A Six-Pack of Learning Opportunities on the Culinary Calendar This Week

Last Friday we said goodbye to 2015, and this week there are plenty of opportunities to start the new year off on the right food, er, foot by learning more about cooking and enjoying the right dishes and drinks, including a four-pack of bubbles at Rioja. Keep reading for a taste of what's on the culinary calendar.

Monday, January 4 

Today is National Spaghetti Day, and you can celebrate with a free bowl of spaghetti from Noodles & Company. To claim your free bowl, head over to the Noodles & Company Facebook page, download the offer, and you'll get a free small bowl with the purchase of any regular entree.  

Cook Street School of Culinary Arts will be leading a class on cooking dishes from the Bordeaux region of France — and pairing them with wines — from 6 to 9:30 p.m. today. The class includes dinner and three wines from Bordeaux, for $99 per person; learn more at cookstreet.com.  

Tuesday, January 5 

Rioja relaunches its Sips and Snacks series at 5 p.m. today. Diners can stop by the bar every Tuesday from today through February 2 and enjoy four tastes of wine or spirits paired with four snacks — for just $15. Today the theme will be Global Bubbles, and you can sample champagne, cava, prosecco and more. For more information, call Rioja at 303-820-2282.  

Wednesday, January 6

Aurora's Kitchen on the Green will be holding a Mexican cooking class from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. today. Students will learn how to whip up homemade tortillas, quesadillas, sopapillas, burritos, green chile pork, guacamole, re-fried beans and more, and also discover the best way to roast chiles. The class is $64, or $49 for Aurora residents. For more information, click here. 

Thursday, January 7

Learn how to make feta and queso at The Art of Cheese at Haystack Mountain Goat Creamery from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today. Students will be taught how to create Haystack's “dry-salted” recipe that won Reserve Champion ribbon at the Boulder County Fair in 2013, a marinated-herbed feta that won Grand Champion ribbon in 2014, and several versions of queso fresco. Since this class is the creamery's monthly Cheese for Charity Class, half of each $39 tuition charge will be donated to a worthy charity. Students get to nominate their favorite charity, and then the class will vote for the charity they feel deserves the contribution. Register and learn more here. 

Friday, January 8  

Cook Street School of Culinary Arts whisks students away to the streets of Mexico for today's cooking class. Culinary connoisseurs can learn how to make a variety of street tacos and other street-friendly foods, and then enjoy the fruits of their labor as they eat the meal they created, paired with tequila. Tuition for the class is $89; register and learn more at cookstreet.com.    

For more Food & Drink events, go to our online calendar. If you know of an event that should be included in that calendar, send information to [email protected].