A Taste of Westchester
Join us at several of Westchester’s most tantalizing restaurants for a culinary adventure that will excite your taste buds and educate your mind. Each chef will offer a private cooking demonstration or discussion, followed by a sample tasting of the prepared items described. NO SPECIAL REQUESTS for dietary changes are permitted at class but you may take your portion home if you choose. The restaurant may need to make menu substitutions based on ingredient availability when necessary. Fees do not include beverages (except where noted or at the establishment’s discretion). New menu items are explored each semester by our hospitable and generous educators. Sampling fees are payable in CASH only.
Class may be canceled for under-enrollment several days in advance; therefore, we recommend that you register at least one week in advance of the course date for preparation purposes. NO refunds are given for these classes but as a courtesy please contact the college at 914-606-6830 x1 if you cannot attend so the restaurant may be alerted.
Must be 21 years of age to attend.
TO REGISTER
CALL: 914-606-6830 x1
Please Note: If registering and paying for yourself and/or others, it is required to provide complete registration information (name, address, date of birth, phone, and email) for all registrants at the time of registration.
Donna Monaco, coordinator for A Taste of Westchester and advocate for food education, creates these classes by inviting chefs to host cooking demonstrations in their restaurants for delicious food education. Follow @DonnaDishes Instagram where she recaps these demonstrations and highlights recipe development for home cooks.
Restaurants:
Are you interested in hosting a class? Email: atasteofwestchesterwcc@gmail.com
CE-REST 2000 is the catalog number for all Taste of Westchester classes.
Summer 2024
See the Full Summer List of TOW Events
Apiary (#1)
157 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont
914-834-3572, www.apiarylarchmont.com
Easy Dinner Option, Some Hands-On Prep! Learn with classically trained, Chef Owner Joerg Zehe, as he shares a delicious summer inspired meal. Our food education in this class will have you doing part of the preparation for the following meal. Starting with creamy cucumber salad as a refreshing alternative to greens. Next learn the technique for a coconut curry salmon that you will easily be able to recreate at home. Learn to make naan bread. Chef helps us create a especially light, lemon cheesecake sure to be a crowd favorite. Longer class due to participation. 1 Tues., July 16, 5:30-8:30 pm, $25 (+ $30 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3069
Clock Tower Grill
512 Clock Tower Drive, Brewster
845-582-0574, www.clocktowergrill.com
Lobsta’ in the courtyard! Our most creative Chef Owner Rich will teach us the ins-and-outs of producing a lobster bake with all your summer favorites. Sample a local beer from their long list of purveyors while enjoying lobster (1 per person) and all the fixings accompanied by seafood (based on market availability) and summertime sides. Learn to grill peaches topped with house- made milk & honey ice cream for a sweet treat utilizing summers favorite seasonal fruit. Rain or shine but will be outdoors, weather permitting. 1 Wed., July 17, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 (+ $35 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3070
Meraki Taverna
456 Main Street, Armonk
914-219-8888, www.merakitaverna-armonk.com
Cyprus Greek Lunch! We will visit the Isle of Cyprus starting our lesson with a traditional Cypriot dish, Tava Kounoupidi (pork and cauliflower). Learn the tips to make delicious mussels Saganaki. Enjoy warm pita with lemon marinated olives, along with a tutorial on Tyropitakia (imported Greek Feta cheese crafted into a pie with honey and sesame.) A recipe from chefs’ Yia Yia, learn to make Cypriot meatballs in a savory sauce. Our traditional dessert will be baklava (made offsite) accompanied by a mini icy frappe. 1 Sat., July 20, 12:00-2:00 pm, $25 (+ $25 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3071
Baked by Susan
379 S. Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson
914-862-0874, www.bakedbysusan.com
Do you know the muffin lady? Create and bake your own chocolate chip muffins and while they bake learn about converting the recipe to make many types of muffins including a streusel crumb top. Optional additional $10 invites you to enjoy a yummy SURPRISE bag of goodies. Lots of baked goods to purchase including their now famous empanadas, cookies and pies! 1 Tues., July 23, 6:30-8:30 pm, $25 (+ $25 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor, optional bag of baked goods additional $10). #3072
The 808 Bistro
808 Scarsdale Avenue, Scarsdale
914-722-0808, www.the808bistro.com
