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Sunday, September 26   Join Jill and Christie Pollard for a day-long adventure to the Niagara Wine District. The morning will start with your choice of espresso or coffee and freshly baked apple muffins, before we board a coach to Canada’s premier wine region. First stop is Southbrook Farms where we will sample several of their biodynamic wines, followed by lunch at the Stone Road Grill in Niagara-on-the-Lake. After lunch we head to Ravine for a private tasting with their wine maker. Last stop is John Howard Estates to sample hand-crafted wines under the Megalomaniac label. |
Monday, September 27 or We welcome Paul Harding from The Only On King for a delicious fall menu. He’ll start the evening with roasted squash soup with whipped Shepherd’s Dairy ricotta, followed by a salad of apple, grilled radicchio, candied pecans and blue cheese dressing. The main course is roast organic loin of pork, braised escarole with romesco sauce and dessert is red wine poached pears with mascarpone cheese and chestnut sauce. |
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Tuesday, September 28 or Jill features some of her favourite grains in this class. She’ll make a Turkish wheatberry soup, Asian red quinoa salad on mizuna greens, barley risotto with wild mushrooms, sage and truffle oil, wild rice and smoked turkey salad with cranberries and a cornmeal cake with honey and fresh berries. |
Monday, October 4 or Christie Pollard joins us for a celebration of the apple. Using a variety of local apples, she’ll start the evening with an apple and sharp cheddar cheese soup followed by a lentil and apple salad with shaved fennel and crispy pancetta. Next is cider- braised roast pork crostini with apple chutney. The evening will finish with individual stuffed apple Wellingtons with caramel sauce. |
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Tuesday, October 5 or Join Jill to learn some essential dishes from the Thai kitchen. The night will start with a green mango salad, hot and sour shrimp soup and fresh Thai salad rolls with a spicy peanut sauce. Next is chicken pad Thai, and for dessert fried bananas with homemade coconut milk ice cream. |
Thursday, October 7 or Emily Richards helps us get ready for the holiday season with a great combination of sweet and savoury bites. The evening begins with Malaysian sesame chicken, shrimp and crab cakes with tropical salsa and sundried tomato and artichoke dip. On the sweet side, Emily will prepare brutta ma buoni cookies and mini walnut phyllo butter tarts. |
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Tuesday, October 12 or Join Jill for a class to celebrate the “stinking rose”. Using local garlic, Jill will prepare roasted garlic and caramelized onion dip served with crudités, salad of organic greens, pancetta crisps with a roasted lemon garlic vinaigrette, roasted garlic and brie soup, and garlic and red-wine braised beef short ribs served with potato, parsnip and celeriac garlic mash. Dessert is candied garlic dipped in chocolate. |
Monday, October 18 or Denis Cotter, of Café Paradiso in Cork, Ireland, is back with another unique vegetarian menu. Denis will prepare potato gnocchi in sage and hazelnut butter with chanterelles and sweet pepper, eggroll pancakes of roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato with green onion, tamarind and coconut sauce, eggplant-and leek-wrapped tofu on sesame cabbage with gingered pumpkin sauce, and roast garlic and fennel mash with lemon-braised chickpeas and eggplant. Dessert is honey- roasted figs on a yogurt, cardamom and pistachio tart. |
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Wednesday, October 20 or Join Jill for an evening of vegetarian dishes from around the world. She will start with crispy Asian shiitake and vegetable springrolls, Mexican black bean tamales and Spanish paella. Next is a fragrant Moroccan vegetable tagine served with whole-wheat couscous and last, Japanese soba noodles with grilled spicy tofu and Asian vegetables. |
Monday, October 25 or Seafood can be a quick, versatile and healthy option. David Chapman shares several cooking methods and wonderful recipes in this class. His menu features prosciutto-wrapped scallops with tomato-fennel salsa, poached organic salmon with sweet potato and corn hash and yellow pepper coulis, and skate wings en papillote with tarragon and roasted grape tomatoes. The finale is a fish and seafood gumbo. |
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Tuesday, October 26 or Chris Squire brings his exceptional bread-making skills to Jill’s kitchen. Learn how to make a sampling of classic styles of yeast breads, including baguette, whole wheat molasses loaf and foccaccia. Finish with a master class on croissants. |
Wednesday, October 27 or Vicci Coughlin of Telegraph House in Port Stanley returns to share her pie-making magic. She’ll prepare Alabama pecan pie, mincemeat, Kentucky Derby pie, apple cranberry and, on the savory side, tourtierre. Each participant will receive an Emile Henry pie plate with their class, valued at $49.99. |
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Monday, November 15 or Christie Pollard shares some of her delicious holiday appetizers, including roasted garlic and feta cheese-stuffed cherry tomatoes, Asian chicken salad in mini wonton cups, Parmesan gougeres with roasted red pepper dipping sauce, French roasted salmon skewers with fresh fruit salsa and fig, prosciutto and gorgonzola mini pizzas. |
Tuesday, November 16 or Always popular because of his master skills at pasta making, Chris Squire demonstrates how to make top-notch basic pasta dough from scratch. Learn the basic techniques to create both handmade and machine-made pasta dough. The menu for the evening includes spinach and ricotta- stuffed ravioli, classic lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo. |
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Sunday, November 21 Nicola Kamp of Nicola’s Garden Art joins Jill for their annual “get ready for the holidays”. This year, Jill will prepare dishes from her new cookbook Starters, including lentil salad with beets, toasted walnuts and goat cheese, brie and pear bundles, tandoori chicken skewers with raita. For dessert there is fresh fruit salad with ginger. In the afternoon, join Nicola to make a 14-inch Williamsburg Boxwood Tree. Work with fresh boxwood and decorate with apple, pear, pods, berries and everlasting flowers. Lovely for the kitchen, front hall or festive centrepiece. Coffee, juice and homemade muffins will be served upon arrival. |
Monday, November 22 Take home five delicious cookie recipes from Christie Pollard, just in time for holiday cookie exchanges. This class features chocolate dipped Florentines, hazelnut macaroons, chewy oatmeal-raisin cookies, chocolate-almond kisses and orange-pecan shortbread bars. |
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Tuesday, November 23 Chris Squire leads this class on how to prepare hearty soups fit for a meal. He will prepare a fish chowder featuring cod and fingerling potatoes, an Italian papa pomodoro and a French lentil and sausage soup. The soups will be accompanied by fresh artisanal breads. |
Wednesday, November 24 Join Jill for an evening of salad and appetizers from her new book Starters. To begin she will serve a lentil, beet, walnut and goat cheese salad followed by a mango and shrimp salad in a jalapeno vinaigrette. On the appetizer side, she will prepare brie and pear bundles, and tandoori chicken skewers with raita. A copy of the cookbook is included with the class. |
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Thursday, December 2 Emily Richards conducts a hands-on knife skills class. She will cover the fundamental cuts for many ingredients in the kitchen, as well as show you how to keep knives sharp. A number of knives will be demonstrated and used this evening. The menu will be a rustic fall vegetable soup, accompanied by local breads and cheeses. Each participant will take home a WÜSTHOF chef’s knife valued at $170. Limited seating. |
Monday, January 3, 2011 or The great foods of Greece are featured in this class led by Christie Pollard. Featured dishes include avgolemono soup, zucchini, feta and mint fritters, smoked eggplant salad with tzatziki and pita, pistachio-crusted rack of lamb and the delicious baklava. You’ll have a menu fit for Olympian eaters. |
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Tuesday, January 4, 11 and 18 Join Chris Squire in this three-evening class on how to cook like you live in France featuring some of his favourite recipes by Julia Child. Tuesday, January 4
Provincial Garlic Soup with Parmigiano Crisps Rack of Lamb with a Mustard Marinade, Scalloped Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts Apple Tart Tatin Tuesday, January 11 Traditional Gravlax Chicken Ragout with Onions and Red Wine and a Puree of Pumpkin and White Beans Reine de Saba Tuesday, January 18 French Onion Soup Beef Bourguignon with Braised Onions Cherry Clafouti |
Tuesday, January 25, February 1 and 8 Chris Squire brings Italy home to London in this special three-part class featuring menus from the fabulous Villa Boschiglia. Tuesday, January 25
Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms Roast Pork with Garlic and Rosemary Chocolate Truffle Torta with Raspberries Tuesday, February 1 Fish Soup Tuscan Steak with Braised Rapini and Fagioli Pinenut Torta Tuesday, February 8 Potato Gnocchi Chicken alla Cacciatore Panna Cotta |
Cooking Classes
Welcome to the Fall and Winter cooking classes at Jill's
After a terrific summer, we look forward to returning to the kitchen for the kinds of comforting dishes and meals that ease us into fall and winter. And, with the holiday season just around the corner, we've got a number of baking classes to get us ready for that special time of year.
But we haven't forgotten our essentials. Chris Squire is back to conduct classes on bread-making and pasta- making. These are two of our all-time favourites and Chris also has some mouth-watering menus based on his travels to Tuscany.
Vegetarian classes continue to grow in popularity. We're delighted to have Denis Cotter back from Ireland with a wonderful menu based on his upcoming book.
We have some new classes, too. Christie Pollard celebrates the humble apple in one of her classes and she's also conducting a session featuring her favourite Greek recipes.
How to Register
Registration begins on Monday, September 13 at 8 am. We will not take phone registrations on this day. We will be happy to take phone registrations beginning 8 am on Tuesday, September 14 and beyond.
When you call on Tuesday, be sure to leave your name, phone number and the classes you wish to register for. Please don't leave payment information. We will call you back as soon as possible to confirm your registration.
See you in the kitchen!