Arlington Community Education

Join us as we explore delicious Thai dishes that are popular at restaurants but also simple to replicate at home. We’ll begin with chicken massaman curry, a mild coconut curry dish that can be made in one pot. Next we’ll make one of the most popular Thai street foods, a flavorful, tangy ground meat salad (larb) with fresh herbs served with toasted sticky rice. We will finish with crunchy, addictive crispy spring rolls. Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be sent before the class.

Join seasoned cooks from Africa and warm up with some incredibly delicious flavors from the continent. Our winter menu includes goat pepper soup with semi-ripe plantain, popular in West Africa, especially in Nigeria and Cameroon. You can substitute fish, chicken, or beef if you choose, or make this intensely-flavored dish without meat. We’ll also make potato hot pot–one of the most loved one-pot recipes in Cameroon–made with potatoes and lots of vegetables with or without meat. Expand your culinary repertoire and learn more about the diverse and authentic African cultures as you ask questions and hear personal stories from the chefs. Please note: All recipes could be made with substitutions including fish, chicken, or beef, or without meat all together. list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

In a traditional Indian kitchen, there are some never-fail recipes that are handed down from generation to generation. They incorporate all the basic spices and old world techniques but are deceptively simple to prepare. Explore some of the traditional recipes from the North, South and West. We will learn to make rava sheera (sweetened semolina dessert with milk, cardamom, and nuts), a frequent offering to the very popular god Krishna; potato and tomato curry, which is affordable for the poor but so tasty that the rich have it at their table frequently; and pongal (a south Indian rice) laced with ghee and spices offered to Gods preceding a fresh harvest). Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

It’s soup season! Learn how to make two classic comfort soups to warm your belly this winter. The first is Italian wedding soup, a hearty meal in a bowl filled with mini meatballs, beans, greens, and pasta. Named for the marriage of flavors in the dish, it has nothing to do with an actual wedding. The second soup we will make is a delicious potato leek soup with grilled cheese croutons. Dropped into the flavorful, hot soup, the melted cheese gets even meltier, for spoonfuls of buttery, crunchy, cheesy awesomeness. Please note: A list of ingredients and vegetarian, dairy and gluten free substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

Adorn your cupcakes with realistic-looking succulent plants made out of buttercream. Learn to make a variety of cactus plants and desert roses to turn cupcakes into colorful edible terrariums. Icing and decorating tools are included, which you will use in class for decorating your cupcakes and take home to recreate your designs. You will need to bring 6-10 unfrosted cupcakes and a carrier or box to transport cupcakes. Tuition includes a $25 materials fee.

The winter months can be perfect for cozying up by the fire and enjoying conversation with family and friends, and there are an array of beers fit for the winter months that are perfect fireside sippers. In this course we'll explore darker beers such as stouts, scotch ales, and other dark beer styles that will help you feel cozy and warm while hiding out from a storm. Please note: Instructions will be sent about beverage pick up in Belmont Center. For students 21+. Tuition includes a $25 beverage kit and is per screen due to the quantity of beer included.

Expand your dessert repertoire with two traditional treats from Armenia. Varti chur anoush hatz is an Armenian crowd-pleasing confection that is often served at dinner parties. This moist sweet bread pudding is drizzled with fresh caramel sauce and topped with rose water infused whipped cream and pistachios. Gatnabour is a classic staple—an exotic rendering of western rice pudding—that has hints of orange and rose waters and ground mastica, and is garnished with dried apricots, which is the fruit of Armenian. Please note: A list of ingredients will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

Learn how to make, fill, and wrap homemade dumplings. Called jiaozi in Mandarin, they are a traditional must-eat during Chinese New Year, symbolizing wealth and longevity. First we will knead and roll dough to make the dumpling wrappers from scratch. Then make a variety of delicious fillings, and form the dumplings into various shapes. Concoct a delicious dipping sauce with simple ingredients, then cook your dumplings in three different ways: steam, boil, or pan fry. Share your delicious dumplings with a family member or friend, or get guidance on how to store the leftovers. Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