Calabrian Lunch! Owner Chef Salvatore Cucullo trained at the Culinary Institute of America. Our chef explores Italy’s Calabria and the recipes he discovered on a recent visit. Enjoy an educational demonstration on Lagane pasta – thin wide and short pasta, chickpeas in a light garlic and oil sauce. Our knowledgeable chef will tell us a few easy tips to roast pork and make the creamiest polenta. End our lesson with an Italian sweet, Bocconotti! 1 Sat., July 27, 12:00-2:00 pm, $25 (+ $30 in CASH sampling fee, payable to instructor). #3074
NEW! Mentor’s Mediterranean Steak
415 King Street, Chappaqua
914-861-2386, www.mentorsteakhouse.com
Caccio & Peppe – Cheese Wheel! Owner Mentor Berisha, combines Mediterranean seafood with an American steakhouse. They feature prime beef, dry aged in house for 31 days. Born in Croatia and raised in Peja Republic of Kosovo, they source grass-fed beef from the Piedmont region of Italy as Mentor believes it tastes best. Learn to make a refreshing watermelon salad: cucumber, mint, and grilled feta cheese with a citrus dressing. We will learn about Chitarra (pasta) Caccio & Peppe: simple ingredients prepared in a flaming Parmesan cheese wheel with freshly ground pepper, butter, and EVOO. Enjoy coffee with a demonstration on Mediterranean style pistachio cheesecake. In season, the beautiful French doors are opened for a great al fresco feel. 1 Tues., July 30, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 (+ $30 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3075
AJ’s Burgers
542 North Avenue, New Rochelle
914-235-3009, www.AJsBurgers.com
Outdoors – Slaws of All Nations! Voted Best NY Burger. Explore the flavors of different regions to make more interesting slaws and salads that are inspired by many regions – Italian, Spanish, Indian, German and more. Their bread is made fresh daily and will be the host for our slaw and delicious smoked pulled-pork sliders and burgers. Finish with a summer fruit cobbler with fresh whipped cream. Always a terrific small class, up close and personal, with a top-notch instructor and a repeated Best of Westchester winner! Our class will be held outback in their newly appointed courtyard if the weather cooperates. 1 Tues., Aug. 6, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 (+ $25 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3078
NEW! Coffee Labs Roasters
483 New Rochelle Road, Bronxville
914-840-4106, www.coffeelabs.com
Discover Specialty Coffee 101! Having been in Tarrytown for many years this is the second location for the Loves. Join lead barista Jefferson and professional roaster Doug Wray as they will teach us basic coffee cupping skills; aromatics, slurping, and tasting. Sample nuts, chocolate, and fruit, including berries and citrus, and “cup coffee” to discuss the flavors. In this sensory evaluation class, learn tastes and aromas, explore mouth-feel including sweetness, acidity, flavor, and aftertaste. Small samples of food paired with coffee for profile identification only. Enjoy a take home sample of freshly roasted beans. 1 Wed., Aug. 7, 6:30-8:30 pm, $25 (+ $20 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3079
NEW! Peter Pratt’s Inn
673 Croton Heights Road, Yorktown Heights
914-962-4090, www.prattsinn.com
Luau on the Patio – guest Master Chef-one night only! Join Jon Pratt (former owner) along with Eileen Zidi of Cabbage Hill Farm fame for this one-of-a-kind class! Jon sold his family business in 2020 to a new generation of restaurateurs, Enver and Naya Pelinku. Thankfully, they will host another cooking demo with Chef Pratt at the Inn’s grand patio. The colonial homestead was built in 1780 and has been a local inn dating back to 1926 with a robust revolutionary history. Newly renovated, it continues to be a special place to dine and drink. Watch our fabulous food educator as he prepares our buffet Hawaiian luau. Learn to make some Hawaiian staples starting with Shoyu chicken – soy sauce marinade, ginger and garlic with long rice and Poke (meaning to slice or cut), raw Ahi tuna fish and Asian seasonings. Try poi the traditional dish of the islands – made from the underground plant stem or corm of the taro (kalo) plant. Experience Kalua pig – made with pork butts and cooked in the La Caja China (translated “the Chinese box”), along with coleslaw and macaroni salad to compliment the crisp roasted pork. Jon always shares a story or two. WCC specials on refreshing Sangria or craft beer. A taste of Haupia – coconut cake as a treat from this most entertaining chef. Rain or shine but will be outdoors weather permitting. Always a favorite so sign up quickly to reserve your spot! 1 Thurs., Aug. 8, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 (+ $35 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). Course # to follow.
Apiary (#2)
157 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont
914-834-3572, www.apiarylarchmont.com
Any Night Easy Chicken, Some Hands-On Prep! Chef Owner Joerg Zehe was trained by the likes of Jacques Pepin and Alain Sailhac at the French Culinary Institute. He shares his wisdom and commercial kitchen for us to mess around in. Pick up some cooking skills with this class that will have you doing part of the meal preparation. We begin with making coconut rice and steamed vegetables for our chicken teriyaki bowls. Learn to master a classic dessert, pineapple upside down cake. Longer class due to participation. 1 Tues., Aug. 13, 5:30-8:30 pm, $25 (+ $30 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3080
NEW! The Winning Kitchen
Wendy Pregiato’s Eastchester Home
(914) 261-6906, cookingwithwp@gmail.com
Instagram: @The_Winning_Kitchen or Facebook: The Winning Kitchen with Wendy Pregiato
Summer Fruits! Join home chef extraordinaire and Food Network’s Outchef’d winner Wendy Pregiato of The Winning Kitchen for a special cooking demonstration and tasting in her Eastchester kitchen exclusively for the lifelong-learners of WCC. Wendy will be making a summer fruit extravaganza dinner starting with a gorgeous strawberry basil bruschetta. Next, she will show us how to create a spice-rubbed pork tenderloin with pickled peaches over a bacon spinach salad that can be served on a platter for a formal presentation, or in a cast iron skillet for a casual summer meal. Finally, we will learn to make her shortcut “no bake” lemon and blueberry bread pudding that is as delicious as it is quick and easy and is sure to become part of your regular summer recipe repertoire. Wendy’s passion for cooking really took hold when she was living in Tokyo and London and learned to use local ingredients to create different types of cuisine. She created the Eastchester Eats Facebook community and has been featured in Westchester Magazine, as well as being a popular instructor for a number of Westchester organizations. You will be given the address at registration. Feel free to BYOB. 1 Wed., Aug. 14, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 (+ $30 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3081
Albano’s
83 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge
914-764-4051, www.AlbanoAppliance.com
Summer Grilling – Interactive Special Setting! Resident chef Jehan deNoue manages the company’s continuing education program, including cooking classes, manufacturer demonstrations, as well as personal and in-home instruction. Learn tips for preparing a fabulous meal all the while toasting chef with a specially selected wine. Summer ingredients have us eating lighter so we begin with a refreshing watermelon gazpacho chilled soup adorned with Feta cheese. Discover the proper way to grill hanger steak on the BIG Green Egg adorned with fresh herb chimichurri. Enjoy crisp grilled corn and juicy tomatoes in a salad to experience the best summer veggies. Learn to make a classic lemon tart with homemade pate sable (a short crust pastry dough). 1 Thurs., Aug. 15, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 (+ $30 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3082
La Catena Italian Restaurant
871 Saw Mill River Road, Ardsley
914-231-9260, www.LaCatenaArdsley.com
Pasta, Cheese Wheel, Flames! Owner Chef Jeff Delija, a wonderful host and teacher, will fill our senses with some of his favorite Italian dishes starting with a tutorial on making a heartwarming classic, Vongole alla Oreganata (whole clams on the half shell baked with bread crumbs, herb, garlic white wine and lemon.) Get your cameras ready for a flaming tableside show and sample fresh pappardelle pasta, Oyster, Cremini and Shitake mushrooms, along with ignited cognac to melt the cheese in a giant hollowed wheel of imported Parmigiano-Reggiano. Learn the technique used to create Chicken Pasqualina (chicken breast, hearts of palm, artichokes, chopped cherry tomatoes, sautéed in white wine sauce served with potatoes and summer veggies.) Enjoy a taste of their creamy house-made mascarpone cheesecake. 1 Wed., Aug. 21, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 (+ $25 sampling fee in CASH, payable to instructor). #3084
