Italian Seafood Cooking Class in NYC... October 15 Only!

Learn to cook a classic Italian fish & seafood menu at a fun-filled hands-on cooking class October 15 at 6pm!

The Italian seaside: lush visions of blue waters, gentle breezes, golden sun... Just what we need with the arrival of fall to warm our soul and take a break from everyday life. Take a virtual journey to the Italian seaside with us in this new class devoted to the pleasures of Italian seafood cooking. We'll start off with a pasta we sampled in Puglia, a pasta so good that we couldn't wait to recreate it in a cooking class upon our return to New York: a novel take on amatriciana sauce (the delectable trio of Pancetta, tomatoes, and chili) featuring chunks of tender monkfish and the merest hint of balsamic vinegar. We'll poach delicate fillets of branzino in a saffron-hued white wine broth, and serve a heavenly shrimp and asparagus risotto, and caramelized Brussels sprouts, alongside. We'll finish our autumn seaside feast with a homemade apple and nut strudel garnished with a hearty scoop of vanilla ice cream; the dough for this strudel is made with extra-virgin olive oil rather than butter, and it bakes up flaky and light, the ideal complement to the sumptuous nut and fruit filling inside. So if you love fish & seafood, don't wait too long to reserve your spot in this one time-only class!

Menu, October 15:

Homemade Cavatelli Pasta with Monkfish Amatriciana
Mediterranean Sea Bass (Branzino) in Saffron-White Wine Sauce
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Lemon & Garlic
Shrimp, Asparagus, & Chive Risotto
Flaky Apple and Walnut Strudel with Vanilla Ice Cream

This hands-on cooking class lasts from 6PM to 9PM. The cost is $110 per person and includes a full dinner paired with wine. Be sure to sign up here before class sells out or call 917-602-1519.

And we are also very excited about our Pizza Workshop on October 6 at 12pm... This class ALWAYS sells out fast so book your spots now! We've been teaching Italian cooking for years, and the thing that seems to scare people off more than anything is working with yeast. Maybe it's the fear that, left to its own devices, yeast will take over the kitchen... just think of dough ballooning out of the oven in that episode of "I Love Lucy". But we've found that once people get their hands into the dough and get familiar with how yeast works, the fear disappears. All it takes is understanding a few rules, getting comfortable with basic techniques such as kneading and shaping the dough, and a reliable recipe. Whether you're making bread, focaccia, pizza, or any other yeast-risen dough, the principles are the same. It's all about temperature, ingredients, and technique. If you've ever wanted to bake crisp, thin-crust pizzas, this hands-on class is for you: We'll take you through the essential techniques of kneading, rolling, topping, and baking pizza dough and demystify the process of working with yeast. We'll bake Italy's most famous pizzas, starting with the classic tomato- and Mozzarella-topped Pizza Margherita, then set our imaginations free and combine various toppings for a true pizza-lover's fantasy. We'll even make a sweet pizza with chocolate and apricots... delicious with a glass of sweet wine at meal's end! You can sign up here for our Pizza Workshop.

We've also posted our online class calendar through December 2012 here.

For those of you planning a team-building activity or important celebration this season, consider a private cooking party. Parties can be held in the daytime or evening and last 3 hours, and the cost is just $162 per person inclusive of gratuity. And the best part: you get to pick the menu you want, and you can add on a wine tasting if you are really into wine! There are still dates available in the busy holiday season (though not for long!). We've even created a chocolate lover's dream event: a hands-on cooking class followed by dinner, a wine tasting, and a chocolate tasting... Call 917-602-1519 to inquire about availability for your private cooking event. Our corporate clients include A & E Television Network, Unilever, Google, Colgate Palmolive, Credit Suisse, David Yurman, Newsweek, Victoria's Secret, NBC, and many more... Click here for more on our clients and testimonials.

Here's what a client recently said about her company's team-building event at RUSTICO COOKING: "Thank you for this. I must say, the group had an AMAZING time. We're still talking about it and I'm trying to get everyone to share pictures. It was so much fun! Gerry and Elizabeth were awesome and everyone had a great time cooking together. The food was delicious. Definitely looking forward to next time!" Melody A., McCANN

We look forward to cooking with you soon!

Micol Negrin & Dino De Angelis

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New Recipes

We've added 2 delicious new recipes to our site: stuffed squid in a delicate tomato sauce; and focaccia stuffed with broccoli raab, sausage, and cheese. Let us know which dishes you prepare! These are perfect recipes for entertaining, and are sure to make your dinner guests feel very special. And consult our complete recipe index here.

Here are links to this month's recipes: