For ages 18 & up

Chef Steve McHugh is on a mission to help people cut down on food waste through the curing and preserving processes and to enhance your everyday meals with the results. This six-time James Beard Award nominee and San Antonio chef and restaurateur was transformed after battling lymphoma when he was just thirty-three and came through that experience wanting to prolong moments of joy in everyday life. That philosophy extends to how he approaches food and cooking: by sourcing the best ingredients when they are at their peak and then curing them to enjoy later. So let this expert show you how to access this arsenal of flavor - whether it's going all out by making your own preserves from scratch or using store-bought preserved ingredients to amp up the flavors in your daily cooking.

As you sit back and relax and enjoy samples, you'll learn a little about the benefits of curing and pick up tips on techniques as the Chef shows you how to make the base recipe and then creates a dish highlighting those ingredients.

For ages 18 & up. 21 or older? You'll enjoy a glass of wine to complement your meal.

Cured: Cooking with Ferments, Pickles, Preserves & More will be available for sale before and after class. Chef McHugh will be available to personalize books purchased at Central Market.

• Technique: Vinaigrette

  • Grilled Eggplant with Vinaigrette & Fresh Herbs

• Technique: Freezer Yeast Dough

  • Grissini

• Technique: Chicken Stock, Tomato Sauce, Pesto

  • Pesto & Ricotta-stuffed Shells with Tomato Sauce

• Technique: Oven-dried Produce

  • Upside Down Cake with Dried Fruit

Safety & Precautions

• At check-in, you will be asked to sign a waiver before entering the Cooking School.

• For that reason, we ask that all attendees arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the confirmed start time of the class.

For more information about our classes, please click on the links below:

Find FAQs about our in-store classes here.

Find FAQs about your private classes here.