SPECIAL COLLABORATIVE COOKING CLASSES AT ZWILLING COOKING STUDIO
These classes take place at the Zwilling Cooking Studio
270 Marble Avenue, Pleasantville
914-749-3406, cookingstudio@zwillingus.com, www.zwillingcookingstudio.com
Known for German knives and kitchenware, the US Zwilling headquarters and Bernard Janssen, Executive Chef and Culinary Program Manager is excited to host you in their state-of-the-art food education facility. Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Special class treat—shop 20% discount at their onsite retail shop (sale items excluded), and 10% discount on Cooking Studio gift cards! To avoid losses in materials, staff, and food, class registration and sampling fees must be paid in advance and have a NO REFUND policy. The deadline to pay both registration and sampling fees is at least one week in advance or you will not be considered registered and cannot attend. There are no refunds on any of the fees for this special in studio class.
Registering for these classes is easy, please follow these steps:
- Call SUNY WCC to register at 914-606-6830, press 1.
- Ask to receive the discount code for the sampling fee that will let you pay for your spot at a special SUNY WCC rate.
- Register or Login to www.ZwillingCookingStudio.com/registration
- Sign up for the class date you registered for with SUNY WCC and use your discount code.
- You will get a confirmation email once paid. Show this confirmation email to attend each class.
Zwilling Cooking Studio: Chop Chop!
During this class, learn the fundamentals of expert knife skills. “What makes a great knife and how do I use it?” An interactive demonstration/discussion on which quality knife to use for every task. Practice skills including: circular rocking motion, julienne, brunoise, dicing, supreme citrus, mincing herbs, and using a filet knife, along with information on how to maintain your knives. Bring sealable plastic bags to take your practice- chopped veggies home to make a soup! This is hands-on instruction on proper knife use and the chef’s choice of light fare will be enjoyed. 1 Mon., July 22, 6:00-8:00 pm, $25 registration fee to SUNY WCC and $30 sampling fee, paid in advance to Zwilling Cooking Studio. #3085
Zwilling Cooking Studio: Summertime!
Help Chef to prepare three dishes while using Zwilling Kitchen essential products, from cookware to tools and electronic equipment. Learn how to choose the correct products for specific dishes and the ins and outs of cooking in Staub cast iron cookware, and multi-layered Demeyere stainless steel pans. Discover features and benefits of Zwilling products. Enjoy a delicious meal you will help to prepare starting with perfectly seared scallops with corn cream, crispy chorizo, and a pepper relish. Cook with sous vide (water bath) to create a pork loin with a creamy mustard sauce, peach chutney and sautéed rainbow chard. A “how to” on a seasonal dessert – basil citrus marinated red berry salad with Prosecco sabayon, and an almond cookie crumble. A mini lesson on the proper way to chiffonade basil. Throughout the class, chef will guide you, offering valuable insights and tips to enhance your culinary skills. This is a hands-on class in which you help to prepare the 3-course meal, enjoyed sit down style in the dining area. 1 Mon., Aug. 19, 5:30-8:30 pm, $25 registration fee to SUNY WCC and $30 sampling fee, paid in advance to Zwilling Cooking Studio. #3086