Saturday August 29 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Tagliatelle with Peas, Prosciutto, Saffron, & Cream
• Ricotta Gnocchi with Mom's Roasted Pepper-Olive Sauce
• Cavatelli with Spicy Sausage, Three Cheeses, & Tomatoes
• Mixed Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Crunchy Almond Biscotti

Italians are world-famous for their pasta, and with good reason: whether it's light, ethereal egg noodles from Emilia, rich, cheesy gnocchi from Tuscany, or rustic semolina creations from southern Italy, homemade pasta made the traditional Italian way rarely disappoints. And while a few recipes have won the hearts and stomachs of many, there are hundreds of other, lesser-known treasures that few gourmets have had the pleasure to taste. In this class, we'll learn to make three very different pastas from three different Italian regions, and pair each with their ideal sauce. From Emilia, the heartland of fresh egg pasta: silky tagliatelle in a rich, creamy saffron sauce studded with peas and strips of Prosciutto. From Tuscany: light Ricotta gnocchi tossed with my mother's colorful roasted pepper and olive sauce, a family favorite since I could barely talk. From Basilicata, in Italy's south: handmade cavatelli made only from semolina flour and water, sauced with a chili-laced sausage ragu and three cheeses. And to round out the meal, we'll enjoy a refreshing salad and some homemade biscotti…

$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 | Saturday September 12 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Creamy Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi with Parmigiano
• Tender Chicken Morsels with Wild Mushrooms & Mountain Herbs
• Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella & Bacon
• Savory Spinach & Artichoke Bread Pudding
• The Ultimate Amaretto & Chocolate Tiramisu

If you love wine, and you enjoy cooking, don't miss out on this unique evening of Italian food and wine. You'll enjoy a brief hands-on cooking class during which you'll learn to prepare five fabulous Italian dishes. We'll bake my favorite childhood dish: semolina gnocchi, not an easy dish... but a truly rewarding one once you get the recipe and technique just right! We'll slow-cook tender herbed chicken morsels with a medley of wild mushrooms and Marsala, and serve two succulent sides: a rich gratin of cauliflower with smoky bacon, and a fragrant cheese and vegetable bread pudding. And for a sweet finale, we'll whip up a batch of rum-soaked, chocolate-spiked tiramisu. Dinner will be paired with a tasting of 8 or more wines, each of which will be presented by our charismatic Wine Director Costas Mouzouras, so get ready for a night of amazing food, wine, and fun!

Course price includes...

$150 pp | Wine Tasting | Monday September 14 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Crostini with Piedmontese Garlic Sauce
• Cream of Garlic Soup with Chive-Scented Oil
• Slow-Cooked Chicken with Leeks, White Wine, & Garlic
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Double Chocolate-Chunk Brioche Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Whipped Cream

Garlic. Its heady aroma is like no other. Sweet when roasted, pungent when raw, delicate when simmered... garlic is a perennial favorite in the Italian kitchen, and in this class, we'll pay homage to this humble, versatile bulb. This is the fourth year I am offering a Garlic Lover's Menu, and it is sure to sell out... Our antipasto: fragrant crostini swathed in a classic Piedmontese garlic sauce, something you'll find yourself making time and again for informal gatherings and dinner with friends (or a midnight snack on your own). Our first course: a hearty garlic soup, hailing from northern Italy, laced with buttery croutons and chive-scented oil. As a main course, we'll braise chicken morsels with white wine and leeks, then stir in plenty of garlic, grated lemon zest, and fresh mint just before serving. We'll serve our chicken with creamy mashed potatoes laced with roasted garlic: the garlic mellows after roasting and becomes sweet. And while I could have devised a garlic dessert for this menu, I felt something chocolaty and indulgent was in order, so we'll bake a white and dark chocolate bread pudding, and serve it with a rum-scented caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream… the perfect ending to a very fragrant evening indeed. This class was heavily wait-listed last year, so book early!

$95 pp | Glorious Garlic | Friday September 18 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Beet Ravioli with Smoked Mozzarella & Warm Poppy Seed Butter
• Filet Mignon with Leek & Chianti Glaze
• Savoy Cabbage with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, & Caraway Seeds
• Nonna's Dark Chocolate Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream

In Italy, home cooks create an amazing array of dishes drawing on regional ingredients and closely guarded family recipes. In this new class, we'll prepare four fabulous dishes that draw on the best of Italian home cooking from four distinct regions of Italy. From the mountainous reaches of the Veneto area, we'll prepare the most colorful ravioli ever, stuffed with a pink beet puree' and sauced with a delightful poppy seed butter. From the stunning countryside of Tuscany, we'll rub a picture-perfect beef tenderloin with rosemary and garlic, roast it until it's rosy inside, and serve it in generous slices with a Chianti and leek glaze. From the Austrian-influenced towns of Trentino-Alto Adige, we'll saute' Savoy cabbage with a hint of caraway seeds. And from the kitchen of my very own grandmother in central Milan, Lombardy, we'll bake a chocolate cake with a touch of cinnamon and lemon zest, a family favorite topped with a cloud of whipped Mascarpone cream.

