Cooking Classes

Community Food Co-op partners with Whatcom Community College to connect you and other home cooks with expert cooking instructors, restauranteurs, and professional chefs. Find the class that’s right for you below.

A New Perspective on Home Cooking

Our diverse instructors bring with them culinary traditions from around the world. Each class expands your skill set and shows you what’s possible with the right techniques and fresh ingredients.

Apr 28

Polish Dumplings: Making Pierogies by Hand

Magdalena Theisen

Polish Dumplings: Making Pierogies by Hand

Demo

Magdalena Theisen

Tuesday, April 28

6:30-9 p.m. | $89

Master authentic Eastern European pierogi with Magdalena Theisen, owner of Magdalena’s Bistro and Creperie. Create classic potato and farmer’s cheese varieties alongside pierogis made with seasonal produce — all from scratch. Learn shaping techniques and cooking methods for perfect dumplings every time. Class ends with a delicious pierogi dinner! Part hands-on, part

Apr 30

Healing Meals: Balancing Blood Sugar

Ali Segersten

Healing Meals: Balancing Blood Sugar

Demo

Ali Segersten

Thursday, April 30

6:30-9 p.m. | $89

Learn to balance blood sugar naturally in part two of this three-part anti-inflammatory cooking series (can be taken individually). Chronically elevated blood sugar triggers inflammation, leading to brain fog, fatigue, slow healing, and sleep disturbances. Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, founder of NourishingMeals.com, will share practical techniques for achieving stable energy and reducing inflammation throughout your day. She’ll demonstrate how easy it is to create blood sugar-balancing breakfast and lunch recipes, including Chicken Turmeric Vegetable Breakfast Hash, Berry-Cabbage Smoothie, simple Make-Ahead Lunch Jars, and more. Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, sugar-free.

May 1

Elevate Your Plant-Based Cooking

Chris Wilson

Elevate Your Plant-Based Cooking

Demo

Chris Wilson

Friday, May 1

6:30-9 p.m. | $89

Learn to make healthy and delicious plant-based fare with Chris Wilson, head chef and owner of Plantage — a Bellingham meal-subscription service. She’ll prepare a four-course vegan meal that will leave guests asking for more. Begin with an Herbed Cheese Ball rolled in nuts and served with homemade Five-Seed Crackers. Move to Not-Crab Cakes — delicate pan-fried cakes of mashed garbanzo beans and artichoke hearts with Cajun seasoning, served with remoulade and spring greens. Finish with Black Bean Brownies drizzled in Salted Caramel Sauce.

May 5

Beyond Miso Soup: Making a Fermented Umami Powerhouse

Gabe Garms

Beyond Miso Soup: Making a Fermented Umami Powerhouse

Demo

Gabe Garms

Tuesday, May 5

6:30-9 p.m. | $79

Unlock miso’s versatility with Gabe Garms, founder of Creative Koji — makers of unique, artisanal miso using local ingredients. Gabe shares 15 years of dedication to fermentation, illustrating how to make your own Black Bean Miso to ferment at home. You’ll learn miso’s history, nutritional benefits, and how it’s used in cuisines around the world. Create umami-rich sauces, dressings, and marinades, and experience tastes that transform everyday cooking. Leave with your miso ferment, recipes, and inspiration.

May 6

Hawaiian Luau at Home

Robert Fong

Hawaiian Luau at Home

Demo

Robert Fong

Wednesday, May 6

6:30-9 p.m. | $89

Bring the islands to your kitchen with traditional Hawaiian cooking techniques. Watch Chef Robert prepare Oven-Roasted Kalua Pig — pork shoulder seasoned with Hawaiian alaea salt, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow cooked until tender enough to shred. Learn how to assemble Lomi Lomi Salmon, prepare authentic Albacore Chili Pepper Poke, and craft creamy Haupia Coconut Pudding. A longtime Co-op instructor and former Bellingham restaurateur, Chef Robert shares methods passed down through generations of island cooks.

May 7

Romanian Cabbage Rolls & Perfect Polish Gnocchi

Magdalena Theisen

Romanian Cabbage Rolls & Perfect Polish Gnocchi

Demo

Magdalena Theisen

Thursday, May 7

6:30-9 p.m. | $89

Journey through Eastern Europe with Magdalena Theisen of Magdalena’s Bistro and Creperie as she shares two cherished family recipes passed down through generations. Learn the proper rolling technique to create Romanian Sarmale — tender cabbage leaves wrapped tightly around seasoned meat and rice, slowly simmered with tangy sauerkraut, smoky bacon, and kielbasa for a medley of flavor. Then discover the secret to fluffy, never-gummy Polish Silesian Gnocchi (Kluski Sląskie) — delicate potato dumplings with a signature thumb-dimple that catches sauce beautifully.

May 12

Wild Fermented Breads: Sourdough & Salt-Risen

Genevieve Bardwell

Wild Fermented Breads: Sourdough & Salt-Risen

Demo

Genevieve Bardwell

Tuesday, May 12

6:30-9 p.m. | $79

Explore two heritage bread traditions with Genevieve Bardwell, the nation’s leading salt-rising expert and owner of West Virginia’s Rising Creek Bakery. Learn the secrets of sourdough, which uses wild yeast, and salt-rising bread — an Appalachian invention from the 1700s that uses wild bacteria instead. See how a master kneads dough to create the perfect texture, tricks for crispy crusts, and the three-stage salt-rising process. Leave with 1890s Cripple Creek sourdough starter, mini sourdough loaves to bake at home, mini salt-rising bread loaves, and recipes.

May 14

Spring Farm-to-Table Dinner

Matthew Boudousquie

Spring Farm-to-Table Dinner

Demo

Matthew Boudousquie

Thursday, May 14

6:30-9 p.m. | $89

Celebrate spring with a vibrant farm-to-table menu highlighting the freshest Pacific Northwest ingredients. We’ll begin with a trip across the street to the Co-op to get the items that will be cooked in class. Chef Matthew will then prepare seasonal dishes that showcase bright herbs and tender vegetables while sharing tips for selecting seasonal produce, balancing acidity, and creating restaurant-quality flavors. Through years of restaurant work in Bellingham and on Orcas Island, Chef Matthew has built relationships with local farmers and fishers who shape his seasonal cooking.

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Our Classroom

The Co-op Connections classroom, located at 405 E. Holly St. #103 across from our Downtown store, features a fully equipped instructional kitchen designed for both hands-on classes and demonstrations. Professional cameras and audio ensure every student can clearly see techniques and actively engage with instructors.

Directions

Cooking Classes

A New Perspective on Home Cooking

Polish Dumplings: Making Pierogies by Hand

Polish Dumplings: Making Pierogies by Hand

Healing Meals: Balancing Blood Sugar

Healing Meals: Balancing Blood Sugar

Elevate Your Plant-Based Cooking

Elevate Your Plant-Based Cooking

Beyond Miso Soup: Making a Fermented Umami Powerhouse

Beyond Miso Soup: Making a Fermented Umami Powerhouse

Hawaiian Luau at Home

Hawaiian Luau at Home

Romanian Cabbage Rolls & Perfect Polish Gnocchi

Romanian Cabbage Rolls & Perfect Polish Gnocchi

Wild Fermented Breads: Sourdough & Salt-Risen

Wild Fermented Breads: Sourdough & Salt-Risen

Spring Farm-to-Table Dinner

Spring Farm-to-Table Dinner

Our Classroom

What Our Students Say

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