for immediate release

Discover Your Inner Chef

Regenstein School Offers Culinary Classes for Winter/Spring 2009

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (Nov. 6, 2008)—If you are new to the kitchen or would like to improve your cooking skills, the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden offers a wide selection of culinary classes that provide the practical, delicious and “user-friendly” training you seek.

These courses showcase bountiful herbs, fruits and vegetables as they come into season. Recipes are provided and so are samples, so come hungry! The schedule is as follows:

Super Bowl Appetizers That Wow! – Saturday, January 24, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Wow your friends and family at your Super Bowl party with four simple appetizers that are sure to titillate your taste buds! Easy-to-make favorites such as Spanish Tapa Patatas Bravas, garlic bread, goat cheese pizza and flank steak blue cheese skewers with red wine sauce will have you spending more time enjoying your party, and less time in the kitchen. Cost is $74. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $59.

Chinese Cooking: Popular Appetizers – Thursday, January 22, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
In this class you will make some of the most popular Chinese appetizers including spring rolls, crab rangoons, and pot stickers that are delicious and fun to make. Cost is $74. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $59.

Mardi Gras Cooking Party – Tuesday, January 27, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Get together with friends and family to celebrate Mardi Gras this year. This demonstration class will give you the tools you’ll need to make the finest Jambalaya recipe you will come by. Cost is $24. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $19.

Chocolate Chocolate! – Tuesday, February 10, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Chocoholics unite! In this fun lecture, you will get a serious dose of chocolate tasting, handling, and general information. Indulge in one of life’s real treats. Students will experiment with domestic and imported, familiar and not, commercial and handmade chocolates, semi-sweet, dark, milk, white, bittersweet, and cocoa. Cost is $24. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $19.

More Comfort Foods for Cold Winter Days – Wednesday, February 18, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
In this class, we will demonstrate the preparation of a hearty and very popular osso bucco (Italian-style braised veal shanks) served with a classic risotto Milanese. Participants will learn the basics of braising and risotto preparation. Cost is $74. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $59.

Chinese Cooking: Lettuce Wraps and Kungpao Chicken – Thursday, February 19, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Chef and author, Ying Stoller, will demonstrate how to make delicious lettuce wraps, kungpao chicken, and almond tofu fruit cocktail (it’s not like regular tofu, it’s more like gelatin) for dessert. Cost is $74. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $59.

Chinese Cooking: Restaurant-Style Soups – Tuesday, March 17, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This is the perfect season to learn how to make great-tasting Chinese soups. Learn the secrets of egg drop, wanton, and hot and sour soups as you’re cooking with chef and author Ying Stoller. You will learn everything you need to prepare it in your own home. Cost is $74. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $59.

Italian Cooking: Fresh Homemade Pasta – Wednesday, March 18, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Making fresh pasta at home may sound intimidating or messy, but it’s easier than you think, and your taste buds and friends will thank you for making it. In this class, you will help prepare a linguini, a ravioli, and a shaped pasta – all three with different sauces. Cost is $74. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $59.

Italian Cooking: Sensational Sauces – Thursday, March 19, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Experience the joy of cooking Italian with a native Neapolitan. Lucia Cavallino, co-owner of Enzo & Lucia’s Restaurant, will demonstrate how easily authentic homemade sauces, a foundation of Italian cuisine, can be created from just a few basic fresh ingredients.

Italian Cooking: Abbondanza! Fresh Vegetables Italian-Style – Thursday, April 23, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Fresh seasonal vegetables offer a bounty of menu choices as side dishes or main courses. This class will present a colorful palette of possibilities to enhance the flavor, versatility, and appeal of vegetables. Cost is $74. Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $59.

For a course catalog describing programs and classes in more detail, or to register, call the School of the Chicago Botanic Garden at (847) 835-8261, or visit www.chicagobotanic.org/school.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.