Last week for our girls’ night out we decided to try something new and took a local cooking class. Our “Autumn Flavors” class was taught by Chef Ray – a Vermont native and a graduate of the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York.  He was there to teach us how to make a classic autumn meal.  The menu was promising: it included romaine & endive salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette, oven seared pork tenderloin with braised fennel, roasted butternut squash, rosemary rissole potatoes and apple cranberry tart for dessert.

We sipped our wine as Chef Ray prepared each course for the class, demonstrating cutting techniques, sharing cooking tips and answering questions along the way.  As each course was ready, we were all served and got to taste the result.  Which was good, because I was able to see which parts of the menu I liked and which parts were just so-so. During the class the aroma of pork, rosemary and apples was incredible – I felt like I was back in Vermont on a cool fall evening. 

By the end of the class we’d enjoyed a wonderful meal and were ready to tackle the menu on our own.  If you haven’t tried a cooking class recently, give it a try!  Check with your local upscale food market (Whole Foods, Central Market, Draeger’s, Wegmans, etc.) for upcoming classes.