COOKING CLASSES
If you don't see something that fits your schedule, Chef Pellegrino is happy to arrange a private cooking class for a minimum of 8 students. So get your friends together and have a night of fun learning to cook and drinking wine.
Contact Chef Pellegrino - jerry@corksrestaurant.com
WINE & DINE WITH CHEF PELLEGRINO
All dinner classes start at 6:30pm in Corks' upstairs kitchen. The class, with Chef Pellegrino's guidance, will prepare a three course meal, paired with wine. They will then retire to the dining room to enjoy their creations. Classes cost $89 per person, not including gratuity.
May 6th, Friday - Pinot Noir and Food Pairings
It’s hard to pin point which wine would be Chef Pellegrino’s favorite but when it’s time for him to decide what wine he’d most like to pair with food, Pinot Noir always wins. Pinot has a wide spectrum of flavors and intensities which makes it great with everything from salmon to steaks! Join Chef Pellegrino for an evening designed to look at different Pinot Noirs from around the world and create dishes centered on shellfish, salmon and pork.
June 24th, Friday – Rosés and Summer Foods
Pink wine has been making a comeback these days. It’s not just the sweet white Zins of the 80’s & 90’s. Dry Rosés are everything from delicate and exotic to intense with rich red fruit aromas. The class will enjoy a variety of Rosés while making fun summertime dishes such as two different salsas, seviché, roasted summer vegetables and a tangy roast chicken.
July 22nd, Friday – The Wine and Food of Northern Italy
Chef Pellegrino’s favorite region in Italy is up north. The class will start by sipping on some whites from Friuli and enjoying some of the great cheese from Northern Italy. While in the kitchen, the class will make polenta, risotto and explore the seafood selections from Genoa to the gulf of Venice. Red wines from Piedmont will accompany the roasted pork and root vegetables.
THE "HOW TO" SERIES
The 'How To' series starts at 1:30pm on Sundays. It's a bit more casual then the Dinner Series but no less educational. Plan on spending a few hours sipping wine and learning how to do everything from using and sharpening your knife to making pasta. Classes cost $55 per person, not including gratuity.
April 10th, Sunday - The Art of Making Sauces
One of the things that separates the restaurant experience from the home chef is the use of great sauces. Spend the afternoon learning to make the mother sauces of French cooking; emulsions, béchamel, beurre blanc, velouté, demi glace and a discussion of stocks and broths. The class will also make two dessert sauces Crème Anglaise and chocolate sauce.
April 17th, Sunday - The Art of Baking Bread
Baking is one of the most therapeutic things to do in the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked bread or pies can transform even the most bitter of days into one of complete joy. But baking can also be very intimidating. We’ve gotten used to the fact that bread is something we should buy not make. But Chef Pellegrino will change that. The class will get the opportunity to make soda bread, a traditional French baguette, dinner rolls, foccacia, cheesy bread sticks and a traditional Italian peasant bread. Chef Pellegrino will discuss the difference between bread flours and all purpose flour and illustrate the dos and don’ts of making bread with yeast.
May 8th, Sunday – Mother’s Day – Pies and Tarts
There’s no better Mother’s Day gift then to bring Mom to a cooking class. The class will spend the afternoon exploring the world of pies and tarts. The class will learn how to make both savory and sweet pastry crusts, the proper technique for rolling out tart shells and the technique of “blind baking”. We’ll then go on to make two savory dishes, a classic French leek tart, and a good old fashion Maryland chicken pot pie with sweet potato crust. For dessert we’ll make a Normandy apple and custard tart and a simple, but elegant mixed fruit tart.
June 5th, Sunday - The Art of Cooking Poultry
They say the test of a great chef is to make the perfect roast chicken and Chef Pellegrino agrees. There is nothing more satisfying than making the perfect chicken dinner with roasted root vegetables. The class will learn how to roast the perfect bird along with how to truss a chicken and butcher it into lots of different pieces.
June 19th, Sunday – Father’s Day – Beef for the Grill ($65 per person)
Fathe’sr Day screams BBQ! Dad’s place is in front of the fire and learning the best ways to grill a variety of different beef cuts is a must. The class will spend the afternoon learning about the common cuts of beef; filet mignon, NY Strip, the rib eye and porterhouse, along with a few not so common cuts such as the hanger steak and skirt steak. The class will also talk about a few fun marinades and rubs then head outside to grill their creations.
July 10th, Sunday – The Art of Making Pasta
Always a favorite, join Chef for an afternoon of cranking fresh linguini, spaghetti, pappardelle and ravioli while making four traditional pasta sauces. There will be plenty of Pinot Grigio and Chianti to go around.
July 17th, Sunday – The Art of Making Pizza
Even though it’s summertime, Chef Pellegrino is going to crank up the oven in the private kitchen to 500 degrees, get out the pizza peels and spend the afternoon with the class making both thin crust and deep dish pizzas while sipping on some cold Chianti! It’s an afternoon that is always a hit.
THE FARMER'S MARKET CLASSES ($60 per person)
*****WE WILL MEET AT 7AM AT THE NORTH END OF THE MARKET UNDER ROUTE 83 AT ZEKE’S COFFEE*****
The Farmers Market classes take a look at what’s fresh and local and spend some time turning these amazing products into great dishes. The class will meet at the Baltimore City Farmers Market under Route 83 downtown at 7:00am and spend some time walking around the market and seeing what the local farmers have to offer. After buying an array of different items, the class will head back to the Corks’ private kitchen and prepare at least three courses with what they’ve found.
May 22nd, June 12th, June 26th, July 17th
THE WINE TASTING CLASSES ($55 per person)
If you’ve ever wanted to take some time to explore the fascinating world of wine, here is your chance. Chef Pellegrino’s passion for wine translates into easily understood, frank talk about a very complicated subject. Each class is designed to explore everything from the basics of tasting to the terriors of Burgundy. Light fare will be served during each class.
April 13th, Wednesday and April 27th, Wednesday– How to Taste Wine, The Basics
Chef Pellegrino will take the class through a basic explanation of how to taste wine, why to taste wine and when to taste wine. He’ll explain some of the basic protocols and myths surrounding the stuffy world of wine. The class will then taste three whites and three reds, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel as Chef Pellegrino explains the differences of these grapes and their food pairing uses.
May 4th, Wednesday – The Wines of Oregon’s Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley in Oregon is one of the most interesting wine producing regions in the world. Besides being one of the few great homes of the very fickle Pinot Noir grape, it produces some incredible white wines made from Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Auxerois, Riesling and Chardonnay. Spend the evening with Chef Pellegrino tasting twelve wines that he thinks define this great region.
May 25th, Wednesday – The Wine’s of Northern Italy
If Chef Pellegrino could spend time anywhere in the world, it’d be in Northern Italy. The wines and foods of this area are by far his favorite. Join him for an evening exploring the wines of Friuli, Trentino and Piedmont. Everything from crisp whites to bold reds.
June 1st, Wednesday – The Wine’s of Argentina
Argentina was considered one of the up and coming wine regions of the world five years ago. Well, in the last five years it has really grown up! The local varietals of Torrentes and Bonarda mix well with the imports such as Malbec and Viognier. Spend the evening learning about Mendoza and the other regions which are responsible for this country’s great wine production.
