Have you always wanted to learn how to make simple sushi? You will learn to make delicious and beautiful hosomaki (thin roll) futomaki (thick rolls) and inside out rolls. We will work with vinegar, rice, carrots, cucumber, avocado, salmon and crab. You will learn lots of different sushi styles you'll be able to recreate at home. The ingredients fee includes a bamboo sushi rolling mat and seaweed nori for sushi. Bring containers for leftovers and a sharp knife.

Are you new to gluten-free, or wondering how to improve the gluten-free foods you eat? Desserts are often the big challenge of gluten-free living. Experienced gluten-free baker Amy will teach you how to make a delicious gluten-free carrot cake. She will also show you terrific tips on how to dress up pre-packaged gluten-free mixes.

Did you grow a big garden this year and are looking for ways to preserve your bounty? This workshop will teach you the steps to safely canning with a water bath canner. Participants will receive a “Preserving the Harvest” food preservation packet, and will learn recommended methods for preserving foods, the latest and safest recipes, about equipment to insure safety and how to check for properly sealed jars. We will prepare a recipe using this method based on what is in peak season at the time of the workshop. Please bring a potholder with you to the workshop.

Learn about using wild mushrooms. The various mushrooms are like vegetables. They have different flavors and widely varying textures, colors, moisture content and water absorbency. Hence, the various species respond to cooking processes differently. We will learn about matching mushroom species to cooking techniques. Also discussed will be the appropriate foods and wines to match with wild mushrooms and which species may be mixed together in a recipe.

Learn a new cuisine as you join Togo native Jordan Benissen as he teaches you how to cook dishes from West Africa. Among the dishes you may be preparing are West African Chicken in Peanut Sauce, Jollof Rice (West African Paella), Gusi Dessi (Spinach, kale, and collard greens, cooked with melon seeds, cooked in a reduced tomato sauce; served with white rice), and West African tapioca pudding cooked in lemongrass broth with choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

Recent testing at the University of Wisconsin has indicated that atmospheric steam canning is a safe alternative to the traditional water bath canning method for use in preserving high-acid foods at home. An atmospheric steam canner, an appliance designed to preserve foods using steam, uses less energy and requires less heavy lifting than a waterbath canner. Join University of Maine Cooperative Extension staff to learn about this method, as well as general best practices for home food preservation. We will prepare a recipe using this method based on what is in peak season at the time of the workshop. Each participant will take part in this hands-on workshop and go home with a canned product and a “Preserving the Harvest” food preservation packet. Please bring a potholder.

Learn to make delicious vegetarian Indian food in this class taught by Dee Patel of Namaste Indian Food. Dee has had a passion for cooking Indian food since she was a teenager living with her grandmother in India, and she loves to share both her own and her grandmother’s recipes. Her menu features a daily special and several of her most popular dishes will be among those you will learn in this class, such as Paneer-Tikka Masala Curry, Dal (Lentil Soup), Naan, Raitu or her special Potato Salad. There will also be a lovely Indian Chai tea!

There is nothing like the aroma of freshly baked sourdough bread unless it is enjoying a slice of freshly baked bread with butter shortly after coming out of the oven! Students will learn how to care for a sourdough starter, how to knead using two different techniques, and how to mix, shape and score the bread for baking. The instructor will demonstrate two ways to bake a loaf, using a cloche or a stone with steam in the oven, followed by a taste testing. Students will then shape, score and bake a loaf of their own in class. They will take home some sourdough culture (bring a 32 ounce container) for bread baking at home. A $5 ingredients fee is payable to the instructor at class.