Essence of Cooking
ESSENCE OF COOKING CLASSes
IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND 6-week series, Begins again in October 2026
If you have experience as a cook and want to learn more about the finer points of cooking, or have taken our Essence of Cooking Series, this class is your next step in developing your cooking skills! Come for this Six-Week series to cook and add to your culinary knowledge!
Our weekly lessons will include:
| Wk# (Date) | Class Lesson | Class Description |
|---|---|---|
| #1 (Oct 13) | Braising & Poaching | Instant Pot Carnitas with Pickled Onions; Grilled Braised Leeks; Butter Braised Lettuce with Tarragon; Braised Short Ribs with Fennel and Pickled Grapes; Oven-Poached Sole with Lemon & Capers; Miso-Ginger Chicken Salad, and Mustard-Braised Chicken with Tarragon. |
| #2 (Oct 20) | Salads & Side Dishes | Kale Salad with Crispy Parmesan-Cauliflower Croutons; Escarole and Fennel Salad with Capers and Golden Raisins; Roasted Tomato Risotto with Basil and Parmesan; Bagna Cauda Brussels Sprouts; Buttery Hazelnut and Winter Squash Tian; Sautéed Green Beans with Spice-Glazed Pecans, and Mashed Potatoes with Herbed Browned Butter. |
| #3 (Oct 27) | Intermediate Breads and Pastries | Spinach Gozleme (Spinach & Cheese wrapped in Turkish Flatbread); French Baguettes; Eclairs or Profiteroles with Ganache and Vanilla Cream (Pate Choux Pastry); Cheese Soufflé; Cinnamon-Nut Palmieres with Homemade Quick Puff Pastry; Mini Monte Cristo Strudels, and Florentine Lace Cookies. |
| #4 (Nov 3) | Asian Noodles, Bowls & Stir-Fries | Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Stir-Fried Orange Chicken and Broccoli with Cashews; Stir-Fried Garlic Beef with Scallions; Vegetable Lo Mein; Peanut-Sesame Udon Noodles with Scallions; Curry Noodles with Shrimp and Coconut; Banh Mi Rice Bowl, and Vietnamese Rice Noodle Bowls with Broiled Marinated Pork. |
| #5 (Nov 10) | World Comfort Foods | No-Fry Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana di Melanzane); Japanese Curry Rice with Chicken; Cacio e Pepe; Coq Au Vin; Chilaquiles with Salsa Roja and Chorizo; Falafel, and Cold-Oven Crème Brûlée |
| #6 (Nov 17) | "Mystery Basket Cooking Challenge" | Each team receives a covered basket containing 10 to 15 unexpected ingredients. They have 120 minutes to prep, cook, and plate. In addition to the mystery basket, participants can use a curated selection of staple items (spices, oils, eggs, flour, etc.). |
Give yourself the freedom to eat the way you want for your enjoyment or health. Enjoy foods made with no preservatives and prepared from scratch. You’ll come away with new knowledge, skills and 6-weeks of fun experiences.
Kids & Teens Classes
SUMMER SCHEDULE (PDF)
AUGUST CLASSES
SEPTEMBER CLASSES
*NEW* OCTOBER CLASSES
Calendar
October 2026
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE SERIESSeries
If you have experience as a cook and want to learn more about the finer points of cooking, or have taken our Essence of Cooking Series, this class is your next step in developing your cooking skills! Come for this Six-Week series to cook and add to your culinary knowledge! Our lessons will be: Week 1: Braising & Poaching; Week 2: Dinner Party Salad & Side Dishes; Week 3: Intermediate Breads & Pastries; Week 4: Asian Noodles, Bowls & Stir-Fries; Week 5: World Comfort Foods; and Week 6: Mystery Basket Cooking Challenge.
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE – WK 1Part of a Series
Week 1: BRAISING & POACHING – Instant Pot Carnitas with Pickled Onions; Grilled Braised Leeks; Butter Braised Lettuce with Tarragon; Braised Short Ribs with Fennel and Pickled Grapes; Oven-Poached Sole with Lemon & Capers; Miso-Ginger Chicken Salad, and Mustard-Braised Chicken with Tarragon.
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE – WK 2Part of a Series
Week 2: DINNER PARTY SALAD & SIDE DISHES – Kale Salad with Crispy Parmesan-Cauliflower Croutons; Escarole and Fennel Salad with Capers and Golden Raisins; Roasted Tomato Risotto with Basil and Parmesan; Bagna Cauda Brussels Sprouts; Buttery Hazelnut and Winter Squash Tian; Sautéed Green Beans with Spice-Glazed Pecans, and Mashed Potatoes with Herbed Browned Butter.
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE WK 3Part of a Series
Week 3: INTERMEDIATE BREADS & PASTRIES – Spinach Gozleme (Spinach & Cheese wrapped in Turkish Flatbread); French Baguettes; Eclairs or Profiteroles with Ganache and Vanilla Cream (Pate Choux Pastry); Cheese Soufflé; Cinnamon-Nut Palmieres with Homemade Quick Puff Pastry; Mini Monte Cristo Strudels, and Florentine Lace Cookies.
November 2026
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE WK 4Part of a Series
Week 4: ASIAN NOODLES, BOWLS & STIR-FRIES – Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Stir-Fried Orange Chicken and Broccoli with Cashews; Stir-Fried Garlic Beef with Scallions; Vegetable Lo Mein; Peanut-Sesame Udon Noodles with Scallions; Curry Noodles with Shrimp and Coconut; Banh Mi Rice Bowl, and Vietnamese Rice Noodle Bowls with Broiled Marinated Pork.
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE WK 5Part of a Series
Week 5: WORLD COMFORT FOODS – No-Fry Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana di Melanzane); Japanese Curry Rice with Chicken; Cacio e Pepe; Coq Au Vin; Chilaquiles with Salsa Roja and Chorizo; Falafel, and Cold-Oven Crème Brûlée.
ESSENCE INTERMEDIATE WK 6Part of a Series
Week 6: MYSTERY BASKET COOKING CHALLENGE – Each team receives a covered basket containing 10 to 15 unexpected ingredients. They have 120 minutes to prep, cook, and plate. In addition to the mystery basket, participants can use a curated selection of staple items (spices, oils, eggs, flour, etc.).
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Braising & Poaching
Salads & Side Dishes
Intermediate Breads & Pasteries
Asian Noodles, Bowls & Stir-Fries
World Comfort Foods