A LEGENDARY LUNCHEON

Inspired by dishes made famous at department store restaurants, Christie presents a luxurious luncheon of mile-high popovers with strawberry butter from Neiman-Marcus, creamy crab bisque from Nordstrom's, French onion soup from Famous Barr, and a variety of salads that are beautifully presented. Top it off with Frango chocolate-mint cake from Marshall Fields.   
12/8/2010 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
$45.00

BAKING BASICS WITH A PASTRY CHEF

Join the pastry chef of Sidney Street Cafe, Christie Saali, in this in-depth four-week course of the basics of baking. This participation class will focus on cakes, custards, pastry, plus tarts and pies. Learn the skills of creating German chocolate cake, chocolate fudge roll, angel food cake, apple-almond custard pie, cashew-caramel tart, chocolate ice cream, raspberry soufflé with crème anglaise, almond-cherry biscotti, chocolate éclairs, plus much more.
10/10/2010 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
10/17/2010 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
10/24/2010 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
10/31/2010 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
$200.00

CONVERSATION CENTERPIECES

Elegant enough to be the centerpiece of any holiday buffet, these show-stopping desserts will also get the conservation started with your guests. Christie Saali, of Sidney Street Cafe, creates an impressive croquembouche, almond "pine cone" cake, chocolate-orange bûche de Noël, and ricotta tart with citrus marmalade.
12/15/2010 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
$45.00

COUNTER-CULTURE: IN GOOD TASTE

The secret is out! Our above-ground experience has all the appeal of both an underground restaurant and a chef's table. Enjoy the evening with other ardent food lovers gathered around the communal table witnessing the preparations of an elegant dinner. An apéritif, five-course dinner, red and white wine pairings, and a dessert beverage are all part of the evening. Christie has carefully planned an evening of refinement, starting with seared scallop with pickled lemon confit on lavash, served with a gimlet. Enjoy smoked corn bisque with crab turmeric timbale, apricot-glazed grilled pheasant on toasted couscous, seared lamb chops with fresh tarragon purée on chickpea polenta, plus homemade ricotta fritters with blackberry jam served with orange tea.
9/25/2010 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$75.00

COUNTER-CULTURE: SOCIAL GATHERING

The secret is out! Our above-ground experience has all the appeal of both an underground restaurant and a chef's table. Enjoy the evening with other ardent food lovers gathered around the communal table witnessing the preparations of an elegant dinner. An apéritif, five-course dinner, red and white wine pairings, and a dessert beverage are all part of the evening. Christie has planned the perfect gathering for friends, starting with a lemon drop martini and lobster puffs with saffron cream. Enjoy an elegant meal of halibut on horseradish risotto, pork medallions with potato rösti and roasted beets, plus chocolate praline fudge tarts with caramel hot chocolate.     
11/6/2010 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$75.00

CUPCAKE SECRETS

Pastry chef Christie Saali shares her secrets in balancing delicious cupcakes with the perfect Italian buttercream frosting. Join her in this hands-on class creating orange-vanilla dreamsicle cupcakes with orange-vanilla frosting, banana cupcakes with hazelnut frosting, coffee cupcakes baked in a mug with chocolate and vanilla swirled frosting, and pecan cupcakes with maple frosting.
10/3/2010 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM
$55.00

IN SUCCESS-ION AT SIDNEY STREET CAFE

It takes many elements to create a successful dining experience, from the moment you are greeted at the door to the last bite of a delicious dessert. Witness a behind-the-scenes look into the kitchens of Sidney Street Cafe with chef-owner Kevin Nashan and pastry chef Christie Saali as they team up to create a memorable meal. Kevin will surprise the class with an amazing braised meat dish. Enjoy rich seafood bouillabaisse with fresh herbed focaccia, plus molasses cake with caramelized pears and molasses ice cream.
11/15/2010 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$75.00

INDIAN-A GOANS

Prepare yourself for an adventure of Indian cuisine, as Christie prepares a banana drop cocktail, potato-spinach samosas, Goan shrimp curry, chapati bread, chicken biryani with cilantro chutney, cauliflower with ginger and mustard seeds, plus coconut crisp with roasted mangoes.
5/21/2009 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
$45.00

