Michael Duarte-Pedrosa recently joined Connect2Classes as our new VP of Sales, focused on connecting outstanding providers and instructors with knowledge-hungry students throughout the Seattle area. To get a sense of what amazing experiences can be accessed, in areas covering arts and crafts, cooking and baking, personal enrichment and professional development, Michael visited several providers and attended a handful of classes.
At Dawn’s Candy and Cake Supply, Michael had the chance to explore the mysterious regions of flavors combined with chocolate. Here are Michael’s field notes from the experience:
“My flavor combinations included: maple and cherry; caramel and bourbon; salt and cayenne; and last, but for sure not least, matcha and mint. I found myself smiling most of the class, and not just because there is a lot of tasting to get the balance of flavors just right during the process. Dawn’s motto is you can create new flavor combinations forever and always. Giving yourself the freedom to create literally any combination was crazy fun and a frankly a little foreign. Mistakes in the form of yuck are without consequence, you are simply encouraged to start over, to go back to the flavor drawing board. Once you prepare a flavored ganache you learn the art of filling the chocolate vessels, then indulge in the process of dipping your flavor morsels into molten chocolate. You are then shown some simple techniques and products to adorn your little round orbs of love. The end result is the creation of 36 signature chocolate truffle taste sensations of your own design you get to take home.”
Classes from Dawn’s Candy and Cake Supply
Michael also attended a Sizzleworks sauce-making class and meal experience with wine pairing. He had this to say about the class:
“This particular night, we were a group of seven food disciples being led by the lovely and delightful Chef Tara and Chef Pam. Two of the seven participants were enrolled in the sauce series. There are some unexpected benefits to being one of the drop-in students: there is already some established love and joy in the room, and the student wine steward is selected at the previous class to provide the wine for the next class, drop-in glasses are filled too! We made no fewer than ten delicious sauces varied in style and flavor to serve with fish, chicken, pork, vegetables, pasta, fruit, and cake during this single class, extraordinary! Fine chocolate, Sake wine, Port wine, fresh herbs from the Sizzleworks garden, butter, berries, capers, fresh ginger, and silky cream were among some of the ingredients we used to infuse and adorn the sauces with flavor. The best part, your training and efforts are rewarded with an eating Olympics enjoying all of the hands-on evening’s creations.”
Upcoming classes from Sizzleworks
Connect2Classes can tickle your taste buds with amazing public and private classes with the area’s best chef instructors! We can help create private learning events, as well, like handmade gifts or cooking, wine, and mixology workshops for your holiday party.
