To reserve a space in a cooking class, please email events@hillskitchen.com  with information about which class you are interested in, number of attendees, email address, and phone number. Please write in the subject line what class(es) you are interested in. We will get back in touch with you to confirm your seat in the class. Once confirmed, we will require prepayment for the class (cash, gift certificates, Visa/MasterCard). We will refund your payment if you cancel more than 72 hours before the scheduled class; cancellations within 72 hours will not be refunded.

New Feature: Vegetarian Index!

Each class description now includes information on whether a class is vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly. The following descriptions are used:

Vegetarian: the class is completely vegetarian; no meat or fish products are used at all.

Vegetarian-friendly: Most dishes served are vegetarian, but one item is not and can be easily omitted. See Pierogi for an example.

Not Vegetarian: the class focuses on meat/fish or meat/fish products.

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Golden Grain, Cooking Italian Corn Polenta, $45

Review three techniques for cooking polenta: over steam, baked, and over a flame. Learn to prepare three dishes using polenta: as croutons in a lemon dressed kale and ricotta salada salad; a hearty main course casserole with cream and Gorgonzola cheese; and a dessert polenta using chocolate, almonds and ricotta cheese. The class is vegetarian friendly and includes both demonstration and participation in preparing the dishes.These dishes are designed to be easily and quickly  assembled with tastes of faraway lands.

 

Think Easter: Greek Yogurt Cheese Pie, $45

Join us in preparing a Northern Greek Yogurt and Feta Cheese Batter Pie typical of the region of Epirus, (south of Albania). Although it lesser known than pies made with phyllo dough, this pie makes its own crust. While the pie is baking, learn to prepare a a dish of spinach with lemon and oil as well as a cucumber and yogurt appetizer (Tzatziki) served with pita bread. The class is vegetarian friendly and includes both demonstration and participation in preparing the dishes. These dishes are designed to be easily and quickly  assembled with tastes of faraway lands.

 

Introduction to Sauces: Stocks and Hot Mother Sauces, $45

If you can boil water, you can make stock! This demonstration class will show how easy it is to make your own stocks and use them with meats and vegetables. We will also discuss and demonstrate the hot mother sauces: bechamel, veloute, hollandaise, espagnole, and tomato.

Not Vegetarian.

 

Eggs, $45

Easter is almost here, so it´s time to brush up on those egg skills! During this demonstration class, Chef Marta will demonstrate the perfect poached egg, hard- and soft-boiling, hollandaise sauce, and soufflé.

Vegetarian

Basic Knife Skills, $45

Learning basic knife skills can change cooking from a chore to a real pleasure!  This class will teach you the basic cuts and give you the chance to practice them in a fun and relaxed environment.  Hill’s Kitchen will provide excellent quality Mac knives to practice with- so just bring yourself!  Covering everything from knife selection to knife use to knife storage, this class will make you feel more comfortable in the kitchen and help you keep your fingers safe.

Vegetarian.

 

Knife Skills 2: Poultry, $65

Learning knife skills can change cooking from a chore to a real pleasure! This class will teach you how to break down and debone a chicken. We will practice on two birds per student, and students will head home with their butchered chicken parts packed so they can use them for dinner. We will practice quartering, deboning, and skinning, as well as discussing the basic cuts of chicken and where they can be used best, as well as making stock. Hill´s Kitchen will provide excellent quality Mac knives to practice with–so just bring yourself! Taking the basic knife skills class is a pre-requisite for this class.

Not Vegetarian.

 

Hand Made Pasta, $50

Handmade pasta is something special- chewy and toothsome but just sticky enough to carry the right amount of sauce. A great accompaniment to dishes like beef bourguignon or braised lamb, or as a simple main dish tossed with pesto and early summer tomatoes; handmade pasta is a skill to master for the coming cold weather. This is a participation class, so everyone will be making their own batch of pasta, with enough to take home. Wear an old shirt and bring good questions!

Vegetarian.

 

Pierogi! $45

Why buy pierogi during Christmas and Easter holidays when it´s so easy to make your own? During this hands-on class you will learn techniques for perfect dough, delicious fillings, and easy assembly. This is a participation class.

Vegetarian-friendly. Three of four pierogi fillings are vegetarian and one has meat.

 

Middle Eastern Vegetarian, $45
Vegetarian cuisine: It´s not just for vegetarians anymore! During this demonstration class you will see some great dishes that adapt themselves well to many other cooking styles. Join us as we prepare Steamed Basmati Rice with Red Lentils, Spinach and Chickpeas, Baba Ghanouj (Roasted Eggplant Dip), and Yogurt Sauce with Garlic, Dill, and Lemon.

Vegetarian.

 

 

Homemade Baby Food, $35

Making your own baby food is easier than you think! During this demonstration class you will watch the selection, preparation, and storage of wholesome food for your baby. Chef Marta will pass along the tips and tricks that she learned while making homemade baby food for both of her children.

Vegetarian.

 

 

Our chefs:

Marta Mirecki is a graduate of L´Academie de Cuisine´s Culinary Arts Program. She has worked as a line cook at French restaurants, taught cooking classes at community centers, and cooked up 80 gallons of soup at a time for Food & Friends, an organization that provides meals and groceries for people with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses.  These days she cooks primarily for her husband, two young children with a taste for salmon roe, and a dog who prefers basmati over Minute Rice.  She and her family live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC.

 

Sandy Tallant, long-time Capitol Hill resident, accomplished home  cook, cooking instructor, and cookbook reviewer will offer cooking class at Hill’s Kitchen this Spring starting in March. She is inspired by her Italian heritage and frequent  travels through Europe, South Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Near East.  Each  dish is a reflection of its culture: what is grown, what is grazed;  the region, the people, and the cross pollination of cultures.  The Spring 2012 series focuses on richly flavored dishes from the  Mediterranean. Foods from the village – simple, hearty, and seasoned – are adapted by her and others for the ‘after 5 PM cook’ series. The dishes are designed to be easily and quickly  assembled with tastes of faraway lands.

 

 

 
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