Ger-Nis gift certificates are a perfect gift for your foodie friends and family! More and more people understand that cooking your own food is healthier, greener and more fun, and what better way to embrace the shift than to become a better magician in the kitchen? A Cooking Class Gift Certificate can be redeemed for any future cooking class that still has space available. It’s the perfect gift for the food lovers in your life!

This January kicks off our first Sunday Supper Club event!

It’s the new way to spend Sunday night– adorn yourself in your most dashing attire and indulge in a sensuous evening of food, wine, music and art at the Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center Sunday Night Supper Club.

“Sundays just got a whole lot sexier!”

The supper club, happening once a season is by invitation only and available to a small gathering of 35 guests, featuring:
- A local chef, who will prepare a decadent, nonpareil multi-course menu with wine pairings
- Live jazz peppering the air
- Seasonal and worldly inspired libations produced in-house and, of course, beer and wine
- Art auction raffle
- Each event will highlight products from local, organic, sustainable, and fair-trade farmers, artisans, and purveyors to show support for the community

Meet this Winter’s Chef…Jacques Gautier of Palo Santo
The inaugural and sultry Latin themed Supper Club guarantees to set aglow the thick of winter with an intimate and warm evening of fierce, dynamic foods prepared by Local Chef Jacques Gautier of Palo Santo in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Our spacious kitchen forms an idyllic aperture for viewing Chef Gautier as he creates a disdainfully delicious, Latin-inspired 4-course meal- his specialty.

A Sneak Peak At The Menu
Amuse-bouche:
Handmade Corn Tortillas/Avocado/Pickled Jalapeños
1st course:
Ceviche/Shellfish/Leche de Tigre/Seaweed/Fried Plantains
Wine: Valdivieso NV Brut, Chile
2nd course:
Seared Tuna/Peanut/Coconut Milk
Wine: Viñedo de los Vientos, Uruguay
3rd course:
Pork Belly/Chimichurri/Swiss Chard/Gigante Beans
Wine: Zuccardi Tempranillo, Argentina

Latin Inspired Jazz with Dan Aran Trio
Aran’s music has made waves that bound from one coast to another, leaving reviews in his wake with winding phrases like, “the subtle textures and tone colors,” “lonely bassoon,” and “loping, unorthodox two-chord vamp” in reference to his music. He’s from Jerusalem and has been living in New York since 2001. You can call him a lifetime musician. Eat, drink, and converse with this unique jazz style.

Latin Art Auction
Within the four walls of Ger-Nis we love supporting local artists and for this Latin themed art auction we will raffle off an exceptionally beautiful canvas (4’x4’) by Jennifer Pierson entitled “Day of the Dead.” Pierson, a noted painter for her use of organic shapes and rich, natural hues, proudly hangs on the walls of Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center and is our resident food artist.

We’ve Got the Goods and the Connections
Ingredients making possible tonight’s offerings are sourced from our Latin American growers and farmers including Fairtrasa; organic and fair-trade avocados from Uruapan, Mexico; organic ginger from the Peruvian Amazon rainforest in the Andes range; and organic and fair-trade mangos from Chiclayo to Piura, Peru. We will also feature local sustainable meats and seafood.

At the Bar…
We’re reinventing traditional Latin cocktails like the Puta de Mayo of Mexico using house-infused mezcals and mixing up drinks like the Pisco Sour of Peru and the Macuá of Nicaragua. We’ll also be offering biodynamic, sustainable wines and beers from the Latin American region.

Classes take place on February 1st & 15th and March 1st, 8th & 29th from 6-9pm

Once again, Ger-Nis is proud to offer a series of classes that delve into the culture and food of another land that excites foodies everywhere. As we leave the borough of Brooklyn (well, not really) we arrive in the exotic landscapes of India. There are so many remarkable qualities to discover in this country filled with unique characters and personas. From the religious values to the yogis, to the food vendors and children playing in the streets, there is so much of the culture to soak up we can’t begin to convey the immense pleasures India has to offer.

With the help of Suvir Saran, renowned cookbook author, culinary instructor, and working chef, our journey begins through Northern and Southern India, at the foundation of Indian cuisine, wonderful aromatics experienced in the herbs and spices, that which perfumes all Indian dishes, giving them their distinct nature.

As we move along our food-ridden trail, we progress to Indian bread, and, with so many varieties to choose from, it’s tough to have a clue which types you could make at home. That’s where Ger-Nis steps in by providing recipes that any home cook can build upon with absolute confidence.

Anyone who has ever walked the streets of Delhi or Mumbai knows that no stroll is complete without a stop at one of the many food vendors hawking tempting plates of savory, spicy snacks smothered in tangy chutneys and cooling yogurt. We will show you how to re-create these mouthwatering delicacies under your own roof.

It is almost impossible to cover everything that India has to offer, but we can cast a wide enough net for you to grasp a small portion of what makes India. Another night we’ll cover whole grains, be it lentils, rice or beans, essential components in Indian cuisine, delving into the simplicity that lies in these dishes and how they satisfy vegetarians and meat lovers alike.

Indian cuisine keeps a huge hand in the vegetable jar, and, of course, the series will include a class based specifically on this cuisine. We’ll explore the creative side of vegetarianism, crafting layers of flavor using fresh ingredients way beyond the limitations of imitation meat!

Let Ger-Nis and Suvir Saran guide you as we discover the vast culinary landscape of India together!

Suvir Saran

Cookbook author, culinary instructor and working chef, Suvir Saran is a respected food authority at age 35, making great contributions to furthering appreciation of Indian food in America. He has been featured in many publications such as Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking, and Travel & Leisure, and has many Television and radio appearances on The Food Network, “Next Iron Chef”, “The Martha Stewart Show,” and NBC “Today” show. He is the author of two cookbooks, Indian Home Cooking and American Masala and the owner of two restaurants in the Tri-state area, Devi in Manhattan and American Masala in Jersey City, NJ.

When he is not on the road teaching and learning, Saran enjoys working on his 68-acre American Masala Farm in upstate New York. http://www.suvir.com/
Contact Suvir

Tina DeGraff

Six years ago, Suvir and Tina met. Suvir was about to publish his first cookbook, Indian Home Cooking and Tina DeGraff was assigned to be his book publicist and quickly learned of his overwhelming talent, perseverance and generous spirit. They immediately hit it off and now she joins him in teaching a class at Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb, where she is the manager. After leaving cookbook publishing for her own food dreams, she enrolled in the culinary program at the Institute of Culinary Education and began her career working at Michelin star restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with notable restaurants in Washington DC. She has honed her skills working with highly acclaimed chefs in fine dining kitchens, both in savory and pastry. Deciding to step out of the fast paced kitchen culture, she now brings her talents to the classroom setting, teaching about healthy eating and mindful thinking when it comes to our diets. The kitchen is her favorite place to be besides lounging on the beach. When Tina isn’t cooking, she enjoys being in the outdoors, biking, running or hiking. Contact Tina

Do you ever want to sneak more greens into your diet? With this class, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to do! Dark winter greens sometimes get a bad reputation because of their bitter and pungent flavor—but with the right additional ingredients, like acid and sweet and salty components; you can achieve a nice balance of taste. From choosing greens for salads to sautéing, storing and cleaning these veggies, this class is meant to provide all the necessary tools, so afterwards, you can go to your grocer or famer’s market armed with confidence. You’ll discover that in the case of escarole, the dark leaves are bitter, but the pale heart is succulent and bittersweet. Alternately, in kale’s coldest months, it is most abundant and flavorful, learning to choose the deep-colored bunches with most, small to medium leaves. We’ll keep swiss chard’s secrets until you get here, and then we’ll spill the beans! Let’s celebrate the dark side this winter by introducing these beautiful greens into our everyday meals.

Recipes:Swiss Chard & Red Onion Quiche; Kale & White Bean Soup; Farroto with Sausage & Kale; Sautéed Escarole with Caramelized Onions Grilled Cheese; Escarole & Apple Salad with Candied Pecans and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Class Type: Series, hands-on cooking class

Class Notes: Learn to incorporate more delicious seasonal greens in your dishes!

Orianne Cosentino

As a New York native, Orianne has always been surrounded by a city full of multi-cultural cuisine. Perhaps early exposure to exotic eating sparked the inspiration to travel and world travel, in turn, inspired the artist-turned-chef to bring home souvenirs of authentic recipes in place of snapshots. Working in kitchens of New York and California, assisting chefs in France, Mexico and Greece, (and being a ‘professional culinary tourist’ in countless places) Orianne has built up her resume and a store of international kitchen secrets. A graduate of Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health, she is a firm supporter of the philosophy that good quality food promotes a good quality life, and has found this to be prominent the world over.Contact Orianne

Our “What’s In Season” series is designed to familiarize you with what produce makes itself available throughout each season intimately embracing everything composing the cabbage from how to choose, store, different varieties, and, most obviously, how to cook the cabbage. This time around we’re diving into the flowering realm of cabbage. Quite frequently cabbage is overlooked in the grocer’s aisle due to its tough nature and pungent aroma, but, rather than get deterred by its distinctness, we believe in embracing its uniqueness and diversity. In this class you’ll discover why cabbage blooms in winter and varietals such as savoy, bok choy, and napa, how it’s harvested, stored, and used across the world, and some easy methods of incorporating it in your cooking. The possibilities of use are endless, with cabbage being consumed raw, cooked, and preserved worldwide in dishes beyond cole slaw. Cultures all over the world have a favored tradition for its use, and we’ll see and experience these differences. Tonight, let’s give cabbage the attention it deserves while we put some new cabbage tricks up our sleeves.

Recipes:Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls; Asian Braised Baby Bok Choy; Spicy Kimchi; Crunchy Napa Cabbage Salad with Horseradish Buttermilk Dressing; Boiled Sausage & Green Cabbage with Spicy Mustard & Pickled Onions; Braised Savoy & White Beans

Class Type: Series, hands-on cooking class

Class Notes: Learn what to do with cabbage beyond cole slaw!

Nissa Pierson

Managing Director of Ger-Nis International, Nissa Pierson, is the utmost of food enthusiast in the kitchen, and she loves a good cabbage dish using the fresh seasonal varieties winter has to offer. In addition to traveling the world seeking organic & fair-trade conversation for her business, she is a noted cooking instructor specializing in fresh herbs as well as an extremist in proving that the art of eating and cooking well is a relatively simple process, incorporating produce found anytime of the year. Besides being a passionate teacher of fresh herbs, organics and Fair-trade, she enjoys spice (in her food and in her life), good conversation and debates, kickboxing, the ocean and surfing, and submersing herself in the food and culture of the world. Contact Nissa

Ger-Nis Culinary and Herb Center and EatingVine is proud to offer this exciting tasting event with Chef Gabe McMackin of Roberta’s in Bushwick and Moët Hennessy USA. Tonight they have created somewhat of a treasure map of a tasting menu for us to savor tonight with champagne leading our way as our loyal guide to a paradise full of decadent food and champagne gems. Pairing champagne with a meal lightens the palate and provides that sparkling sensation life is made of. Believe it or not, even when the earth is cold and dry, you can still eat amazing seasonal produce, and tonight Chef McMackin has created a menu that demonstrates how to cook year-round with what is available at the markets.

We’re transferring a bit of the dream world into reality as highly experienced and well-adored Chef McMackin divulges expert culinary tips, secrets, and techniques and discusses how to pair the perfect champagne with a variety of delicious foods. Champagne doesn’t have to be reserved for the rich and famous or for special occasions. What Wednesday wouldn’t love to be enlivened with the pop of a cork and a glass or two? This sparkling wine also has surprising versatility with an elegant and tasty nose, complex, yet delicate and is able to withstand many food pairings. You can enjoy an intimate dinner among friends old and new learning about food and champagne straight from the source as we carry the torch deeper into the tunnel of the New Year in the comfort of Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center.

If you ever had the urge to peek inside of a restaurant kitchen but didn’t feel so comfortable asking for a tour, then cease this opportunity. Get to know Chef McMackin as he prepares this 5-course seasonal tasting menu that is sure to release endorphins. The leader in luxury, Moët Hennessey USA will guide the top off the menu, showcasing champagnes from five different houses, all with unique characteristics and flavors, some complex. Tonight, you will learn that champagne is more than just about toasting on New Year’s Eve! Keep celebrating the beginnings of the New Year at a great price where opulence meets comfort. Let’s sip on champagne and reflect on what the coming year has on hand with us at Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center and EatingVine.

Menu:Velvety Cauliflower Soup with American Paddlefish Roe
Crunchy Celery Root Salad with Luscious Welfleet Oysters and Micro Celery
Brook Trout, Fennel, Black Grapes, Champagne
Short Ribs, Fingerling Potatoes, Tuscan Kale
Quince Tart, Cinnamon Ice Cream, and Whiskey Caramel

Class Type: Local Chef, demonstration & tasting event

Class Notes: Leave with the Champagne know how from Champagne’s finest, Moët Hennessey USA!

EatingVine

The brainchild of Contemporary Art Advisor Nilani Trent, EatingVine was founded in 2009, after Trent married into a restaurant family with a vast knowledge of wines, and an extensive wine cellar. As a New York newlywed, she began entertaining at home, and quickly realized that there were few websites at her disposal that could adequately pair her recipes with appropriate wines. The more Trent searched, the more she realized that there was a need for an online site that could take the guesswork and anxiety out of pairing food and wine. With that objective in mind, EatingVine was born. Today, EatingVine has an inventory of more than 22,000 wines, and a recipe inventory that ranges from soup to nuts, and lays to rest the age old question of which wine to serve with what. EatingVine is a new food and wine social network focused on recipe sharing and wine pairing. EatingVine is the first food and wine website that pairs your recipes with wines in your price range.

Gabe McMackin

Chef Gabe McMackin has been working in the food industry for years, working at Blue Hill, at Stone Barns, and as the corporate chef at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Today he can be found cooking behind the stove at the critically acclaimed Roberta’s in Bushwick. He is also a part of the organization of Past, Present, and Future of Food in Bushwick dissecting the transformation of Bushwick as a major food cultivation center to the industry-ridden mire it is today. His “about” diddy on his blog reads, “Hi, there. I’m Gabe. I make food, and eat it.” You can say he’s modest, too.

Moët Hennessey USA

Moët Hennessy USA is the leading importer and marketer of luxury wines and spirits in the U.S. The Moët Hennessy portfolio includes renowned brands such as: Hennessy Cognac; Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart champagnes; Belvedere vodka; 10 Cane Rum; Grand Marnier; Glenmorangie and Ardbeg single malt Scotch whiskies; and fine wines, including Chateau d’Yquem, Cheval des Andes, Green Point, Terrazas de Los Andes, Cape Mentelle, Cloudy Bay, Newton Vineyard and Domaine Chandon California sparkling among others. Moët Hennessy has a strong consumer focus with an uncompromising commitment to building luxury brands.

You can say pasta makes the kitchen world go round, but, chances are, most of you have yet to learn how to make it from scratch. It’s a chef’s greatest canvas, eagerly awaiting a delicious sauce to blanket its smooth and ready exterior. Rafi Hasid of Miriam Restaurant is graciously lending his pasta making skills to guide you in the right direction after years of enthusiastic experience making fresh pasta. Rafi will walk students through each step of making fresh pastas using easy flour and egg pasta dough recipes, kneading techniques that yield different results, and preparing pasta sauces that perfectly complement the different pasta varieties. After learning these skills, your technique will never disappoint friends and relatives alike. Twist and shout and let it all out, making your own pasta also helps save money- alleluia! Let’s sensationalize… ourselves by experimenting with flavors mild and bold and textures strange and not so by using new ingredients for innovative results. Get your noodle going at Ger-Nis!

Recipes:Seafood Fusilli and Creamy Lobster Sauce with Shaved Fennel and Lemon Salad; Whole Wheat Rigatoni and Vegetables in a Ginger, Soy and Honey Sauce; Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Class Type: Local chef, hands-on cooking class

Class Notes: Learn to prepare pasta from scratch and what sauces to accompany them!

Rafi Hasid

Co-owner & Executive Chef, Rafael Hasid, better known to his customers and friends as “Rafi,” is a native Israeli and now a Brooklyn, New York transplant for over 11 years. A graduate of The French Culinary Institute and a former chef of Le Père Pinard (NYC) and kitchen chef at Yamamoto’s, Rafi has opened up two restaurants in Brooklyn – Hill Diner in Cobble Hill and Miriam Restaurant in Park Slope. In his spare time, Rafi travels, exploring new food frontiers and finding culinary inspiration for his “Biblical Feast” menu. Contact Rafi

A life without nuts is pretty bleak for fanatics both established or soon to be. The earthy wonder of a hazelnut tree or seeing acorns fall to the ground during autumn in Brooklyn or the rare wonder of pine nuts loosely scattered provides a romantic sort of perspective on the role nuts play in nature and our lives. In this class, we’ll be exploring all of the varieties of nuts, discussing how they grow and what their origins are, weaving from the sweet to the savory, from the light snack to the exotic addition to any meal. Nuts provide us with healthy fats and proteins, which are essential to a well-rounded diet. For this reason, they make an excellent addition to vegetarian diets, filling in the gaps with the absence of meat creates. We will be preparing some simple dishes, evaluating the elements nuts provide to this meal, and enjoy our bounty! Come on- let’s get nuts for nuts together.

Recipes:Sweet & Spicy Ginger Cashews; Cranberry Sage Pecan Pesto Butternut Squash & Lentil Salad ; Spicy Chicken Couscous; Rosemary Pine Nut Tart; Caramel & Chestnut Ice Cream with Grapes

Class Type: Individual, hands-on cooking class

Class Notes: Get to taste the many varieties of nuts

Nissa Pierson

Managing Director of Ger-Nis International, Nissa Pierson, is the utmost of food enthusiast in the kitchen, and she loves a good cabbage dish using the fresh seasonal varieties winter has to offer. In addition to traveling the world seeking organic & fair-trade conversation for her business, she is a noted cooking instructor specializing in fresh herbs as well as an extremist in proving that the art of eating and cooking well is a relatively simple process, incorporating produce found anytime of the year. Besides being a passionate teacher of fresh herbs, organics and Fair-trade, she enjoys spice (in her food and in her life), good conversation and debates, kickboxing, the ocean and surfing, and submersing herself in the food and culture of the world. Contact Nissa

Just in time to keep your New Year’s pact to stay fit and eat healthy comes our special edition class of seasonal herbal desserts where we focus on healthy ways to indulge, bringing seasonal, herbal dessert options to our cooking repertoire. Herbal desserts provide us with key nutrients and flavors gifted by the earth. We will learn about natural sweeteners and the use of herbs in sweets as an alternative to hazardous ingredients found in many desserts nagging at our sweet teeth in the grocery aisle. We’ll be using the natural flavors of fresh herbs as the healthy, low-fat-but-high-in-flavor route to extract the decadent notes in our produce and spices. You’ll get familiar with tools used to whip, blend, and bake, as well as learn how or improve your style of chopping, snipping, and crushing herbs. You’ll come away having intimate favorite fresh herbs by the end of the night, being secure in your ability to make decadent desserts lighter and healthier!

Recipes:Winter Herb Citrus Granita Yogurt; Lavender & Honey Roasted Figs; Light Mint Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Drizzle and Chocolate-Mint Leaves; Tarragon & Cardamom Poached Pears with Frothed Rose Water Milk and Pistachios; Caramelized Apple Buckwheat Crepes with Light Rosemary Cream

Class Type: Series, hands-on cooking class

Class Notes: Students leave with a handful of fresh herbs!

Nissa Pierson

You won’t find someone as knowledgeable and enthusiastic about fresh herbs than Managing Director of Ger-Nis International, Nissa Pierson. She delights in using herbs in innovative ways as a beautiful flavor enhancer to any dish, including desserts! In addition to traveling the world seeking organic & fair-trade conversation for her business, she is a noted cooking instructor specializing in fresh herbs as well as an extremist in proving that the art of eating and cooking well is a relatively simple process and just takes enthusiasm and some tidbits of knowledge. Besides being a passionate teacher of fresh herbs, organics and fair-trade, she enjoys spice (in her food and in her life), good conversation and debates, kickboxing, the ocean and surfing, and submersing herself in the food and culture of the world. Contact Nissa