Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Getting a Taste for the Finer Things with Our Food and Wine Courses

PCC Community Ed

Portland offers nearly every kind of cuisine and wine from all over the world. Even if you don’t know a lot about the foods, you can still be adventurous and try many kinds of cooking a try. What many people discover, however, is that an understanding of how great food and wine are develops your appreciation for it.

Most people eat several meals a day, but taking a full moment to enjoy all the complexity and flavor of a food can elevate a daily experience into a cherished memory. Learning more about food and wine:

• Helps you appreciate the care with which food and wine are grown, produced, and prepared.
• Gives insight into which elements dish change a dish’s flavor and how to order or cook with greater attunement to your own palate.
• Boosts conversation and appreciation potential when sharing food and wine with friends.

Portland Community College offers a variety of food and wine appreciation courses that combine a fun classroom experience with the above benefits. These courses can be great for hobby bakers, chefs, or wine enthusiasts. They can also be a boost for anyone working in a hospitality role where an understanding of food or wine can help with customer interactions and satisfaction.

Here are a few courses in the PCC rotation that you can use to eat, drink, and be merry while learning at the same time.

Persian Cuisine

This five-week course helps you understand the overall flavor profile of many Persian dishes while getting to try cooking techniques and discover your own favorite recipes. The rich history of Persian cuisine helps make the flavors even more interesting and fun, and with this many recipes under your belt, you’ll be ready to prepare excellent dishes for friends and family while sharing all that you’ve learned about the cultural roots of the food while you enjoy sumptuous meals prepared the authentic Persian way.

Unique Australian Wine

This 90-minute remote class begins with a fun pick-up of bottle samples of excellent, intricately produced Australian wine. The course, which would be perfect to take with a group during or after a dinner party, teaches you about how to go more in-depth with Australian wines than just the mega-producers you’ve already heard of. Learning about how Australian winemakers overcome the environmental challenges of drought, fire, and excessive heat just makes the wine taste even sweeter.

Great British Baking Class: Signature Desserts

This three-week class gives you a taste of the excitement of the Great British Baking Show without the pressure or the need for perfection! Instead, learn about the kinds of extravagant desserts that you may have only ever seen before on TV, and bake between classes with the opportunity to share and learn during each of the remote video class sessions. You’ll be encouraged to master the basics and then develop your own signature dessert, bringing both your appreciation for great baking and your own creativity together for a flavor that you’re sure to like.

Tea Time: Traveling the Silk Road

Tea has been enjoyed for thousands of years, comes in many varieties, and many brewing techniques. In this two-hour remote course, learn what the benefits of tea are, how to brew loose tea, and how to understand the many different varieties you’ll find in a good tea shop. If you’ve never been a tea fan and are now trying to cut down on coffee or boost your afternoon tea time enjoyment, this class is sure to bring you lots of interesting tidbits to consider while also helping you find the exact tea drink that fits your personality and palate.

Plant-Based  Baking Series

People consider incorporating plant-based baking into their diets for many reasons, from falling in love with a partner who is vegetarian or vegan, to health-related reasons or environmental sustainability goals. No matter why you want to dive into the nutrition and flavors behind great plant-based baking, this 2-hour remote class gives you both a cook-along format to make a meal while also informing you about how plant-based baking can be healthy and delicious.

Ready to Drink Deep of Life? Take a Food and Drink Class Today

PCC has created an in-depth suite of culinary appreciation classes that offer all the benefits of cooking or partaking alongside the instructor but from the flexible comfort of your home in our hybrid models. People who choose to take food and drink courses receive so much more than just a great meal or two – they get to drink deep of what makes life so exquisite, all while preparing themselves to be a great dinner guest or vacation companion in the future with friends who also love to learn.