LOBSTER AND CHAMPAGNE

Celebrate the ending of a decade with an elegant feast of lobster and champagne. Christie creates a memorable evening, with truffled lobster puffs with champagne-butter sauce, lobster and candied grapefruit salad, steamed half lobster with a New Orleans crawfish sauce, gruyère spoon bread and roasted Brussels sprouts, plus white chocolate cheesecake with citrus compote.
12/27/2010 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$65.00

MAKING WHOOPIE...PIES, AND COOKIES

Whoopie pies are the hottest craze, and this fun hands-on class with will spend an afternoon with Christie whooping it up. Create chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pies, plus cookies that are perfect for the holiday season, including peppermint meringues, raspberry-pistachio pinwheels, and citrus-chocolate shortbread.

11/21/2010 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
$55.00

ONE POT, ONE HOT MEAL

Tired of dirtying every dish in the kitchen to create a fabulous dinner?  Christie demonstrates one-pot cooking that is sure to please everyone, including chicken-artichoke pot pie with roasted red pepper crust, lamb and dried fruit tagine with harissa couscous, feijoada - a delicious Brazilian pork and bean stew, cioppino fish stew, plus dried fruit cobbler with ginger biscuits.
10/21/2010 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
$50.00

SOUFFLÉS AND CUSTARDS

Learn the secrets to creating light soufflés and creamy custards, with both sweet and savory dishes. Join Christie Saali for a hands-on class creating bacon and grits soufflé, corn custard with crab salad, chicken-fontina soufflé quiche, bourbon pecan soufflé with a chocolate liquid center, and coffee custard with chocolate soufflé cookies.

11/11/2010 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$60.00

TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE OF MY TART

It is acceptable to ask for seconds when a little piece of Christie's tarts just isn't enough. Enjoy both sweet and savory variations, as Christie prepares smoked chicken-gouda tart with a cornmeal crust, roasted garlic-spinach quiche, maple-apple tart, triple chocolate-macadamia tart, plus lemon-lime soufflé tartlettes.
11/20/2010 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
$50.00

THE SHOW-ME BAKE-OFF

This is Missouri and we have proof that it is just as easy to bake cakes and pies from scratch than from packaged products. Pastry chef Christie Saali does a side-by-side comparison of German chocolate cake with traditional frosting, both from scratch and from a box; then a side-by-side matchup with cherry pie with fresh whipped cream vs. a pre-made pie crust with canned filling and frozen whipped topping.  Compare the time, list of ingredients, cost, and most importantly, flavor.
11/4/2010 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
$45.00

TURNOVER YOUR RECIPES, AND NO ONE GETS HURT

This hands-on class with Christie will "hold up" every delicious turnover and praise the flaky goodness in each bite. Learn to make both savory and sweet turnovers, including beef-avocado empanadas with green chile sour cream, curried chicken turnovers with cucumber-lime dip, chocolate-orange turnovers, dried apricot-honey-caramel turnovers, plus gooey s'more turnovers.
12/13/2010 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
$55.00

WINTER WARMING CUPCAKES

The aromas wafting through the kitchen are delicious reminders of the holiday season, as this hands-on class bakes dozens of cupcakes with Italian buttercream frosting. Join Christie Saali, and make chocolate cupcakes with peppermint-vanilla swirl frosting, hot chocolate cupcakes baked in a mug with Grand Marnier frosting, eggnog cupcakes with cinnamon frosting, and "sugar cookie" vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and dusted with colored sugars.
12/9/2010 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$55.00

WISH UPON A JAR!

Whether you are stocking your own pantry or filling someone's holiday stocking, this incredible hands-on class is filled with delicious goodies. Learn to make and then can molasses barbecue sauce, orange herbed marmalade, apple butter, candied cinnamon pumpkin, vanilla sugar, and chocolate caramel sauce. Christie also provides recipes for uses with these new pantry items. Each participant will take home one jar of canned goods!
12/11/2010 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
$55.00