WOODBURY - Longwood Country Inn is offering Tuesday evening cooking classes with the Chef at the restaurant on Main Street South.
Food is prepared in the dining room and served "tapas style," with participants sampling a salad, an appetizer, one or two entrées and a dessert.
Class members are invited to take notes on recipes and may step forward for some hands-on learning.
The informal sessions have proven popular with local residents, who often return from week to week. "There's a core group of 15 to 20 people who started as strangers," the Chef told Voices. "Now, they're the best of friends." Each week is devoted to a different theme, with the curriculum based on recipesthe Chefhas created himself. Past classes have centered on Italian foods, New Orleans cuisine and fall favorites.
"The new owner offered me the opportunity to be creative," he said. "He's given me a free hand, with the ability to implement anything I wanted.
"I fell in love with the room," he added, speaking of Longwood's elegant country-style ambiance. "I couldn't refuse." Continental in flavor, Longwood's new menu includes a number of selections..
"There's a quail dish I've always wanted to run, it sells quite well," he said. "My chicken chutney salad served in a pineapple has been very well received and so has my seafood crepe."
A seasonal dish of bratwurst with caramelized pears and red cabbage has been popular, as has a new polenta appetizer.
Priced at $24.95 per person, cooking classes at Longwood begin at 6 p.m. every Tuesday. The class is limited to about 25 and reservations are requested.
Longwood Country Inn, 1204 Main St. South, is available for corporate and private parties, as well as weddings, showers and rehearsal dinners.
The restaurant is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and for Sunday brunch. Dinner is served from 5 to 9 p.m. weekdays, 5 to 9:30 p.m. weekends.
Following the change in ownership, the inn's six guest rooms have been updated and new gardens have been installed.
To make a reservation or for additional information, call Executive Our Chef or Innkeeper Rick Howe at Longwood Country Inn, 203-266-0800.