Fondue is one of those foods that feels like a party whenever it hits the table, and this retro fad is back from the 1960s bigtime. Perfect for serving a small group, you can make a full meal using this fun cooking method. We’ll start with a basic cheese fondue—cooking up a pot of gooey, bubbling, melted cheese for dipping pieces of cubed bread, fruits, or veggies. For our main dish we’ll make an easy batter for dipping vegetables and shrimp, to be turned into tempura by quickly frying in a pot of hot oil. Finish the meal with a torrent of decadent melted chocolate for dipping fresh fruit, cake, cookies, marshmallows or graham crackers. It would be helpful to have a fondue pot (or three!) but regular pots can also be used. Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

French macarons are delicate and colorful confections, crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle, that pair well with tea and are perfect for holiday gifts. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, learn to bake light and airy meringue-based macaron shells using the French technique. While the shells set, prepare the fillings—classic American buttercream and chocolate ganache—and explore other options that work well including jams and fruits. As we work on assembling we’ll talk about how to store macarons so that your hard work can be enjoyed well after they are made. Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

Learn to brew a perfect cup of tea while sampling at least eight distinctive varieties from China, India, Sri Lanka, Formosa, and other parts of the world. Partake of sweet and savory snacks while sipping and discussing the history of the world’s most popular beverage. Tea has played a leading role in trade, artisanry, technology, culture, and society. Take home plenty of samples to grow your tea appreciation and brew your perfect cup at home. Bring one or two of your favorite teacups. Tuition includes a $4 beverage fee.

The Instant Pot is a life-saving kitchen appliance that can help home cooks make a wide variety of healthy and delicious meals in record time. Learn about the different functions of this electric pressure cooker. We’ll talk about pros and cons and which types of food should or should not be cooked in the Instant Pot. Then we'll make Pho Ga, noodle soup with chicken, and Ga Kho, caramel ginger chicken stew. We’ll eat the delicious noodle soup for lunch and can save the stew for dinner. Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

Gut health is becoming a hot topic in scientific research and the public conversation because of the discovery of the strong connection between gut health, mental health, and the immune system. We will go over the basics of gut health, including how to keep your gut in good shape and some signs it might need some healing. While chatting about gut health, we will also learn to make sauerkraut and kimchi (fermented foods rich in probiotics), and bone broth (which contains an amino acid known to help heal the gut lining). (Learn a healthy recipe for using your sauerkraut in Gaby’s Plant-Based Proteins class the following week!). If you've got a gut feeling this class may be good for you, come on and join us!

Did you know that most people in Massachusetts live within 10 miles of a brewery? That’s because our great Bay State has become home to a burgeoning craft beer scene over the past 5-6 years. We will explore breweries from the North Shore to Western Mass, that might become either your next local favorite, or a road-trip-worthy destination. A wide range of styles from seasonal stouts and porters to New England IPAs will be covered while sipping through a variety of what Massachusetts has to offer the craft beer scene. Please note: Instructions will be sent about beverage pick up in Belmont Center. For students 21+. Tuition includes a $25 beverage kit and is per screen due to the quantity of beer included.

Whether you are trying to eat less meat, more plants, or simply learn some new healthy recipes, this class will teach you how to make delicious items that pack a lot of flavor and still provide your family with enough protein. We’ll marinate tempeh and prepare a delicious Russian dressing to combine with sauerkraut (you can use what you made in the instructor’s gut health class the week before!) for a comforting and finger-licking reuben sandwich. Learn to prepare a flavorful sauce to top a whole grain side dish, and for dessert we’ll use tofu to make a decadent chocolate or pumpkin mousse. Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

Get ready for some football! Learn to make winning game-day eats that are better than a touchdown. No Super Bowl celebration is complete without chicken wings, and we’ll cover ours with a tasty, sticky glaze. Cheesy, cauliflower nachos are delicious as well as low-carb and gluten-free. Finally, we’ll “tackle” turkey and white bean chili, a hearty, filling dish that economically feeds a crowd. Please note: A list of ingredients and substitutions will be included in your Registration Confirmation email.

Learn how to create professional looking cookies at this online Valentine-themed class. First make your own batch of versatile royal icing, which dries to a hard finish. Then see demonstrations of several decorating techniques including flooding, and wet-on-wet designs. Learn how to use these techniques and simple tools to create puffed hearts, geometric patterns, and flowers to make your Valentine cookies memorable. Please note: A list of supplies as well as ingredients will be included in your Registration Confirmation email. Having a stand mixer is helpful but not required.