It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Sure, the holidays and great and all, but I’m talking about the fact that the course catalog of University School of Nashville’s adult evening classes is now online, with registration opening at 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12. Not only are there some fantastic culinary education opportunities planned for this year, but it’s the chance to help out a great local school. (Full disclosure: my alma mater.)
They’ve brought back some old favorites plus brought some new talent into the fold to offer food and drink instruction. Some classes are taught in fabulous home kitchens volunteered by members of the USN community, while others will be hosted at restaurants. In either case, there’s almost always a great meal involved during the course of a class, and you’ll go home with a heaping helping of knowledge for your own kitchen. Selfishly, I should probably put off sharing this info until after I get a chance to sign up for some of my most anticipated classes, but that would be kinda sketchy. So here are some of the opportunities I’m really looking forward to:
You probably already know I’m a big fan of Katie Coss and the work she is doing leading the kitchen at Husk, so it’s a special treat that she has joined the roster of USN chef instructors. Class 401 is titled “Cooking Locally and Sustainably,” and Coss is the perfect person to drop that knowledge on you. She’ll offer tips on how to source great produce and how to preserve food through canning, a longtime obsession of hers.
Fellow USN alum Hrant Arakelian from East Nashville’s Lyra will be teaching a Middle Eastern cooking class in Class 405. Along with his wife, Lyra's beverage director Elizabeth Endicott, the chef will share the secrets of his restaurant’s beloved hummus and how to blend and use the exotic spices of the region to prepare a tasty lamb dish. Endicott will be pouring Lebanese wines to keep the class festive.
Class 403 will be Cooking Pasta From the Heart with Hathorne, taught by chef Joey Molteni. Along with beverage director Hayley Teague, Molteni will focus on how to design a meal around complementary plates, wines and cocktails. You’ll also get some great pasta tips.
Speaking of pasta, the Nicolleto brothers Danny and Ryan will invite students into their East Nashville pasta factory to learn to make different pasta shapes to prepare a meal for themselves and to take home. I’ve been fortunate enough to learn some of what you’ll discover from the Nicolettos in Class 414, and it really improved my pasta game. This one will be a winner!
For many longtime USN evening class fans, all they have to see is the name Deb Paquette, and they’ll tie up the phones on registration day like teenage girls clamoring for K-Pop boy-band tickets. This year, Chef Paquette has decided to focus on figs for Class 415. The delicious fruits will be featured in pickles, vinaigrette, bruschetta, ice cream and cocktails, so you’ll go home feeling plenty figgy.
Chef Hal Holden-Bache will be firing up the wood-fired oven at his Lockeland Table for a special pizza lesson in Class 426. Students will go through the entire process of creating their own pies, which will pass through the infernal over before being paired with beverages from the bar.
Wanna learn how to roll your own? Take the O-Ku Sushi Secrets class where chef Eric Hill from O-Ku Nashville will introduce you to the art of making sushi, from breaking down the fish to preparing the other ingredients. Then you'll learn rolling techiniques for making your own Makimono-stye sushi and enjoy the fruits of your efforts.
Another USN alumna (we’re everywhere!), Claire Meneely, will share some of her secrets to sourdough bread baking in Class 419. If you’re a fan of her Dozen Bakery, you know what a talented baker she is, and she’ll even send you home with some sourdough starter for you to use in your own kitchen.
Class 434 will be “A Classic Southern Cocktail Party” thrown by Corner Market co-founder Emily Frith and Nashville chef, author, and blogger Sallie Sworth. Corner Market has deservedly earned cult status among its legions of fans, so you don’t want to miss out on some of their favorite small bites and signature cocktails as well as tips on hosting and serving your very own Southern cocktail party.
Unfortunately, chef Maneet Chauhan’s busy travel schedule made her unavailable to teach a class, but she has volunteered to open up her fantastic restaurant Chaatable for two sessions of Class 406, “Learn the Art of Indian Street Food.” Students will learn the secret elements that make chaat so craveable: crunchy, creamy, salty, tangy, spicy, savory and sweet.
Biscuit Love and 'za empresario Karl Worley will reprise his “Biscuits and Bourbon” Class 417 for two sessions, and he’s invited me to join him to handle the brown water. Worley will demo several different biscuit recipes, which he will serve with delectable country hams, preserves, gravy and whiskey. Really, it’s more educational than it sounds!
I ran into Bang Candy owner Sarah Souther recently and didn’t even know that I should have been thanking her for volunteering to teach Class 423, "Designer S’Mores." She’ll demonstrate how to build the perfect treat from homemade marshmallows, how to temper chocolate and bake the perfect shortbread cookie. You’ll sip prosecco infused with some of her delicious Bang Candy syrups while you learn. Bubble and s’mores? Sign me up!
If you just want to get fed and learn while it’s happening, consider Class 427, titled “French DInner with Friends.” Nashville’s Little Gourmand, Guenievre Milliner will prepare a three-course meal beginning with hors d’oeuvres of mushroom carpaccio, followed by l'entrée of honey glazed salmon fillet. and finally, Gateau Saint Germain (made with almond, kirsch, and lemon) for dessert. Oui, oui!
Byron Stithem of Proper Saké will lead class 501 “Sake, Koji, and the Importance of Umami at Proper Saké” which will focus on the elusive savory “fifth flavor” or umami. You’ll discover it in servings of sake, koji beer, dumplings, and some other related ferments.
The talented mixologists at Rambler Cocktail Bar under The Sutler in Melrose will be shaking up some knowledge in Class 504, “Handcrafted Signature Cocktails.” They’ll teach all sorts of techniques along with innovative drink recipes accompanied by small bites.
To be honest, I have to be like No. 1053 on USN’s list of most famous alums, far below Jad Abumrad and Henrietta Red chef Julia Sullivan. While Jad’s too busy to teach a cooking class, and I don't even know if he can turn on an oven, Sullivan is an extremely talented chef. So it’s exciting to see she’ll be leading Class 507 “Salud! Spanish Wines and Tapas.” Sullivan will team up with noted local sommelier Alex Burch of Bastion for a food and wine tour of Spain, with stops along the way in glasses of albariño of Rias Biaxas, cava and tempranillo served along with food pairings.
Class 505 should be a fun one as Hillary Holmes hosts a pretzel-twisting and beer-tasting at Von Elrod’s Beer Hall and Kitchen in Germantown. Learn the basics of making pretzels and then dip them in a variety of mustards and beer cheese while you sip on some perfect beer pairings. Prost!
Finally, the culinary heavyweights of Green Door Gourmet are offering Class 502, “Perfect Pairings: The Art of Pairing Food and Wine.” GDG owner-operator Sylvia Ganier and chef Richard Jones will discuss how to confidently pair specific wines with food and share dishes and sips to prove their point.
