Arts Council Launches 'Culinary Travels' Cooking Series

The Somerville Arts Council has announced it's launching a new cooking series called "Culinary Travels." The cooking series will teach students how to make dishes from around the world, all with ingredients found right here in Somerville.

Here's the list of classes from the Somerville Arts Council:

Nibble started with a blog about food and culture in Union Square. The blog spawned a book, and now we are thrilled to extend Nibble to include culinary classes. Yes indeed, we are teaming up with Home- made Modern Co. (formerly City Chicks) and Kitchen Inc. in Union Square to launch a new series of cook- ing classes! Here is your chance to take a culinary spin around the globe by learning how to craft beautiful sushi, make a traditional Nepali meal and whip up a batch of orecchiette stuffed with homemade mozzarella—right here in Somerville. These classes—part cooking tutorial, part community feast—will have distinct artistic and/ or cultural angles. All these classes will take place at Union Square’s thriving kitchen incubator, Kitchen Inc., which is specially outfitted for teaching culinary classes. Homemade Modern Co already is run- ning classes at Kitchen Inc., ranging from pressure cooking to locavore meals to pudding and custards. The Arts Council is adding four new classes to the mix, which are listed below.

Food of the Americas cooking class with Ryan Redmond
Sunday, January 27, 3-7pm

One of the things that really interests me, as a chef trained at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, is the history of food. I’m not particularly interested in authenticity as it relates to cuisine, but I am curious to know where foods come from and the story of how they travel and change. The Columbian Exchange - the global transfer of crops, animals, people, ideas, and diseases that came about after the voyages of Christopher Columbus in the 1490s - stands as a major episode of food history. Many foods now found in many corners of the world - potatoes, tomatoes, chiles, corn, squash, peanuts, chocolate and much more - have their origins in the Americas. This “Foods of the Americas” cooking class highlights a number of those pre-Colombian American ingredients. We’ll prepare a roasted winter squash soup garnished with hazelnuts and parsley; blue corn flatbread; seared cod glazed with a maple syrup-mustard sauce topped with a carrot, dried cranberry, pecan salad; and a roasted winter squash, wild rice salad.

Sushi Class with Sushi Chef Jose Garcia
Tuesday, January 29, 6:30-8:30pm
Learn the art of crafting delicious and exquisite sushi and rolls with sushi chef and Ebi Sushi owner, Jose Garcia. Trained for 8 years with Japanese sushi chefs, Jose is well equipped to teach students how to prepare the rice, cut the fish, assemble sushi and make accompanying accoutrements like wasabi and pickled ginger. You will make your own California roll and the more complex avocado roll. Jose will also show you how to make nigiris (more commonly known as sushis) and the rainbow roll—a California roll with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp and avocado on top. You also will learn how to eat sushi while Jose shares his deep knowledge of sushi evolution and customs and explores the differences between Japan and American sushi traditions.

Nepali Meal with Bimala Thapa
Wednesday, March 6, 6:30-8:30pm
Katmandu native and Union Square resident will teach attendees to make a complete Nepali meal. Dishes include Golbheda Ko Achar with Timur and Dhaniya (a tomato-based chutney seasoned with timur), Pulao (Nepali rice with nuts and Cardamom), a traditional curry—and for dessert, jeri (deep-fried wheat flour served with a sweet syrup). Once our feast is ready, we will sit down on the floor, Nepali-style, to eat together and learn more about Nepali culinary and cultural traditions. 

An Evening of Pasta & Cheese with Lourdes Smith and Valeria Amato
Wednesday, March 13, 6:30-9:30pm
Lourdes, owner of Fiore di Nonno, and Valeria, Somerville resident, are both Italian Americans with roots in Hoboken, NJ where both of their families immigrated to from Italy.  In the 20th century, many Italians immigrated to Hoboken to start a new life. Italians brought along their hometown recipes, foods, and traditions.  Lourdes’s grandfather opened his own shop, Fiore, which is still open today and selling what many still name the #1 mozzarella around.  Valeria’s family, who are also regulars at Fiore’s, made it a point to keep their food traditions alive, including pasta and foccacia making.

This class will cover two great loves of Italy: mozzarella and pasta.  Lourdes will teach you how to make your own delicious mozzarella. Valeria will show you how to make orecchiette, an ear-shaped pasta from the region of Puglia, where her family is from.  Once we’re done cooking, we’ll sit down and enjoy a delicious meal together.  You’ll also leave with recipes to make at home.

For more information visit www.somervilleartscouncil.org

The following classes at Kitchen Inc., run by Homemade Modern Co. 

30 Minute Meals: Pressure Cooking 
Thursday, January 24, 6:30-8:30pm, $65
Michael Dulock, butcher and owner of M.F.Dulock. takes us through beef stew, a quick chicken stock, and a homemade tomato sauce…all made in the pressure cooker! 

Cooking with Local Winter Produce
Thursday, January 31st, 6:30-8:30pm, $65
Join Chef Andrea Morales as she cooks up turnip risotto with bacon and creates delectable cupcakes from parsnips!

Pudding For Your Puddin’
Tuesday, February 5th, 6:30-8:30pm, $55
Join Heather Schmidt to learn the basics of a simple custard and how to create fun and delicious flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate or butterscotch.

Butchering 101: Snout-to-Tail
Sunday, February 10th, 4-7pm, $75
Butcher Vadim Akimenko is taking us whole hog: demonstrating the process of taking a whole pig and turning it into a variety of different cuts of meat that you can bring home to cook and enjoy.

For many more classes, visit www.citychicksboston.com