February 21, 2011

Viking Cooking School Opens in Litchfield, Connecticut

Robert Doyle READ TIME: 3 MIN.

LITCHFIELD HILLS, CT - February 2011 - Savor the mouth-watering aromas of bubbling bolognese, melting butter, roasting vegetables, fish and herbs wafting through the new state-of-the-art Viking kitchen at Winvian. This delicious experience will take place at the new Viking Cooking School at Winvian, the AAA Ten Diamond resort in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. The Cooking School will launch in spring 2011.

The school includes a classic two-hour introduction class on mastering savory pasta dishes or delicious pastries and treats as well as more in-depth, longer courses, The Viking Cooking School at Winvian offers a class option for visiting guests and locals alike. Dishes will evoke the feeling of a cozy French bistro, Italian trattoria or a friend's vacation home in Provence. Guests will cook with herbs, salad greens and vegetables from Winvian's garden and with seafood and game sourced as locally as possible.

"We want guests at Winvian to relish in relaxation and experience the exceptional food and accommodations. The Cooking School will teach special dishes that can easily be made by the home cook and taken home as a token of their experience at Winvian," said Maggie Smith, proprietor of Winvian.

Executive Chef Chris Eddy, who helped earn Winvian's restaurant the AAA Five Diamond award, the only new USA restaurant to achieve this honor in 2011, will lead all classes. Pastry Chef Gilles Ballay will oversee the pastry sessions.

  • WINVIAN CLASSIC CLASSES, two hours in length each weekend, will be offered on an on-going basis throughout the year, ideal for guests and locals. Students will learn how to liven up classic Italian recipes in the Pasta Classic Class and how to make just-flown-in-from-Paris-treats in the Pastry Classic Class.

  • WINVIAN�S THREE-DAY CLASSES, 15 hours of instruction, will be a great option for ladies� getaways, couples looking to reconnect, or groups of friends. The Wednesday-Friday class will be offered during select weeks throughout the year, with the days devoted to stocks, soups, and sauces, basic French techniques, and protein preparation. Spa treatments may be woven in before and after classes to pamper these aspiring chefs.

  • THE WINVIAN INTENSIVE COOKING SCHOOL will offer six 8-hour days of instruction over a six week period on consecutive Wednesdays in March and April and again in November through mid-December. This is another great opportunity for locals wanting to really hone their culinary skills. The schedule offers in-depth teaching of classic French cooking techniques, concentrating on salads & eggs, hearty soups and stocks, basics of vegetable cooking and bread, classical cooking methods for fish, preparation of poultry dishes, and preparation of red meat dishes.

    The gleaming, state-of-the-art Viking kitchen features 550 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 12 students. State-of-the-art Viking appliances will provide aspiring chefs the opportunity to sample one of the culinary industry's premier equipment.

    Winvian, the private and whimsical AAA Ten Diamond retreat - the property also received Five Diamonds for its accommodations - ideally located just two hours from NYC, houses 18 luxe cottages and one suite on 113 acres of meadows and woodlands.

    Nightly rates at Winvian start from $650 for two a la carte (breakfast included) and from $1,250 for two all-inclusive (full breakfast, room service, lunch, picnics, spa snacks, afternoon tea, cocktails, dinner, after dinner petit-fours). A 13% gratuity and 9% CT State tax will be added per night to the room rate. The entire property is available for special celebrations and lavish weddings with rates upon request.

    For additional information on the Viking Cooking School at Winvian and class schedules, or to book reservations, please visit www.winvian.com or call 860-567-9600.

    by Robert Doyle

    Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.

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