Community Culinary Life Enrichment Classes

The Community and Continuing Education Department at Kalamazoo Valley Community College provides innovative and relevant lifelong learning opportunities to community members of all ages. These non-credit classes emphasize personal enrichment, professional development and community outreach.

The following classes are hosted at the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building, 418 E. Walnut, Kalamazoo, 49007. Go to www.campusce.net/kvcccommunity and click on Culinary & Nutrition to register.

KNIFE SKILLS 101
Thursday, Sept. 28 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. | $20
Chefs Noel Corwin, Leena Mergen and Lizzie Luchsinger will demonstrate fundamental knife knowledge, safe knife handling and classic knife cuts. At the end of this course, students will be able to dice, slice, brunoise, julienne and chiffonade like a pro.

SIMPLE SAUCES: SAVORY AND SWEET
Wednesday, Oct. 4 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. | $40
Join the Community Culinary and Nutrition team as they guide the class through preparing chimichurri with roasted cauliflower, vegan chipotle crema with roasted sweet corn, vegan kale pesto and a raspberry coulis with poached pear.

SEASONAL PRODUCE FEATURE: BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Tuesday, Oct. 17 | 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. | $10
Chef Noel Corwin will prepare a Brussels stir fry. Learn to cook this recipe like a pro, sample the completed dish and join Kalamazoo Valley's culinary team for a fun food-focused night.

TOFU 10 WAYS
Thursday, Oct. 26 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. | $65
Join Chef Josh from Water and Wheat to learn various ways to use and enjoy tofu. Students will be able to sample 10 different recipes, including veggie tofu scramble, sesame ginger baked tofu and chocolate mousse.

SEASONAL PRODUCE FEATURE: LEEKS
Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. | $10
Chefs Lizzie Luchsinger and Noel Corwin will prepare roasted leek panzanella. Sample the completed salad and have fun in Kalamazoo Valley's culinary demonstration theater.

TAMALES 101
Thursday, Nov. 30 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. | $65
¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to tamales 101. This bilingual class will add spice to your holiday season. Join the Vargas family (local restaurateurs) as they share their tamale traditions.

Participants will learn history, preparation, assembly and can taste the finished creations. Offerings include vegetarian style, spiced chicken and dulce (dessert.) ¡Buen Provecho!

¡Bienvenido! Bienvenido a tamales 101. Esta clase bilingüe agregará sabor a su temporada festiva. Únase a la familia Vargas, restauranteros locales, mientras comparten sus tradiciones de tamales. Los participantes aprenderán historia, preparación, montaje y degustarán las creaciones terminadas. Disfruta de three ofertas únicas; Vegetariano, pollo especiado y dulce (postre). ¡Disfrutar!

SEASONAL PRODUCE FEATURE: SPAGHETTI SQUASH
Tuesday, Dec. 5 | 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. | $10
Chefs Noel Corwin and Leena Mergen will prepare spaghetti squash and chickpea sauté. Learn to roast and prepare spaghetti squash for this delicious dish.

HOLIDAY COOKIES: DAZZLING DECORATIONS
Thursday, Dec. 7 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. | $55
Ring in the holiday season with this festive cookie decorating class. Students will learn the fundamentals of cookie decorating and will decorate their own sugar cookies to take home and savor. All decorating ingredients and equipment will be provided.

CULINARY CANNABIS AND EDIBLES
Saturdays, Jan. 20 - Feb. 24 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $225
Join certified Executive Chef, Nathan Koscielski for this virtual six-week course. Learning outcomes include an introduction to the legal, financial and societal issues surrounding the culinary cannabis industry as well as the laws that govern cannabis distribution, cultivation, possession and consumption for adults and medical patients.

The following classes are hosted at the Food Innovation Center, 224 E. Crosstown Parkway, Kalamazoo, 49001. Go to www.campusce.net/kvcccommunity and click on Sustainable Foods, Farm & Garden to register.

MUSHROOM CULTIVATION
Wednesdays, Oct.11 - Nov. 1 | 6 - 8 p.m. | $140
Learn to grow gourmet mushrooms like oysters, shiitake, winecaps and more from locally available materials. Students will learn to procure substrates and create good environments for mushroom growth. Some mushroom identification is also practiced. Students take home inoculated mushroom media at the end of each session.

AT HOME HERBALISM
Thursdays, Oct. 12 - Nov. 16 | 6 - 8 p.m. | $180
Students will explore the impact of ancestral plants, sources of materia medica, ethical and sustainable foraging techniques, as well as recipes for building a home apothecary. We will engage in on-campus plant walks to discuss bioregional, cultivated and seasonal plants. Includes hands-on workshops.

SEED STEWARDSHIP - HARVESTING, CLEANING AND STORING STAPLE CROPS FOR FOOD AND SEED
Saturday, Oct. 14 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $30
In this class at the Food Innovation Center seed garden, we'll explore seed crops like beans and grains that can be grown in our region as protein-rich staple foods. We'll demonstrate tools and techniques for threshing and winnowing, selecting seeds for next year's seed crop, and ideas for incorporating these nourishing foods into your daily diet.

TOUR OF THE FOOD INNOVATION CENTER
Oct. 14 | 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. | FREE
The Urban Farm at ValleyHUB at the Food Innovation Center showcases a range of sustainable agricultural practices. The five-acre site includes an indoor grow room, a heated greenhouse, outdoor raised beds, and two passive solar hoop houses. The Food Hub is a licensed food processing facility equipped to produce fresh-cut fruits and vegetables at a range of production scales.

ECO-FRIENDLY HOME LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Mondays, Oct. 16 - Nov. 6 | 6 - 8 p.m. | $60
This course is for the homeowner or interested beginning designer to learn to develop and design a home landscape that enhances local ecosystem services. Learn the basics of "right plant, right place," and how to use plants and hardscapes to amplify aesthetics and ecosystem function. The class will include one field trip to a local nursery.