$95 pp | Italian Home Cooking | Saturday September 19 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Risotto with Dried Porcini & Truffle Oil
• Veal Scaloppine with Wild Mushroom Medley & Marsala
• Roasted Fingerling Potatoes & Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic Gremolata
• Creamy Mushroom Flan
• Crispy Fruit- and Chocolate-Stuffed Phyllo Triangles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

What could be better on the first day of autumn than a feast of mushrooms Italian-style? With their heady woodsy scent and their satisfyingly toothsome texture, mushrooms are one of my favorite go-to ingredients when I want to create an elegant dinner. And there are so many varieties of mushrooms to play with! Creamy oysters, intense shiitakes, pungent porcini, bold chanterelles, delicate cremini, playful morels… The list goes on and on. Join me for our first ever Mushroom Lover's Night, a true ode to funghi in all their versatile glory. We'll start our mushroom extravaganza with a creamy cheese-laced risotto featuring an abundance of dried porcini and white truffle oil… Next up: thin slices of golden veal, sautéed in butter and showered with a medley of wild mushrooms splashed with dry Marsala wine. Our two mushroomy sides showcase the distinct personalities of roasted versus steamed mushrooms: a succulent combination of roasted potatoes and mushrooms, and a sophisticated wild mushroom flan (tortino in Italian) bound together with eggs and Parmigiano. For a sweet finale, we'll bake up crispy apple, walnut, and chocolate pastry triangles, a lovely ending to our mushroom extravaganza.

$110 pp | Funghi! Funghi! Funghi! A Mushroom Feast | Monday September 21 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Crispy Chili Flatbread with Dad's Fresh Hot Pepper Sauce
• Fusilli with Double-Spicy Calabrese Ragu
• Chili-Rubbed Roasted Rack of Lamb with Lime-Saffron Aioli
• Roasted Broccoli with Chili & Garlic
• The Ultimate Chili-Laced Molten Chocolate Cake

Spicy, spicy, spicy... These five dishes all feature chili one way or another (yes, even the chocolate cake--after all, when the Aztecs used to brew their chocolate drink, they didn't add any sugar, but they did add chilies). But in true Italian fashion, the chili taste in these dishes is never overpowering, just flavorful enough to make its presence felt. Most of these dishes hail from central and southern Italy, where chilies (known as "diavolicchio", or The Little Devil) are abundantly used. A crispy focaccia from Molise will kick off this special menu: rolled out thin, scented with crushed chilies and fennel seeds, it is absolutely addictive dipped in my dad's very unique chili sauce. Next up: fusilli pasta with a Calabrese sauce featuring spicy pork sausage and plenty of garlic (after all, chili and garlic are meant to be together). As a main course, we'll marinate a rack of lamb with a dry chili rub, roast it to rosy perfection, and serve it with a succulent lime-scented aioli and a hearty portion of chili-tossed roasted broccoli. And the cake on tonight's menu combines two Mexican dried chilies and two classic American spices to create a hauntingly flavored, deliciously different molten creation.

$95 pp | Hot & Spicy Italian | Friday September 25 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Ribollita Soup (Beans, Onions, & Vegetables over Garlic-Rubbed Bread)
• Chicken Cacciatora (Hunter's Style Chicken)
• Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary & Pecorino
• Mushrooms in Parchment Paper with Mint & Garlic
• Individual Chocolate & Pine Nut Tartlets

Harvest is a magical time in Italy. Nature offers a bounty of fruits and vegetables, and as the days get shorter and the autumn chill starts to descend, there's an instinctive need to cozy up in the kitchen with comforting foods that celebrate the abundance of the season. Join me for a class that pays homage to the Italian harvest and learn five of Tuscany's great countryside classics. We'll begin with one of the region's most amazing soups, a robust commingling of beans, vegetables, and bread that will leave you feeling like you had dinner at a Tuscan farmhouse (and I guarantee that when you make ribollita at home, you'll want to make a double batch just so you can warm up the leftovers the next day, in true Tuscan fashion: after all, ribollita means "boiled twice")! Our main course: tender, juicy chicken slow-cooked with a medley of herbs, onions, and a hint of Marsala wine. We'll roast potatoes to golden perfection, then shower them with a dusting of freshly grated Pecorino and a sprinkling of rosemary. We'll also seal a fragrant variety of wild mushrooms in parchment paper and roast them in a hot oven with a bit of fresh mint and garlic… there's no better way to savor fall's lovely mushrooms! And for dessert, we'll bake buttery tartlets and fill them with a dark chocolate ganache… elegant as can be with a garnish of pine nuts and a dusting of confectioner's sugar.

$95 pp | Tuscan Harvest | Saturday September 26 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced