Cooking Classes

Welcome to the Spring / Summer 2012 cooking classes at Jill's

Spring signals a return to lighter fare and outdoor cooking. We have a wide range of classes this season to help you get ready for summertime entertaining, as well as classes that will make your day-to-day meals more interesting.

Our regular contributors, including David Chapman, Chris Squire, Christie Pollard, Paul Harding and Emily Richards, are back and we have some special guests, too. Erin Harris of The Cheese Poet, Josie Pontarelli of Josie Mae's Catering and Effy Ligris of Kalikori, makers of premium olive oil, join us in the kitchen this season.

Registration begins Monday, March 19 at 8 am. We cannot take phone registrations on this day. We will be happy to take phone registrations beginning at 8 am on Tuesday, March 20 and beyond.

If you plan to come in person on the Monday, please bring a completed registration form. If you register by phone on Tuesday, please 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..

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To receive the latest information on our cooking classes and other great events, register here.
Don't forget a Jill's Table gift card can be used toward the purchase of cooking classes and makes an ideal gift.

Eats from the Street! With Emily Richards $70 Thursday, June 7 6:30 to 9:30 pm Join Emily for food truck eats. Take good food, and make it move! Food trucks offer a variety of typical food we all love, but putting their own twist on flavour combinations and presentations is what makes them spectacular. We’ll try spiced curry beef tacos, zucchini corn fritters, chicken coconut tomato soup, chicken and mango noodle salad and brownie fingers in chocolate for dessert.	Cooking with Chocolate $70 Monday, April 2 6:30 to 9:30 pm We welcome Josie Pontarelli of Josie Mae’s Catering for a class on chocolate. Josie will provide an in-depth look at bittersweet chocolate and three ways to use it including a grilled skirt steak with chocolate chile mole, French-style tarte au chocolat, fudge brownies with pecans and salted caramel. During the class Josie will share how to make restaurant quality garnishes and presentations.
Dinner with Chris $75 Tuesday, April 3 6:30 to 9:30 pm Chris Squire prepares to serve up another great dinner menu. On this evening he’ll prepare a seared scallop salad with citrus and mixed organic greens. For the main course, he’ll make a goat cheese-stuffed tortelloni in brodo with fennel pollen and dried orange zest. Dessert is a dark chocolate and raspberry tart.	Say Cheese $65 Tuesday, May 15 6:30 to 9:30 pm We welcome Erin Harris of The Cheese Poet to Jill’s for an evening of cheesy delights. She’ll start with a rich cheddar and ale soup, followed by an Italian-style mac ‘n cheese. For dessert, she’ll make a classic New York-style cheesecake with a black cherry sauce. Erin will end the evening demonstrating how to prepare a cheese plate with all the appropriate accompaniments. Local artisanal cheeses will be the focus of this class.
Guys Night Out $75 Tuesday, April 10 6:30 to 9:30 pm Back by popular demand, Chris Squire has another stellar menu that will guarantee rave reviews. He’ll start the evening with a classic Caesar salad, followed by a porterhouse steak with a peppercorn sauce served with Boulanger potatoes and creamed spinach. Dessert is an Italian trifle.	Vegetarian $65 Tuesday, June 12 6:30 to 9:30 pm Spring and summer bring a vegetarian’s delight with an abundance of local produce to work with. Jill will show you how to take advantage of many of those local ingredients. She’ll start the evening with a summer veggie burrito with goat cheese. Next are stuffed portabello mushrooms on a wild arugula salad. She’ll make a baked vegetable loaf with a roasted tomato sauce, bean burgers with homemade salsa and finish with a polenta lasagna.
Gluten-Free $75 Monday, April 16 6:30 to 9:30 pm We welcome Christie Pollard back to the kitchen along with registered dietician Melissa Briones for a night of gluten-free cooking. The menu includes quinoa crusted shrimp with Asian slaw, gluten-free bread and sweet potato black bean enchiladas. For dessert, there’s Pavlova roulade with berries and lemon curd, and chocolate chunk almond flour cookies.	Dinner with Chris $75 Tuesday, April 17 6:30 to 9:30 pm Chris Squire returns to the kitchen with another delicious dinner menu. This evening he will start with a classic French salad of frisee, lardon, croutons and a poached egg. The main course is filet of pickerel on a bed of wilted greens with fingerling potatoes and a citrus salsa. Dessert is a tangy lemon sabayon tart with a pinenut crust.
Lakefish with David $75 Wednesday, April 18 or Wednesday, June 13 6:30 to 9:30 pm David Chapman is our resident fish expert. In this class he’ll feature a variety of Canadian lake fish. He’ll start with Lake Winnipeg goldeye with horseradish cream and celeriac rosti, followed by Lake Huron pickerel with spice crust in saffron broth with black trumpet mushrooms. Next is Lake Erie yellow perch with crispy capers, potato galette and pepper coulis. And last, Lake Huron whitefish with roasted grape tomatoes, garlic and spiced quinoa.	Go Greek with Effy $70 Friday, April 20 6:30 to 9:30 pm We welcome Effy Ligris of Kalikori who will share Greek recipes. She will demonstrate how to make dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), aginares me kokia (artichokes braised with broad beans), arnaki fricase (lamb and lettuce casserole) and psilokomeni (green salad with radishes). For dessert, there will be loukoumades (honey puffs). Each participant will take home a bottle of Kalikori olive oil.
Knife Skills with Emily $195 Monday, April 23 6:30 to 9:30 pm Emily Richards will share important information on how to care, use and love your new chef’s knife. By taking your knife and chopping, you will help create a delicious and hearty vegetable soup and also enjoy a potato curry. Emily will show you how to chop fruits and discuss other knives you may enjoy using. Each participant will take home a Wüsthof 8-inch chef’s knife. Limited seating.	Sauces of Summer $70 Tuesday, April 24 6:30 to 9:30 pm Chris Squire gets you ready for summer with some essential sauces. He’ll demonstrate how to make a classic vinaigrette and talk about the variations. He’ll serve this summer “essential” over blanched asparagus. The main course is a zesty salsa verde with salmon. And, finally, a great brisket burger with sundried tomato aioli. Dessert is a chocolate truffle torte with raspberry coulis.
Super Summer Salads $70 Thursday, April 26 6:30 to 9:30 pm Summer is the time to let your salads shine. Jill will explore the range of oils and vinegars that can be used to make dressings, and conduct a tasting of some of her favourites. The salads she’ll demonstrate include: Turkish bulgur salad with pomegranate dressing and toasted walnuts; lobster potato salad; Tex-Mex chicken salad with an avocado lime dressing; salad of mixed organic greens with fresh raspberries and brie croutons in a raspberry vinaigrette. Last is a grilled ratatouille salad with local goat cheese.	Get Ready for Spring $110 Sunday, April 29 10 am to 2 pm Nicola Kamp of Nicola’s Garden Art joins Jill for their annual spring celebration. Start the morning with coffee and freshly baked muffins. Jill will prepare a brunch that includes fresh strawberry frappe, curried shrimp Waldorf salad and an asparagus frittata. Dessert is mini pavlovas with fresh fruit. After lunch, Nicola will guide you through the process of making your own spring wreath for the kitchen or front door. Work with your choice of lemon leaves, seeded eucalyptus, hydrangea, winter wheat, silk flowers and eggs on a grapevine base.
Bring Home the Bacon! $75 Monday, May 7 6:30 to 9:30 pm Paul Harding of The Only On King celebrates bacon. He’ll demonstrate how to make house-cured and smoked bacon. The meal will start with nettle soup with bacon and potato pancake followed by angels and devils on horseback with organic arugula salad. Next is maple chili glazed bacon slab with braised cavelo Nero with a grainy mustard sauce. The finale is lemon crème brulee.	Spring into Greens $70 Tuesday, May 1 6:30 to 9:30 pm Enjoying greens is a healthy was to bump up your intake of vitamins and minerals. Let Emily Richards share her tips and tricks to incorporate more greens in your dinner. She will prepare garlic rapini, breadcrumb pasta, kale and spinach chips, garlicky peanut Swiss chard and scallops and an easy greens salad. She will also prepare garlic and kale skordalia.
Spring Fling with David $70 Tuesday, May 8 6:30 to 9:30 pm David Chapman celebrates spring. He’ll start the evening with a chantrelle and lobster tart with arugula salad. Next is an asparagus bisque with Ce’st Bon Chevre quenelles. The main course is British Columbia spring salmon with morels. Dessert is a panna cotta with rhubarb compote.	Spring with The Only On King $70 Monday, May 14 6:30 to 9:30 pm Paul Harding of The Only On King showcases a spring menu. The evening will begin with a wild mushroom soup featuring spring onions and a soft boiled egg. Next is vitello tonnato (cold roasted veal, tuna mayo and preserves). The main course is Atlantic halibut, pea veloute, fiddleheads and smoked cappicola. Dessert is chocolate nemesis cake, with chantilly cream and rhubarb compote.
Herbs with Jill $65 Wednesday, May 30 6:30 to 9:30 pm Join Jill in one of her favourite annual classes. Learn what herbs to grow in your garden and how to use them in your kitchen. Her menu includes: chilled cucumber soup with crème fraiche; smoked salmon and dill; tarragon chicken salad on baby organic spinach; lemon thyme risotto; lamb kabobs with mint pesto; and tomatoes stuffed with tuna and fresh basil. For dessert, she’ll make rosemary pear cake. Each participant will take home a perennial herb for the garden.	Cooking with Wine… with Christie! $70 Monday, May 28 6:30 to 9:30 pm Christie Pollard returns to share her wine knowledge and how important wine can be in the kitchen. She’ll start the evening with a pomegranate red wine glazed duck confit crostini with figs and goat cheese. Next is a spring vegetable salad with frisee and Chardonnay poached eggs. The main course is seafood soup Provencal with saffron rouille. For dessert, wine poached pears with Vidal sorbet.
Summer Pies with Vicci $70 Wednesday, May 16 6:30 to 9:30 pm Vicci Coughlin of Telegraph House returns for another wonderful evening of pie-making. She’ll prepare her famous sour cream rhubarb pie, fresh strawberry and her raspberry cream. A light salad featuring local organic greens will be served as well. Each participant will receive an Emile Henry pie plate (value $49.99).	Let’s Picnic $65 Monday, June 11 6:30 to 9:30 pm Summertime is picnic time. Christie Pollard gets you ready for some great outdoor eats. She’ll show how to make homemade lemonade to start. Next on the menu is chilled avocado and cucumber soup with dill, followed by a haricot verts and corn salad with roasted artichokes in a tarragon lemon vinaigrette. She’ll also demonstrate how to make a classic New Orlean’s muffaletta with creole mayonnaise. On the sweet side, there’s brown butter shortbread lemon bars.
Pizza Pizzazz! $80 Tuesday, June 19 or Wednesday, June 20 6:30 to 9:30 pm Join Jill for an evening of mouth-watering pizzas. She’ll make several of her favourite pizzas, including a BLT pizza, sensational seafood, summer barbecue pizza with roast chicken, a classic pizza Margherita and mini calzones. Everyone will take home an Emile Henry pizza stone (value $49.99). This ideal stone can be used outdoors on the barbecue, as well as in the oven.	Chill Out! $65 Tuesday, June 26 6:30 to 9:30 pm Nothing beats the heat more than enjoying frozen treats. Emily Richards will buzz up an antioxidant-packed smoothie to start, then make a chocolate orange ice cream cake, mocha semi freddo and coffee granita to help cool you off. A main course salad from Emily’s most recent cookbook will be served this evening.

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