Scrapbook - Cooking Classes

I am having such a blast teaching classes in my professional kitchen in San Francisco! My students are really fun and it's great to spend a week cooking together and getting to know each other. I love coming up with the themes and menus - I always seem to plan them on an empty stomach! So far we've covered "Cooking School Basics: Master 5 Techniques in 5 Days", including an entire class on braising- where we prepared Beef Braised Ragu in Two Courses, and a whole day making pizzas and tarts, such as Celebration Pizza with Smoked Salmon and Caviar and Crispy Pear Tart with Soft Cream - delicious! My "Weir Going to a Party" course featured my favorite entertaining menus and recipes for entertaining, including Paella with Chicken, Shellfish and Chorizo, and a "Pulling Out the Stops" decadent dinner party where we finished with Cognac Ice Cream and Chocolate Truffles. My recent "Recipes from Italy" focused on regional Italian recipes, including my Venetian-style Rice "Olives" made from risotto flavored with olive paste, shaped into olive-sized balls, and then deep-fried to a delicious golden brown - perfect with a glass of Prosecco! And did I mention we have wine experts come to each class and pair incredible wines with each recipe?!