If you know me, then you know that my favorite thin in the world is FOOD. That’s why when CourseHorse reached out to me to review one of the many cooking classes they offered, I said YESSIREE. I didn’t really say that, but basically I was IN for sure.
So, what is CourseHorse and why should I care?
CourseHorse is company that makes local education more accessible by helping people that offer classes reach people that are interested in learning… like you and me!
If you’re reading my blog you probably love food (and wine) just like me, and I am happy to let you know that some of their most popular classes are cooking and wine!
The Experience
So, after being presented several options on CourseHorse, I decided I wanted to try a wine and cooking class. BTW, that didn’t really narrow y options down (there are so many! Good ones too!) But I did eventually decide that I wanted to try a legit 4 course Santorini meal with wine pairings at Vino Venue.
When I first arrived, we were presented with some wine and snacks. The room included the kitchen and the dining table:
Then, the chef joined us in the kitchen, and I was delighted to find that it was someone I recognized! Chef M from The Front Porch Groumet! I had met her previously at an Atlanta Blogger event on Gut Health at Sprouts!
Chef M is hilarious! She kept all of us entertained with funny experiences she’s had in the kitchen, and then after a brief intro on how it was going to go down, we got started.
We had 15 participants, and we split in to two groups. One group of 7, one group of 8. I’ll say it – I was the loser that came by myself. But hey! I was there to review this for YOU the reader, so it’s okay 😀
Anyway, from within these groups, we split in to 4 as there are 4 courses to work on. So every pair got a chance to work on at least one recipe, as some recipes are easier than others.
Our Four Courses:
- Classic Greek Hummus with Lemon and Olives
- Chicken and Lamb Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
- Quinoa with Feta, Avocado and Toasted Pine Nuts
- Greek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts
As for wine, we got wine to enjoy while cooking AND wine to enjoy with our meal!
While cooking:
- La Fiera Pinot Grigio, Veneto, Italy 2016
- Finca del Castillo Tempranillo, La Macha, Spain 2015
Paired with our meal:
- Argyros Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece 2015
- Argyros “Atlantis”, Santorini, Greece 2006
- UWC Samos Muscat Vin Doux, Samos, Greece 2015
So, I started off with the desert – Greek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts (since everyone else had a partner… I was like let me pick the easiest one!) Well, turned out that one was not only easy but had a lot of down time (ex: toasting of the walnuts), so soon, I moved on to help out the other folks in my team (mostly the Chicken and Lamb kabobs, and the Classic Greek Hummus).
One cool thing to mention is that, the group had everyone from cooking beginners to experts, and it was definitely not an issue! If at any time anyone needed help, we can just yell for Chef M, and she would hop over and help us out.
Here’s a peek at what we were cookin’:
And eventually, I made myself a plate, and had me some wine pairings to go with it!
The Verdict
Long story short – it was a blast! I was happy I got to try it out and I do definitely recommend everyone to check out CourseHorse and Vino Venue. I mean, the fact that you get four course of delicious food, recipes you can keep (they print out recipes for you), food cooking education, fun experience in the kitchen, meeting awesome people with the same interest as you, and all that wine? WHAT is there NOT to like!?
SO, if you’re interested in checking out CourseHorse, check out the courses they have to offer near you here for 15$ off!!
Note: This post is sponsored by Course Horse - I received a free wine/cooking class in exchange for this review. However, all opinions are my own!