All classes include a snack or tasting and complete notes with recipes and sources for quality ingredients, useful equipment, and more information. Most are hands on--aprons provided! Unless otherwise noted, classes are held at Chris Musser's home in outer NE Portland, Oregon, and limited to 6-8 students.

May 2009

June 2009

Class Descriptions

Baking Basics: Sandwich Loaves, Bagels, and Crackers
Learn to make 100% whole grain sandwich loaves, bagels, and seeded crackers that you and your family will love. Understand the baking characteristics and nutrient profiles of various flours and grains, how ingredients interact, and how you can adjust recipes to your liking. $40 

Baking Basics: Sweet & Savory Pies
Pie can be easy as pie! We will make a versatile flaky pie crust that use for making sweet pies or savory tarts and quiche. Learn to blind bake crusts, make multiple batches to freeze for later, and use white and whole wheat flours.

Dairy Magic: Yogurt, Neufchâtel, and Mozzarella
Practice a little white magic in your kitchen--culture milk! Soft dairy products are easy to make at home. Learn how to make yogurt, Neufchatel (like cream cheese, made mostly with milk rather than cream), and mozzarella cheese. Understand the differences between various types of milk and cultures. Making these and other dairy products at home takes very little time and offers superb results. $40

Eating Local: Meal Planning for All Seasons
We will discuss seasonal food cycles and how to make the transition from eating food from afar to eating from our regional foodshed. Learn how to use what's in season now or preserve it for later. $40

Eggs? Eggs! Eggs!?!
Got a few chickens and wondering what to do with all those eggs? Want to incorporate egg-based vegetarian meals into your repertoire? During this class, we'll make two simple appetizers, a gluten-free no-crust quiche, a fragrant curry, and a vanilla and chocolate custard all featuring eggs from backyard hens. Bah-gawk!

Grassfed Goodness: Finding and Cooking Natural Meat
We'll discuss the benefits to animal, human, and planetary health of pasture-raised meat. Learn how to save money buying meat in bulk direct from local farms, how to talk with a butcher to get the cuts you want, what to do with unfamiliar cuts, and new ways with old favorites.

Homemade in Hibernation: Cooking for the Freezer
Expecting a new baby and wondering whether how you'll have time or energy to cook? Want to enjoy the convenience of frozen dinners without the packaging, processing, and questionable ingredients usually found in the grocer's freezer? Learn best practices for making and freezing your family's favorites. $40

Expectant parents: schedule a private Homemade in Hibernation lesson at your home, during which we will prepare several meals for your freezer. Too tired to cook? Let Chris do the work, including shopping beforehand and cleaning up afteward. Contact Chris to discuss meal ideas, pricing, and schedule.

Italian Family Favorites: Pizza, Calzone, and Pasta Two Ways
We'll make and feast on pizza and calzone, then make two kinds of pasta to take home: one with durum wheat flour, one with soaked whole wheat flour. We'll make a basic tomato sauce suitable for pasta or pizza as well.

Japanese Supper: Soup, Salad, and Sustainable Sushi
Thrill your family and friends with homemade sushi. We'll discuss the Seafood Watch Sushi Guide and explore sustainably fished alternatives to endangered species while we make makizushi, nigirizushi, miso soup, and a salad featuring mineral-rich sea vegetables and home pickled ginger.

Lacto-fermentation: Vegetables & Condiments
Restock your 'fridge with life! Learn about the ancient art of lacto-fermentation and how to make condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup, plus lacto-fermented veggies like sauerkraut, sour pickles or sour beets (depending on the season) that not only add flavor to your meals but aid digestion and boost the immune system. $40 

Lacto-fermentation: Sourdough and Sonnenblumenkernbrot
Learn to use the yeast that is naturally around your home to make a sourdough starter. We'll make a San Francisco style sourdough loaf and a nutrient-packed German sunflower seed bread in class.

Leftovers by Design: One Chicken, Many Meals
We start with one whole chicken and transform it into a variety of distinct meals. Learn ways to other meats, as well as vegetables and grains, so you can cook once and eat twice, saving time and money while you enjoy delicious results.

So Long Supermarket, Hello Pantry!
Save time and money buying in bulk, store food for emergencies and convenience, and invest in our local food system. Learn tips for transitioning from supermarket shopping to sourcing and storing minimally processed, locally produced food. $40

Stock, Soup, and Stew
"Soup is a healthy, light, nourishing food," wrote gastronome Brillant-Savarin, "it pleases the stomach, stimulates the appetite and prepares the digestion." Nothing is more satisfying and warming on a gray day than a bowl of soup made with a nourishing homemade stock. Learn how to make stocks from mineral-rich bones and how to use them in soups and stews. We'll also discuss how to make the most of your cooking time by making large batches of soups and stews to freeze for later. $40

Yes We Can: Preserving Food in Jars
Learn the art and science of water bath canning and jar up some seasonal treasures to give or to save for the dark days of winter. Depending on the season, we will make jam, tomatoes, peaches, cranberry sauce, or chutneys. Experience the process start to finish and take home a jar or two of joy.