RCC Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center Offers Cooking Classes

The journey continues, with November and December classes at Rockland Community College's Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center! Be ready to impress this holiday season with Asian Hors d’oeuvres and Winter Wonderland Cookie Decorating. These newly revitalized community cooking classes are taught by our well-traveled, expert chefs at the Rockland Community College Hospitality & Culinary Arts Center, located at 70 Main Street in Nyack.

The cost for each event is $65 per person. Classes will run from 6:30 – 9:00 pm and are available to all adult members of the community—beginners or experienced. The Food Enthusiast Program fills up quickly so reserve your spot today.

RCC provides all food, equipment, and supplies—including snacks when participants arrive to class. Teams of two will make the recipes after the demonstrations, and Instructors will be on hand to offer assistance throughout the class. All attendees will eat or take home a portion of each recipe.

Schedule:

Asian Hors d’oeuvres with Don Eagle - Thursday, November 4, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Winter Wonderland Cookie Decorating with Dawn Falone - Thursday, December 9, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Registration for the classes is open now at rccculinarycenter.com. For questions, contact the RCC Hospitality & Culinary Art Center’s director, Mark Davidoff at 845-875-7571 or mdavidof@sunyrockland.edu.

Chef Don Eagle is an executive chef who previously ran the executive dining for American Express in Manhattan. In this class, you will learn how to make small bite appetizers to enjoy with your friends and family. They make a great snack, meal starter or addition to a gathering or reception.

You will learn about:

Ingredients - Basic Asian ingredients and their applications

Techniques – Hands on poaching, steaming, searing & pan frying, as well as food presentation

Demonstrations – Chef instructor will guide you through hands-on preparation

Recipes – Take home recipes for all of the appetizers

Take home – You will receive basic Asian ingredients to take home

The Asian Hors d’oeuvres menu will feature:

Pot Stickers (Gyoza)

Pot stickers are bite-sized dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables in a thin wheat flour dough. The classic pot sticker is made with ground pork and Napa cabbage, but varieties include ground chicken, turkey, and shrimp as well as a variety of vegetables. They can be boiled, pan fried or deep fried, and are usually served with a sweet soy dipping sauce.

Yakitori

Yakitori is a Japanese appetizer traditionally made with chicken thighs or pork, and served on a bamboo skewer. The meat is marinated, then char broiled or pan seared, and served with sweet chili sauce or spicy peanut sauce.

Sesame noodles

Asian egg noodles are cooked and tossed with scallions, served in a peanut-based sauce on individual forks, and garnished with crushed peanuts.

Crispy sesame tofu

Extra firm tofu is cubed and tossed with Asian inspired spices, then pan fried and garnished with hoisin sauce and toasted sesame seeds.

Thai shrimp summer rolls

Poached shrimp and Thai inspired vegetables marinated and wrapped in rice paper, served chilled.

Dipping Sauces:

· Honey sesame

· Vietnamese Ginger & Lime

Dawn Falone’s interest in baking started around the age of nine years old. Ten years ago, the self-taught baker started a cookie decorating business when a friend asked Dawn to make cookies for a birthday party. Ever since that day, Dawn has been decorating cookies for special events. She is excited to spend an evening with you sharing her secrets about fondant icing and cookie decorating.

All participants will have special appetizers upon arrival to class. Students will take home the cookies they bake.

Students will bake 1 dozen cookies of various shapes, learn to make fondant icing, and decorate the cookies.

Masks are required, and for more COVID-related safety instructions and information, visit the

College’s coronavirus webpage.