The Southborough Library is continuing to offer free cooking programs over the next two month, including two next week.
Four upcoming virtual classes continue the theme of learning to cook ethnic specialties from overseas. (So far, most are from Asian countries.)
One in-person program is focused on using foods you may have grown in your own backyard.
The classes currently scheduled are:
Virtual Cooking Lesson — Vietnamese Banh Mi
Tuesday, February 21st, 5:30 – 7:00 pm over zoom
Nothing is better than making BBQ chicken and pickled vegetables from scratch to serve in a sandwich. In this online interactive class, with a professional cooking instructor, make one of the most popular Vietnamese cuisines, Vietnamese Banh Mi. Attendees will make Vietnamese BBQ chicken, delicious sauces and condiments, and pickled vegetables served on French baguettes.
To register, click here.
In Person Demonstration — Healthy Garden Recipes
Saturday, February 25th, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, upstairs
Presented by the Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens: Fresh is best! Prepare healthy meals with the ingredients from your backyard garden!
No registration required — just drop in!
Virtual Cooking Lesson — Moroccan Pastilla
Saturday, March 4th, 12:00 – 2:00 pm over zoom
Moroccan Pastilla or Bastilla is the famous chicken pie of Morocco. In this virtual cooking class, with a professional cooking instructor, make a light crispy warqa pastry or phyllo dough filled with delicious, shredded chicken, egg stuffing, and sweet orange blossom almond. This sophisticated sweet and savory pie will be a showstopper for any occasion or just a simple day with friends and family. While the pastilla is baking, we will make Moroccan mint tea.
To register, click here.
Virtual Cooking Lesson — Korean Street Food
Tuesday, March 21st, 5:30 – 7:00 pm over zoom
Homestyle Korean cooking is full of vegetables. You can also adjust the heat level at home. In this online cooking class, with a professional cooking instructor, we will make popular delicious chicken bulgogi bibimbap, a rice bowl with chicken bulgogi, seasoned spinach, cucumber salad, kimchi, egg, and delicious sauce.
To register, click here.
Virtual Cooking Lesson — Dim Sum for Beginners
Tuesday, April 18th, 5:30 – 7:00 pm over zoom
Dim Sum is a popular style of Cantonese cuisines that include small dishes that highlight different flavor profiles and cooking techniques. In this online interactive class, with a professional cooking instructor, we will make chicken shumai, pearl meatballs (chicken or pork), and vegetables with ginger garlic sauce.
To register, click here.
Virtual Cooking Lesson — Burmese Curry Noodles
Saturday June 3rd, 12:00 – 1:30 pm over zoom
Let’s have fun and learn how to make Burmese curry. in this virtual cooking class, we’ll make a version of Mandalay Mouti Thoke, chicken yellow curry with noodles. Traditionally, the dish uses rice vermicelli (“bun” style noodles used in Vietnamese cuisines) but in this class, we will use long pasta including spaghetti or linguine. You can substitute chicken with any meat, tofu, or any vegetables. While the curry is cooking, we’ll make Burmese milk tea
(Stay tuned for a registration link)
The cooking series is made possible by a grant from the MBLC.* It’s being coordinated by Librarian Marianna Sorensen who also organizes the Library’s Cook Book Club. Their next meeting is Tuesday, March 7th 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
If you’re interested in receiving a newsletter when future cooking programs are announced, or signing up to whip something up to share at the next club gathering, email her at msorensen@southboroughma.com.
The next meeting of the club is this Tuesday, January 3rd, 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Each month, members whip up a dish from a selected cookbook and bring it into the Library to share with others. (New participants, and all ages/partners are always welcome.)
*According to the Library’s website, these workshops are funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, distributed by the Mass Board of Library Commissioners.
