Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
room, all the talent required is right on
hand. Held in an up-to-date professional
kitchen, an ongoing series of hands-on
classes is scheduled 3 or 4 days a week
from late May through November. Class
time is from 9:30am to 1:30 pm, which of
course leaves time for dining on what
you've just cooked. With only 12 students
per class, there's plenty of one-on-one
instruction. Different classes cover topics
such as baking and pastry, hors d'oeuvres,
dinner parties, family suppers, or cooking
with fresh ingredients. Greenbrier con-
ducts 2-hour afternoon classes for chil-
dren throughout the summer as well.
A few times a year, the Greenbrier
invites celebrity chefs to conduct more
intensive 3-day workshops. Anne Willan,
for example, who founded the renowned
La Varenne cooking school in France, has
come to run a 3-day class on classical
French techniques; Louisiana Cajun chef
John Folse of Lafitte's Landing taught a
workshop on how to cook with cast iron;
there's also a popular barbecue workshop
led by barbecue notables such as Steve
Raichlen or Ray Lampe (“Dr. BBQ”). Green-
brier chefs also lead a multiday cooking
course called Greenbrier Gourmet, which
focuses on signature dishes from the
Greenbrier's classically inspired main din-
ing room menu. The course fee is separate
from the cost of accommodations at the
resort.
Greenbrier Culinary Arts Center (
&
800/
228-5049
).
(
Greenbrier Valley Airport (scheduled
service from Atlanta and Cleveland; 7
miles/11km).
0
White Sulphur Springs (21 miles/
33km).
L
$$$
The Greenbrier,
300 W. Main St.
(
&
800/453-4858;
www.greenbrier.com).
Cooking Schools for Travelers
106
Strewn Winery Cooking School
The Food-Wine Connection
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
In Ontario's premier wine region, just
north of Niagara Falls, vineyard touring
and gourmet restaurants make a natural
pairing. But the Strewn Winery—known
for its flavorful Merlots, Cabernet Sauvi-
gnons, Rieslings, Chardonnays, Gewürz-
traminers, and ice wines—is further
distinguished by its excellent Provençal-
style restaurant, Terroir La Cachette, and
the Strewn Winery Cooking School.
As you might suspect, the school's
director, Jane Langdon, is married to the
winery's winemaker, Joe Will. Naturally the
program focuses on the relationship
between food and wine, from finding
appropriate wine pairings or cooking reci-
pes using wine. The Strewn school advo-
cates the use of local ingredients in season,
from the summer's first tender strawber-
ries to the ripe peaches of summer to the
apples of autumn. (You can even pick
herbs for cooking in the school's on-site
herb garden.) Classes run from January
through November, and the course reci-
pes reflect the season. Students work in
teams of two in a fully outfitted teaching
