The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Mexican favorites in couples class
Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French forces of Napoleon on May 5, 1862, is usually celebrated with tequila and margaritas.
This year, however, consider the Cooking With a Partner class at 6 p.m. May 5 at the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking, 8613 Mayfield Road, Chester Township.
The hands-on class is a 2.5hour foray into the creation of Mexican favorites. It’s $135 for two of you.
The evening’s menu is a culinary journey: chicken Flautas with queso dipping sauce; spa Azteca with crisp tortilla strips and avocado; a taco trio of Tex-Mex beef tacos with grilled scallions and chihuahua cheese, pork tacos with smoked tomato sauce and roasted peppers and Baja-style fish tacos with Mexican slaw and lime cilantro crema; Mexican rice; and warm cinnamon sopapillas with vanilla bean ice cream and honey.
Register at 440-720-1110 or lpscinc.com.
Pies and other flaky treats
Join Judi Strauss in the kitchen at Wildwood Cultural Center, 7645 Little Mountain Road, Mentor, at 7 p.m. May 8 for a two-hour class in making pies, tarts, quiches and other flaky treats.
Learn how to pair up the right crust with fillings and discover how to make sweet, savory, lowfat, no-bake and even a yeast raised crust. Get recipes for fruit pies, cream pies and quiches with hints from a baker’s daughter.
The class costs $17, but Mentor residents pay $3 less. Everyone pays an additional $9 cash fee on class night to Strauss.
Sign up at 440-974-5720.
Fireside chat
Frank Krupa introduces local wine experts and leads a fireside chat about wine from 7 to 9 p.m. May 7 on the Wildwood Garden Patio at Wildwood Cultural Center, 7645 Little Mountain Road, Mentor.
Learn about the history of wine, fruit wines, terminology and food pairings and try samples from Brew Mentor.
The chat is open to those 21 and older and is free to those bringing a non-perishable food donation.
Registration is needed at 440974-5735
Honey workshop
Meet a beekeeper and learn about honey at 7 p.m. May 10 at The Olive and The Grape, 7771 Mentor Ave., Mentor.
Gene McCune of McCune Family Apiaries in Auburn Township will bring a demonstration hive and explain about different bees and how they make honey. Owner Candice Berthold, a certified health coach, will offer recipes and tips on how to use honey for therapeutic purposes.
The fee is $10 at the door, and each person will receive a $5 voucher for honey. Also, the owner of The Olive and The Grape will offer suggestions for using honey in the kitchen and for therapeutic uses.
Text 440-527-4440 to make reservations. Learn more about the story at theoliveandthegrape.com.