Alfresco Dining
JOHNSON CITY (March 8, 2018) – “Dreaming of Springtime Alfresco Dining” is the topic of a five-week cooking class led by local restauranteur Sheridan Dockery Nice beginning March 22.
Sponsored by East Tennessee State University’s Office of Professional Development, this course will meet in the Foods Lab of Hutcheson Hall on the ETSU campus from 5:30-9 p.m. each Thursday through April 19.
“Alfresco dining is one of the best things nature has to offer,” says Nice, who, along with her husband, Steve, owns Mona Lisa’s Gelato and Café in Johnson City. “People have traditionally feasted en plein aire, ‘in the open air,’ in European countries for hundreds of years, particularly in the warm summer months. The practice slowly made its way to America, when rooftop restaurants and sidewalk cafes began to appear in the mid-20th century in more cosmopolitan cities, such as New York.
“Enjoying meals outside is about letting the atmosphere flavor your food. We’ll take advantage of the season to prepare the freshest of foods, letting fresh herbs and spices elevate the dishes we prepare together. Lots of make-ahead recipes will be featured, allowing more time with friends and family, and isn’t relaxation really what alfresco dining is all about?”
Nice is a graduate of La Verenne, Ecole de Cuisine, Paris, and a recipient of a Baking and Pastry Scholarship from the International Association of Culinary Professionals to The Culinary Institute of America in California’s Napa Valley.
Registration is $219 and includes all food for a meal at every meeting.
For registration or more information, call the ETSU Office of Professional Development at 800-222-3878 or visit www.etsu.edu/professionaldevelopment. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.