All Over Albany

A sampling of cooking classes, summer 2013

From Christian Noe's very popular class on homemade sausage. (photo: Albany Jane)

We all have to eat. So we've pulled together yet another list of upcoming local cooking classes that look interesting or fun.

Here's a batch of classes for the next few months -- from "off the hook" sandwiches, to chocolate, to eggs, to sauces, to sausage, to dairy at home, to exotic ice cream, to pasta, to grilling, to new Southern, to peaches...

(there's more)

Picture book illustration class

Check it out: talented local illustrator Liz Zunon is teaching an upcoming class at the Arts Center on illustrating picture books. Class description

Are you a lover of children's storybooks, with a desire to make your own? In this class, students will plot out a story of their choosing into a 32-page format, standard for picture books. They will walk away with a "book dummy" ready to keep and share on their own, or submit to publishers.

Zunon graduated from RISD in 2006 and has already illustrated a handful of published children's books. (And designed one of the giant Dutch clog sculptures for downtown Albany.) We love her style -- the images she creates are so warm and rich.

The Arts Center class is Mondays from 6-9 pm, June 10-July 15. It's $180 + $40 materials fee.

Yep, the Arts Center advertises on AOA.

A sampling of cooking classes, spring 2013

We've pulled together a list of upcoming cooking classes that look interesting or fun a few times and people seem to like it.

So, here's a new batch of classes for the next few months -- from risotto, to using the whole duck, to veggie burgers, to homemade pasta, to pastry, to canning...

(there's more)

A sampling of cooking classes, fall 2012

Christian Noe's class on making sausage is back a the Arts Center this fall. / photo: Albany Jane

We've pulled together a list of upcoming cooking classes that look interesting or fun a few times and people seem to like it.

So, here's a new batch of classes for the next few months...

(there's more)

Mac and cheese class

Scanning through the fall slate of classes at the Arts Center of the Capital Region, a couple of the food classes caught our eye. And they're both taught by Christian Noe from Nighthawk's Kitchen:

Macaroni and Cheese: 3 ways: Master the ultimate, mouth-watering comfort food! In this class, students will build a master sauce, the foundation for a basic macaroni and cheese recipe. You'll then learn how you can use this foundation to create a nearly unlimited variety of macaroni and cheese recipes. By the end of the class, you will have created three completely macaroni and cheese recipes using the same basic guiding principles. ... Noe and was recently awarded the Times Union Mac n Cheese Bowl Championship for his recipe, Buffalo Macaroni and Blue Cheese.

The Art and Construction of Homemade Sausage: In this class, you'll review the techniques required for traditional sausage making. You'll then learn how to grind, season and case the meat into sausage. The group will use the same techniques to create a basic pork sausage and then more complex sausages, such as chorizo, andouille and bratwurst. The class will also discuss various ways to prepare sausage, from classic preparations to cold and hot smoking.

And, of course, the Arts Center has a bunch of other classes lined up this fall.

photo via the Arts Center

Taking a leap -- from a chair, onto a pole

Brazilia, practicing her moves.

There are not many physical activities that require high heels. Pole dancing happens to be one of them. And it's offered bi-weekly at Lorraine Michaels Dance Centre in Albany.

Recently I gave it a try, as part of an exotic dance "sampler" workshop -- a tantalizing buffet that included chair, pole and exotic dance.

So, what was it like?

(there's more)