
Don’t get chopped—learn how to chop!
Just because you’re not a bonafide chef doesn’t mean you aren’t expected to help out in the kitchen this Thanksgiving. Sharpen your knife skills with this intro class that teaches you to slice, dice and chop with ease (and safety). Your family will appreciate not having to worry about you hurting yourself in the kitchen—the only thing you’ll be cutting in half is your food preparation time!

Bye bye, old American pie: learn to make crust from scratch.
As mother used to say, “Thanksgiving is as American as apple pie.†And any true American knows that an apple pie is only as good as its crust. In this crust-intensive pie-making class, you’ll be taught how to make an incredibly flaky and tender double-crusted apple pie—from scratch—as a trial for your newly learned skills. By the time you’re through, your pies will be the main event at any party this season.

Brush up on your steaming, roasting and sautéing.
You may not leave this course with a handful of recipes, but you will leave with finely-tuned skills and techniques to use for all of your future dishes. Eschewing recipes in favor of perfecting hands-on techniques, this class will teach you everything there is to know about roasting chicken, cooking green vegetables and sautéing root vegetables to make delicious crowd-pleasing meals and sides.

French desserts? Ooh la la!
Skip the long line at the local patisserie and simply learn how to make your favorite eclairs and choux instead. Your family will appreciate the effort and you’ll feel pretty smug bringing a homemade dessert to Thanksgiving too. Under the tutelage of professional Parisian chefs, you will study the theory of the choux dough, how to prepare the pate à choux to make eclairs and other specific piping, baking, filling and glazing techniques. Can you say oh la la, très fantastique?

Bake and break bread with family.
Thanksgiving is a great holiday to watch football, commiserate that you didn’t wear stretch jeans and break bread with your family. For culinary connoisseurs, it’s that last part your mind may be lingering on: bread. Even with all the dishes in the world at your table, there’s always room for light, fluffy homemade bread. In this class, you’ll make bread from start to finish by selecting the ingredients, kneading the dough and finally shaping, scoring and baking. You’ll leave knowing exactly how to bake the perfect baguette, buttery roll, fruit and nut loaf and pizza pie just in time for the holidays.

Pre-dinner, dinner and after-dinner cocktails.
No family gathering is complete without a family brawl and a drunken debate. Help fill your gobble-et this Thanksgiving (or that of a family member) with this Tom Cruise–inspired cocktail class. Martinis, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and Ernest Hemingway's Daiquiris are all drinks and variations you’ll learn to concoct—in only an hour and a half. Don’t worry, you can take these recipes home with you to practice for the real showdown on Thanksgiving Day.

No more tofurkey: the vegetarian alternative.
Tofurkey, anyone? Somebody’s bound to be a vegetarian at your Thanksgiving celebration this year and while you could always just pass them the yams, why not make them something special? Take this class where you’ll learn to make simple veggie alternatives that are high in protein and fired up with Moroccan spices and flavors. With dishes like black bean soup with butternut squash, farro pilaf with roasted vegetables and goat cheese and roasted ratatouille with olives and basil, there’s no dietary challenge you can’t meet.

Six techniques you need to know before the big day.
If you’re completely useless in the kitchen, then this is the year to make a change in your holiday routine and give back to friends and family. In this broad introductory class, you’ll study up on knife skills, browning meats in a skillet, making pan sauces, cooking rice and other grains, roasting root vegetables and cooking vegetables and greens. With the simple tips and tricks to take home, you’ll be able to help out Mom in the kitchen this year or even whip up something special all by yourself.

Just desserts: Thanksgiving sides and sweets.
It’s not often that you get to whip out a recipe for yams and cranberry sauce outside of the holiday season, so you only have so much opportunity to practice. Join this themed cooking class where you’ll master Thanksgiving classics with a modern, delicious twist. By the time you’re through, you’ll be rethinking your usual holiday menu to include these innovative and delicious future favorites.
