Black Friday Weekend Gift Certificate Sale... Save $10!

Here's a special Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale for that perfect holiday gift: until Monday December 2 at 11:59 pm, you can save $10 on all purchases of gift certificates valued at $120. In other words, pay $110, and we'll automatically upgrade the value of your purchase to $120, allowing the recipient to attend a more expensive class at no additional charge. The same applies if you buy 2, 3, or 4 (or however many) gift certificates: we'll add $10 to each certificate you purchase between today and Monday. You can buy the gift certificate here and we'll email it to you within hours of your purchase.

Hands-On Cooking Classes in NYC

Learn to make fresh handmade pasta in one of our most popular hands-on cooking classes, plus two traditional pasta sauces and almond biscotti, on December 7 at 12pm!

This class was designed for anyone who longs to learn to make fresh pasta from scratch.You'll begin by kneading your very own egg pasta (the ratio is simple and foolproof), working alongside your class companions as you master the timeless techniques of incorporating egg into flour and working the dough into a supple and silky mass with your hands. After the dough rests, we'll roll it out into thin lasagna sheets and finish it two ways: cutting it with the aid of a pasta machine, into picture-perfect tagliatelle; and stuffed with a luscious three-cheese filling, yielding delicate ravioli worthy of elegant entertaining. We'll also learn to prepare two classic sauces of the Italian kitchen: a light, herb-laced tomato sauce, and a delicate ragu slow-cooked with plenty of herbs and wine. Next, we'll knead and roll out the dough for crunchy, addictive almond biscotti. And after the cooking is done, we'll savor our fresh pasta paired with our homemade sauces, followed by a light green salad and our just-baked biscotti. The techniques you'll learn in this class will serve you whenever you make any type of pasta: long or short, flat or filled, from lasagne and ravioli to pappardelle and tagliatelle. Don't wait too long to sign up for this class; it's sure to sell out quickly!

Menu, December 7:

Basic Egg Pasta Dough
Fresh Tagliatelle
Three-Cheese Ravioli
Basil-Scented Tomato Sauce
Mom's Classic Two-Meat Ragu
Mixed Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
Crunchy Almond Biscotti

This hands-on cooking class lasts from 12PM to 3PM. The cost is $110 per person and includes a full lunch 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 Ten Best Pasta Sauces Class on December 2 at 6pm... After all, is there any food that lends itself more to weeknight meals and impromptu dinners with friends than pasta? Pasta is not only healthy and versatile, it takes mere minutes to cook. In this fun class, we'll unveil the secrets of cooking pasta, then show you how to pair a variety of pasta shapes with their ideal sauce. Next, we'll cook ten flavorful, authentic Italian pastas and enjoy them family-style with some fabulous white and red wines. You can sign up here for our Ten Best Pasta Sauces Class.

We've also posted our online class calendar through February 2014 here.

Private Cooking Parties & Team-Building Events NYC

For those of you still looking for a memorable holiday celebration (whether for work, friends, or family) 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 a few dates available in December (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 his company's team-building event at RUSTICO COOKING: "Thank you for putting on a great event for my team. The combination of fun had while cooking and great food as a result makes for a powerful team building combination." Jane W., Pfizer

We look forward to cooking with you soon!

Micol Negrin & Dino De Angelis

And why not forward this email newsletter to your food-loving friends? The more people around our kitchen table, the better!

NOTE: Please rest assured that if you receive an email from us, it's because you contacted us with a question, comment, or subscription request. We protect your privacy by sending out our newsletter via an undisclosed recipient list. If you do not wish to receive our newsletter, simply unsubscribe by clicking on the LEAVE MAILING LIST link below.

New Recipes

We've added 2 delicious new recipes to our site: a traditional antipasto featuring paper-thin slices of Bresaola (air-dried beef) with arugula, and crispy homemade breadsticks, two ideal dishes for easy holiday entertaining. Let us know which dishes you prepare! These are perfect recipes for entertaining. And consult our complete recipe index here.

Here are links to this month's recipes: