Nearly 100 people attended a free Culinary Open House Monday evening at Monroe County Community College.
The event was an introduction to the college’s expanded slate of noncredit, food-related Lifelong Learning classes. Most of the classes run just one night. Several topics are new this winter/spring term. Organic Bamboo Cheese Board
“It was a fairly steady flow of people for the first hour. We are estimating around 80 to 90 people attended,” Tina Pillarelli, director of Lifelong Learning, said.
At the hour-and-a-half open house, three chef instructors, Michael Lyons, Linda Paetz and Kay Williams, served samples of foods that will be part of their upcoming classes. They also were available to answer questions from the attendees, who waited in lines to sample the fare.
Food samples included Lyons' chips and fresh salsa, pulled pork with dry rub and barbecue sauce, and two charcuterie boards. Guests also could take home a small cup of Lyons' dry rub. Paetz and Williams offered samples of French onion soup served with cheesy bread.
Sommelier Drew Bentley, owner of downtown Monroe’s new Michigan Wine and Beer Portal, also offered samples of wine as a way to introduce his new six-week wine class.
Among the other new class offerings this term are Lyons' "Cooking with Beer" class and classes on the topics of special diets, charcuterie boards, preserving and canning, grilling and smoking, and soups. Another class allows attendees to make their own personalized wooden cutting board that can be used for charcuterie boards.
"We provided a sample of a cutting board that students can make in our upcoming 'Create a Personalized Cutting Board' in the College’s MakerSpace," Pillarelli said.
Classes on Spain and Greece also were added to the popular "Cuisine Around the World" series.
In addition to new classes, several other culinary classes are returning this term.
"All of the classes listed this semester are running with sufficient numbers, but the most popular are the 'Soups On,' 'Charcuterie Board,' 'Taste of Greece,' 'Mexican Cantina' and 'Cuisine Cooking-German,'" Pillarelli said.
She was pleased with the open house's turnout.
"We received a lot of positive feedback from people that evening and as they were leaving. We were prepared and took a handful of registrations for classes as well. It felt like a successful event," she said.
For years, MCCC offered a two-year culinary degree program. It was led by Chef Kevin Thomas, who retired from MCCC in 2022 after nearly 35 years. Hundreds were enrolled in the program through the years. The culinary associate degree program disbanded after Thomas' retirement.
Pillarelli said culinary Lifelong Learning options were expanded in part because of the ending of the degree program but also because they are popular.
“These classes continue to remain popular with the community. We are always looking at new and fresh ideas. Some topics come directly from current students. They tell us what they are interested in. We will continue to offer topics of interest to students, and we are also beginning the process to hire more instructors so that we can offer additional courses," Pillarelli said.
Large Cutting Board Wood Registration is now open. Discounts are available for senior citizens. For more information, including a list of upcoming classes, visit www.monroeccc.edu/LL or call 734-384-4127.