We are pleased to welcome back into our kitchens Jeff Van Geest, Owner & Chef of the award winning Aurora Bistro!

Chef Jeff will present to the Foodies a locally inspired menu featuring the best of BC’s bounty, including a selection of delicious BC wines. 

As always, our classes are hands-on, so you will not only benefit from Chef Jeff’s extensive culinary experience, you will also have the opportunity to prepare & savour these dishes:

• Spot prawns on asparagus wrapped in Oyama’s proscuitto with ginger sabayon
• Roasted Polderside Farm duck breast with rhubarb compote & aged cheddar-potato perogies
• Agassiz hazelnut tart with maple creme fraiche

I know, my mouth is watering too!

This class will sell out, so book your seat early! 

Time:  Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - 6:15pm - 9:30pm 

Register:  You can register by phone 604.876.7653 with Visa or MasterCard, or in person with cash, local cheque or debit.

Cost:  $98 + GST

Please bring:  Chef’s knife, paring knife, 2 tea towels, a pen, closed-toe/flat-heeled shoes & an elastic to tie back long hair if you have it.

Note: Menu subject to change at chef’s discretion.

In my opinion, chocolate should be considered its own food group! 

In order to satisfy your cocoa cravings, Chef Tim will be presenting a 2-day Introduction to Chocolate series.

We will be doing a chocolate tasting (did you know chocolate is as complex as wine?), and learning to properly temper chocolate to give it that beautiful sheen .  We’ll make. . . and you can take home

• Chocolate truffles
• Bon Bons
• Ganache and other fillings
• Enrobed chocolates
• Molded chocolates

Time: April 26 & 27.  From 9:00am - 3:00pm

Cost: $320 + GST

Register: Call 604.876.7653.  Payment is due with registration, and can be made by phone with a Visa or MasterCard.

Please Bring: Chef’s knife, pastry/bench scraper, 2 tea towels, silpat (1/2 sheet size), small electric heating pad & a container transport your goodies!

Note: Menu subject to change at chef’s discretion.

Chef Tim is pleased to present the 5th Serious Foodie Pastry class for 2008.  Expand your pastry repertoire with a focus on Tarts, Quick Breads & Choux Paste.

The menu will include:

• Gateaux Basque
• Sicilian Tart
• Rhubarb Tart (yes, it’s rhubarb season!)
• Buttermilk Scones with Rhubarb Preserves
• St. Honore Cake

Those recipes will give you experience with the following techniques:

• semolina custard
• short crust dough
• pate sucre (sweet dough)
• chemical leaveners
• mixing methods
• choux paste & profiterole
• creme patissiere (pastry cream)
• caramel sugar 

Time: May 24 & 25, 2008.  From 9:00am - 3:00pm

Cost: $320 + GST

Register: Call 604.876.7653.  Payment is due with registration, and can be made by phone with a Visa or MasterCard.

Please Bring: Chef’s knife, pastry/bench scraper, 2 tea towels, a piping bag & tips (if you have them), a container transport your goodies!

Note: Menu subject to change at chef’s discretion.

There are still a few spots left in next week’s class.  Come & learn to fillet like a pro!  Call 604.876.7653 to register!

Attention Foodies!  Join us for these 1-day Advanced Culinary classes, featuring more detailed protein work. Classes will be periodically throughout the year.

This second class will feature Trout & Salmon!  Learn to butcher the whole fish & execute delicious dishes such as:

Seared salmon with beurre blanc
Tea smoked trout
Coulibiac
Trout apple meuniere
Gravlax

Classes will include expert instruction, printed recipes & hands-on cooking. And, of course you get to enjoy eating the dishes you learn with a glass of wine.

time:  Thursday, March 20, 2008.  6:15 - 9:45pm.

to register: please call 604.876.7653

cost: $98 + GST (due at registration)

please bring: chef’s knife, paring knife, boning knife, apron, 2 hand/tea towels

Menus subject to change based upon availability of ingredients & chef’s discretion.

There are still a couple of spots left for the class this weekend . . . Call 604.876.7653 to register! 

Chef Tim is proud to announce the next in his monthly Serious Foodie Pastry series. March’s class will feature Cakes & Mousses… just in time for Easter!

