When it comes to weekends and special occasions, preparing a great meal for family and friends can be the cherry on top of the sundae.
Now, even novice cooks can impress thanks to two new continuing education courses at Humber College, Brunch and Holiday Entertaining in the Kitchen.
These are just two of a dozen culinary courses the school is introducing this year in response to interest, says Humber instructor and chef Anne-Marie Ellis.
The four-hour, one-off classes are for “anybody who is a foodie, who loves to cook, loves to entertain, and really wants to learn proper technique,” she says.
As with all of Humber’s cooking courses, students will receive guidance from a culinary pro. The instructor will be either a Certified Chef de Cuisine or in the process of earning that accreditation, the highest professional culinary recognition in Canada.
In the brunch course, students will learn how to create a crowd-pleasing grand petite dejeuner. Among the food that will be prepared are breakfast meats, potatoes and egg dishes.
Meanwhile, the holiday course will give students tips on planning a range of events, from the conventional sit-down dinner to a cocktail reception or a buffet.
Compared to regular entertaining, people expect holiday entertaining to be more refined, says Ellis. At the same time, the course menu will take into account the short duration of the class.
“That gives us the opportunity to come out with some simple but really good dishes that can be done in a short timeframe, and still show the skill level and the ingenuity that you’re looking for in something like a holiday menu,” she says.
For more information, visit humber.ca/continuingeducation.
