Culinary Classes for the Curious
Classes at the 1909 Culinary Academy are all about the hands-on exploration of foods. From learning the fundamentals of cooking to the preparation of fine dining dishes, we have a class that will have you falling in love with foods.
Many classes are family friendly.
The 1909 Culinary Academy is a licensed establishment. Alcoholic beverages are available to purchase by those 19 years of age and over when proof of age is presented.
Current Classes
March 2025 Culinary Calendar
Taste of Thailand
Friday, March 28
6:00 – 9:00pm
Thai food is a simple yet clever combination of sour, sweet, salty, bitter and spicy flavours working together to make each dish come alive.
Whiskey Business
Saturday, March 22
6:00 – 9:00pm
Cooking with Whiskey adds depth and complexity due to its unique combination of flavours, including caramel, vanilla, spices, and smokiness.
Meatless Monday: Mac n’ Cheese
Monday, March 24
6:00 – 8:00pm
We have delicious plant-based recipes to help you implement Meatless Monday. This week we’ll make a scrumptious and versatile Mac n’ Cheese.
Simple Soup: Vietnamese Pho
Wednesday, March 26
6:00 – 8:00pm
Join us for a simple soup-er experience of making a delicious pot of Vietnamese Phở to share with your fellow foodies.
Cooking with Cast Iron
Saturday, March 29
6:00 – 9:00pm
Cast iron skillets are versatile and can be used for many cooking tasks, including searing meat, baking, and making pizza.
Meatless Monday: Sticky Tofu Bowl
Monday, March 31
6:00 – 8:00pm
We have delicious plant-based recipes to help you implement Meatless Monday. This week we’ll make a sweet but sticky Tofu Bowl.
April 2025 Culinary Calendar
Simple Soup: Cheddar & Ale
Wednesday, April 2
6:00 – 8:00pm
Join us for a simple soup-er experience of making a delicious pot of Cheddar & Ale Soup to share with your fellow foodies.
Dutch Oven Recipes
Friday, April 4
6:00 – 9:00pm
Put this powerhouse cookware to the test with recipes for meaty main dishes, steamy soups and everything in between.
Whiskey Business
Saturday, April 5
6:00 – 9:00pm
Cooking with Whiskey adds depth and complexity due to its unique combination of flavours, including caramel, vanilla, spices, and smokiness.
Simple Soup: Ramen
Wednesday, April 9
6:00 – 8:00pm
Join us for a simple soup-er experience of making a delicious pot of Vegetarian Ramen to share with your fellow foodies.
Game Meat
Friday, April 11
6:00 – 9:00pm
Cooking with Game Meat is a unique experience and we’re excited to create three dishes using Ontario harvested meats. Go Wild!
Meatless Monday: Peanut Stew
Monday, April 7
6:00 – 8:00pm
We have delicious plant-based recipes to help you implement Meatless Monday. This week we’ll make a nutty Peanut Stew with Chickpeas and Cauliflower.
Simple Soup: Seafood Chowder
Wednesday, April 16
6:00 – 8:00pm
Join us for a simple soup-er experience of making a delicious pot of Seafood Chowder to share with your fellow foodies.
Simple Soup: Tomato Bisque
Wednesday, April 23
6:00 – 8:00pm
Join us for a simple soup-er experience of making a delicious pot of Tomato Bisque to share with your fellow foodies.
Beautiful Butter
Friday, April 18
6:00 – 9:00pm
Join us for an evening of making Butter from scratch to use in a variety of recipes including Sage Brown Butter with Pasta.
Tasty Tofu
Saturday, April 19
6:00 – 9:00pm
Tofu is incredibly versatile and can be added to stir-fries, soups, and curries, but is also just as delicious on their own, grilled, baked.
Simple Soup: Cream of Celery
Wednesday, April 30
6:00 – 8:00pm
Join us for a simple soup-er experience of making a delicious pot of Cream of Celery to share with your fellow foodies.
British Desserts
Friday, April 25
6:00 – 9:00pm
Three classic British Desserts to inspire you. Trifle, shortbread, and sticky toffee pudding are on the menu.
Past Culinary Classes
Caribbean Cuisine
Bernia is ready to share his secrets to Caribbean Cuisine, so get ready for a spicy evening of hands-on culinary adventures.
Poke Bowls and Power Bowls
This is a collection of some of our favourite Poke Bowls and Power Bowls, made up of a protein, vegetables, grains, and delicious dressings.
Fall Preserving
Preserving…it’s in our Roots. This festive event of preserving three unique canning recipes that’ll be ideal for holiday entertaining and gift giving.
Marvellous Mushrooms
We have an all new menu for this popular theme. Marvellous Mushrooms is a night focused on this delicious veg that is know to fight cancer!
All about Apples
Seasonal Series: Orchard crisp apples are in season. Explore 4 recipes featuring a variety of apples including MacIntosh, Cortland, Honeycrisp, and Mutsu.
Cooking with Coffee
It isn’t just a morning beverage! Coffee brings everyday dishes and drinks to life. Come explore unexpected recipes featuring COFFEE!