Our Menu: 

• Chocolate Trio Mousse Cake
• Mango Strawberry Entremet (layer cake)
• Basque Gateaux (sponge w/semolina mousse)
• Poppyseed Cake
• Raspberry Cream Cheese Mousse Roulade

 Individual techniques we will be learning:

• Vanilla Sponge
• Genoise
• Chocolate Dacquoise
• Japonaise
• Trio chocolate Mousse
• Mango and Stawberry Mousse
• Semolina Custard Mousse
• Cream Cheese Mousse

Time: March 15 & 16, 2008.  From 9:00am - 3:00pm

Cost: $320 + GST

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due with registration, and can be made by phone with a Visa or MasterCard.

The May Monday night SF Culinary Basics class is now full, and since more of you want in we’ve decided to offer the same class running on Tuesdays starting May 6.

This class will sell out, so register early by calling us at 604.876.7653.

Learn proper knife handling skills, stocks & sauces, moist & dry heat cooking methods and more. All of our classes are hands-on, and you will prepare a 3-course meal each night. 

For a more detailed description of this delicious, enlightening & empowering course, please visit this webpage: http://www.nwcav.com/ncav_othercourses_seriousfoodie.html.

Times: Classes will run for 8 consecutive Tuesday evenings starting May 6, from 6:15-approx. 9:30pm.  There will be no classes on weeks with a stat holiday.

Cost: $695 + GST

Please Bring: chef’s knife, paring knife, pastry/bench scraper, 2 tea/hand towels, closed-toe flat-heeled shoes, and an elastic to tie back long hair.

Happy cooking!

Tony, Owner-Chef Instructor

As the days get longer, our thoughts drift to Spring and warmer evenings spent around the BBQ with friends and family.  To give you some new inspiration in that department, we are very pleased to offer two BBQ classes hosted by Brian Misko of the award winning House of Q. You may have seen Brian and his partner Glenn Erho on Global TV BC providing the BBQ Tip of the Week.  House of Q has also recently launched its own line of award winning bbq sauces & rubs.  Here’s the scoop on the classes:

May 3, 2008

• pulled pork
• cedar plank fish
• planked cheese with chutney
• cheese stuffed jalapenos
• grilled asparagus with lime & olive oil
• grilled fruit

June 7, 2008

• braised short ribs
• flank steak
• quesadillas
• grilled corn & cilantro salad
• spicy yam fries
• grilled tomato salsa

times: classes will run each day from 11:00am - 2:30pm

cost: $98 each day, plus GST

register: by calling 604.876.7653  - payment is due at the time of registration

please bring: your NWCAV apron if you have one, chef’s knife, paring knife, 2 hand/tea towels

Menus subject to change based upon Chef’s discretion.

Attention all pastry & baking buffs, there are still a few spots left in this delicious class!

As part of our ongoing Serious Foodie Pastry series, Chef Tim Meuhlbauer will present a two day class in February on Breads & Sweet Doughs. You will learn to mix, knead & bake the following delicious breads:

• Bagels
• Baguette
• Fougasse 
• Epis
• German Rye
• Italian Country
• Pistachio Sweet Roll
• Cinnamon Sweet Roll (Sticky Buns)

times: Saturday February 16 & Sunday February 17, 9:00am - 3:00pm 

cost: $320 + GST, includes recipes, expert instruction, and a souvenir NWCAV apron for you to keep.

register: by phone 604.876.7653.  Tuition is due with registration & may be paid by Visa or MasterCard.

please bring: chef knife, paring knife, pastry/bench scraper, 2 tea towels, 1 loaf/bread pan, closed-toe flat-heeled shoes, and elastic to tie back long hair.

Menus subject to change based upon Chef’s discretion and/or availability of ingredients.

The snow is still flying but many families are looking ahead and planning summer vacations.  To help you with your family plans we have set the dates for Summer Culinary Camps, 2008 with Chef Barb.  The week long camps are just too good to miss.  We’ve got a new line up of classes that will have the young culinarians in the family creating fresh, seasonal meals using B.C.’s bumper crop of summer fruits and veggies.  From breakfast treats to after dinner sweets, we’ve got meal planning covered.  Daily camp menus will be posted in the spring.

