French Classics

Step into the world of French gastronomy with Chef Kevin’s hands-on French Classics Cooking Class. Designed for home cooks, aspiring chefs, and French food lovers, this 3-hour immersive experience is more than a cooking class—it’s an opportunity to elevate your culinary repertoire.

French cooking focuses on mastering fundamental techniques and using high-quality ingredients to create flavorful, balanced dishes. From learning how to make basic sauces to perfecting knife skills for precise vegetable cuts, these foundational elements are essential in French cuisine. Understanding the importance of layering flavors, using fresh herbs, and creating beautiful presentations are also key to achieving the elegance and refinement that French cooking is known for.

What You’ll Cook

Under Chef Kevin’s expert guidance, you’ll prepare iconic French dishes, learning the techniques and secrets behind each one, including:

• Smoked Salmon or Trout Rillettes: A delicious coarse, spreadable pâté perfect for elegant starters.
• Caramelized Endives with Crème Fraîche: A sophisticated vegetable side with perfectly balanced flavors.
• Beef Short Rib Bourguignon: A rich, braised beef dish that’s the epitome of French comfort food.
• Poire Au Chocolat: Decadent poached pears in chocolate sauce to finish your meal on a sweet note.

Skills You’ll Master

• Perfecting rillettes for a rustic yet refined appetizer
• Braising beef to tenderness—and mastering the art of Bourguignon
• Broiling and caramelizing vegetables for smoky-sweet depth
• Poaching pears and preparing a luxurious chocolate sauce

Why Choose Chef Kevin’s Class?

This class is perfect for intermediate-level cooks who are ready for a more dynamic, hands-on learning experience. With a class size capped at 12, you’ll receive personal attention while working in small teams to prepare each dish. Chef Kevin’s interactive style ensures you do the measuring, prepping, plating, and more—so you truly take ownership of the skills you’re learning.

By the end of the class, you’ll not only indulge in the dishes you’ve made but leave with the knowledge and confidence to recreate these timeless French classics at home.

Spaces are limited! Reserve your spot today and join us for an unforgettable culinary experience.

Wine, beer, and cocktails are available for purchase from our bar. Come early for cocktails (5:15) — class begins at 5:45!

Chef Kevin Appleton has a passion for food, drink, and fun. He is a former Culinary Instructor at Madison College. He worked at some of the best fine dining restaurants in Chicago and was Executive Chef at Robert Morris College’s Institute of Culinary Arts.