Loving Lamb
Join us for a night filled with recipes featuring lamb. From lamb chops to smash burgers, local lamb is the star of this class.
Autumn Soups
That chill in the air means that it’s time for SOUP! Join us for an evening focused on autumn vegetables that make these recipes soup-er.
Sizzling Steak
From Inside Round to Beef Tenderloin, we’ll investigate a variety of steaks to find out the best way to cook and present each cut of meat including Steak Tartare and Steak Frites.
Intro to Japanese Cuisine
Join Chef Josh as he shares his experience in making sushi rice, tempura,
and maki rolls.
Asparagus
It’s Asparagus season! Join us for a night of exploring signature dishes featuring our favourite springtime vegetable.
International Salads
From Japan to Lebanon, we’ll discover popular summer salads from around the globe. Summer is all about exploring exciting new dishes.
The African Experience with Khadijah Haliru
Nigerian born, Khadijah Haliru will be leading this exciting class filled with dishes showcasing African culinary favourites.
Build a Board: Charcuterie Styling Tips
Building a charcuterie board is all about creativity, delicious foods, and personal style. Join us for an evening of hands-on exploration.
Sous Vide Cooking
In this introductory lesson, Bernia and Chef Zehr provide an overview of sous vide packaging and preparation as well as how the technique is used.
Cooking with Wine
Red and White Wine make excellent cooking companions. Join us for an evening of exploring techniques for cooking with wine.
Glorious Garlic
Chef Murray is back in the kitchen for a night filled with recipes featuring garlic grown right on our property at the 1909 schoolhouse.
Advanced ~ Travel to Thailand
Travel with us to explore the flavours of Thailand in this class designed for intermediate and advanced guests.
Vegan & Gluten Free
Do you have vegan and gluten-free friends and family members? From celiac disease to gluten sensitivity, this class is for you.
SAY CHEESE!
Join us for a night of cheesy discovery. Learn all about the many varieties of local cheese and what foods they’re ideally paired with. You’ll never buy boxed mac n’ cheese again once you taste Chef Zehr’s tantalizing cheese sauce that was the delight of Prince Charles on his last official visit to Canada. We promise…it’s a gouda thing!
Satisfying Seafood
Travel to picturesque Prince Edward Island (without leaving Ontario) as Chef Zehr demonstrates how to cook savoury mussels, shuck oysters, make tender calamari and even learn how to make classics such as Clams Casino and Salmon En Papillote.
Taste of India
Learn to create exotic Indian dishes with Chef Zehr as he guides you through India to create pakoras, fresh Naan bread, Butter Chicken with Rice and finish up with a hearty saffron and nut rice pudding.
Beautiful Bread
From Sourdough and French Brioche to savoury Focaccia bread, we’ll explore the world of breads and learn how to make these from scratch. Chef Zehr may even have some gluten free tips up his sleeve for this class.
Canning & Preserving Classes
Sage Advice
This class is a guide to growing herbs with sage advice on not only how to pair them with your favourite foods, but how to dehydrate and dry your home grown savoury delights to extend their season.
We be Jammin’
Now is the time to preserve those sweet little berries while they’re in season. Join us for a night of making home-made jam as we learn the fundamentals of turning beautiful berries into a sweet treat that you’ll be proud to serve.
Peas be Mine
Your favourite vegetables are at Your Farm Market and it’s time to start capturing those fresh, juicy flavours for the freezer. Learn how to prepare sweet peas and green beans before they are blanched to hold their brilliant colours.
It’s a Big Dill
From gherkins to bread and butter, a jar of homemade pickles is a delight to enjoy all year round, but now is the time to pack those crunchy little pickles away. Tonight, we’ll take on a simple yet delish recipe for DILL pickles. Get your garlic on!
Relish the Season
Zucchini, cucumber, and corn are just a few of the affordable July vegetables that can be turned into a homemade accompaniment for grilled sausage, burgers, and hot dogs that last well beyond the outdoor grilling season. Too many zucchini? Let’s turn those surplus zucchini into a tasty relish.
Salsa
After this class, people will want your salsa recipe! Find out what kind of tomatoes to use in salsa and how to select and prepare peppers for just the right amount of heat.
Apple Sauce
It was Matt Damon who made this phrase famous in the movie, Good Will Hunting, but in this final preserving class of the season you’ll learn all about them apples and which variety is best for eating, baking, juicing, canning, and saucing.
From Our Students
I loved how easy it was to ask questions of the chef as we worked throughout the evening. I learned so much and can’t wait to get canning again at home.
I had no idea you could freeze asparagus and that it is so easy to use in soups and sauces. I’ll be filling my freezer with local veggies this summer.
It was such a fun evening for my teenage daughter and I to experience together. It was fun to see how excited she got at her new found success in the kitchen. The simple techniques we learned will make it so much fun to cook together at home.
We are so excited to see the old schoolhouse being used for classes in our town. We’ve taken classes with Chef Zehr before and we will be regulars at this new facility!
Address
5183 Trussler Rd, Ayr, Ontario. N0B 1E0
Phone
226-228-8283