The Kids Culinary Camps are action-packed, fun-filled days where the children have the opportunity to learn about the culinary arts through demonstrations and hands-on cooking in small groups.  The children will cook each day’s menu from scratch then sit down to enjoy a lunch they created.  Menus are designed to be age appropriate, incorporate a variety of culinary techniques and skills, to appeal to and develop younger palates and to help children discover the process and pleasure of cooking and sharing food together.  At the end of each day a recipe book is theirs to take and at the end of the camp, they will take home their apron so they can get busy in the kitchen.

Chef Barbara Finley has been teaching in the lower mainland for over 20 years, as an elementary teacher, instructor with the Faculty of Education at UBC and as a professional culinary and pastry instructor.  Barbara’s hope is that exposure to cooking and a variety of foods will encourage nutritious, diverse food choices that the children can create at home.

August 11 – 15  (Ages 7 – 11)

A five-day camp that celebrates the flavours of the season.  We’ll be creating new recipes from around the globe and some from our own backyard.  Fresh. Flavourful.  Fun.

August 18 – 22  (Ages 12 - 17)

A five-day camp developed with teenaged taste buds in mind that focuses on developing a variety of cooking techniques and skills using B.C.’s bounty of seasonal produce. From snacks to fine dining entrees, we’ll stretch your culinary repertoire.

Times:  10:00am - 2:00pm

Cost: $425 + GST per camp

Register:  call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration & can be made over the phone by Visa or MasterCard.

The summer camp cooking classes are sold as a package and not on an individual basis.  Registration fees are non-refundable.  If you are unable to attend, you may send another person in your place.  With two week’s notice, you may transfer to another class, based on availability, or receive a class credit.

The next Serious Foodie Culinary Basics series will start on Monday, May 5, 2008.

This class will sell out, so register early by calling us at 604.876.7653.

Classes will run for 8 consecutive Monday evenings, 6:15-approx. 9:30pm.

Learn proper knife handling skills, stocks & sauces, moist & dry heat cooking methods and more. All of our classes are hands-on, and you will prepare a 3-course meal each night.  For a detailed description of this delicious, enlightening & empowering course, please visit this webpage: http://www.nwcav.com/ncav_othercourses_seriousfoodie.html.

Happy cooking!

Tony, Owner-Chef Instructor

Attention Foodies!  Join us for these 1-day Advanced Culinary classes, featuring more detailed protein work. Classes will be periodically throughout the year.

This first class will feature everyone’s favourite fowl Duck!  Learn to butcher the whole bird & execute delicious dishes such as:

Rillette
Confit
Cassoulet (including sausage making)

Classes will include expert instruction, printed recipes & hands-on cooking. And, of course you get to enjoy eating the dishes you learn along with a glass of wine.

time:  Thursday, February 28, 2008.  6:15 - 9:45pm.

to register: please call 604.876.7653

cost: $98 + GST (due at registration)

please bring: chef’s knife, paring knife, boning knife, apron, 2 hand/tea towels

Menus subject to change based upon availability of ingredients and chef’s discretion.

Our very own French Chef Extraordinaire, Chef Christophe, is delighted to present two 2-day classes on French Bistro Classics.  Cook with some of your favourite ingredients, such as lobster, truffles, lamb & quail.

The first set will run Wednesday evenings on February 6th & 13th, and the second will be on February 20 & 27.  Join us for two classes, or register for all four with a discount.  Classes include printed recipes, expert instruction, an apron for you to keep, wine pairing, and of course hands-on cooking.  This is the perfect class to do with your partner or friend as you explore the intricacies of French Bistro cuisine.

French Bistro Classics #1 will feature:

Alsatian onion tart & frisee salad w/ house-made bacon & verjus
Stuffed quail on potato galette, Frenched green beans & truffle sauce
Berry Clafoutis

Lobster bisque w/ cognac
Paupiette of trout w/ salmon mousse & spinach veloute
Floating islands

cost: $245 + GST.   Get a discount by booking yourself for all four classes or booking this class with a friend for $470 + GST. 

times:  Wednesdays, February 6 & 13, 2008.  6:15 - 9:45pm

to register:  Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due upon registration, and can be made with Visa or MasterCard over the phone.

please bring:  chef’s knife, paring knife, pastry/bench scraper, 2 hand/tea towels, closed-toe/flat-heeled shoes & an elastic to tie back long hair.