Rockland Community College’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center Food Enthusiast Program Brings Together Great Food and Great Company

Rockland Community College’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center is excited to introduce the 2024 Food Enthusiast Program, a series of nutrition and cooking lessons available to food lovers throughout the community. The popular program was recognized as the “Best Cooking Class” in Hudson Valley Magazine’s 2022 Best of Hudson Valley competition, while Chef’s Pencil, an international food magazine, ranked RCC’s Culinary Arts program sixth in their top ten programs in New York.

The Food Enthusiast Program is launching with the class “Dinner & a Quickie”, offered on February 8th from 6:30 to 9 pm at the Center, located at 70 Main Street in Nyack. Chef Steve Brunner will reveal roasting and grilling secrets for a delicious meal, including seasoned roasted chicken, rice pilaf, grilled vegetables, and a quick dessert. Attendees will be treated to snacks upon arrival. After a demonstration of Chef Brunner’s roasting and grilling secrets, attendees will be whipping up their own culinary masterpiece and taking home their personalized meals.

“We are inviting food lovers of all skill levels throughout our community to our state-of-the-art teaching kitchens to celebrate the joy of cooking and the communal spirit of dining,” said Dr. Lester Sandres Rápalo, President of Rockland Community College. “Each class is an opportunity to savor new experiences, learn from the best in the field, and of course, enjoy great food created with your own hands."

Whether you're a seasoned chef or a culinary novice, our classes offer something for everyone. All food, equipment, and supplies are provided, and attendees will have the option to taste the food on-site or take home a portion of each recipe. The cost is $70 per person.

Mark your calendar for other Food Enthusiast Program events, including:

February 29 – Simple Sauté Skills 

March 14 – Travel to Tuscany 

March 28 – Spring Culinary Creations 

April 11 – Delightful Doughs Workshop 

May 2 – Springtime BBQ Mastery 

May 16 – Savory Tart Techniques

To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/food-enthusiast-classes-1558789. For questions, contact the Nyack Hospitality and Culinary Art Center’s director, Mark Davidoff, at 845-875-7571 or mark.davidoff@sunyrockland.edu.

About Rockland Community College, State University of New York

Rockland Community College (RCC), located in Suffern New York, provides purpose driven educational opportunities in a supportive, affordable, and accessible environment, empowering individuals to positively transform themselves and their communities. RCC welcomes students from diverse backgrounds who appreciate small class sizes and personal attention from a distinguished, award-winning faculty that includes Fulbright scholars and SUNY Distinguished Professors. Many graduates go on to top universities to further their education on their own or through RCC’s institutional collaborations. RCC fosters an environment that attracts, recruits, supports, and retains faculty, staff, and students who value diversity. The College promotes a collegial and inclusive environment by recognizing, promoting, embracing, respecting, and celebrating the expansive range and dimensions of cultures, attitudes, ideas, and viewpoints contained within our campus community.

RCC is also proud to provide career training and professional development to adult learners looking to change careers or upgrade their skills through a variety of programs and educational opportunities including workforce training, certifications, and micro credentials. Many of the programs are developed with employers in the community in high demand industry areas to enable graduates to move into a new career upon graduation. More information can be found at https://sunyrockland.edu/.