Cooking:
CulinAerie has an exciting array of upcoming cooking classes, perfect for those who are seeking to improve their cooking skills, enjoy a great meal or just have a fun evening in the kitchen.  For the inexperienced chef or cooking-phobe, try an “Intro to Basics: Welcome to the Kitchen” class.  Not only will you take away valuable skills, but you can enjoy a delicious meal with a sample menu including Butternut Squash Bisque and Chicken with Mushrooms and Tarragon. Not so scary after all! On Saturday the 6th, make sure to check out their event, “An Evening spent with Julia Child’s ‘My Life in France’” with French inspired menu and house wine. Sign up online at http://www.culinaerie.com.

At Tiny Chefs, introduce your kids to the joy of cooking!  Tiny Chefs hosts private parties as well as Mommy and Me cooking classes.  Kids will learn about Kitchen safety, while they prepare both an entrée and a dessert.  Classes last an hour and a half and can be tailored to fit your personal preferences.  Tiny Chefs offers both community classes in Falls Church Community Center as well as home cooking events.  For details on these and other Tiny Chef classes, be sure to look online at http://tinychefs.com/dc/index.php?page=class-offerings.

At Casa Italiana Language School, you will not only cook an amazing meal but also explore Italian culture beyond the quintessential Italian cuisine.  The Chefs are all native Italians, but not to worry, classes are held in English.  Classes are hands-on, and did I mention the complimentary wine? On January 28th, class will focus on the food of Firenze, known to most as Florence, and on February 11th the focus will be on Verona.  Classes are held from 6-9 p.m. and the cost is $50.  Upcoming wine tasting classes will be held on January 21st, February 4th and March 4th.  The Casa Italiana School is located on 595 3rd Street Northwest.

 

Art:
Budding artist? Head over the bridge to Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 Union St., Alexandria), home of The Art League and perched on Old Town’s idyllic waterfront. Classes are offered in a variety of subjects — including ceramics, acrylic and oil painting, and drawing — for nine weeks, starting at $185. Especially slick is the rolling enrollment system, which allows you to start a class any time up to Feb. 28. Visit www.theartleague.org for more information.

At Hinckley Pottery, come prepared to get your hands dirty.  During a two and half hour class, you will learn about wheel-thrown pottery, a specialty of this studio.  With a small class size and informal structure, both beginners and more advanced artists work side by side.   Get the kids out of your hair and into the clay; classes for kids are also available! Sessions last 10 weeks and cost $350.  If you’re not so sure, attend a “Try It!” class, for a onetime fee of $45.  Hinckley Pottery is located at 1707 Kalorama Road NW and you can reach them at 202-745-7055 or online at http://www.hinckleypottery.com

Intrigued by the human figure? Artists have been fascinated by this subject for centuries, and now you too can draw from a model at a figure drawing class at Washington Studio School.  Starting on February 25th, this class runs six weeks and meets every Thursday from 1:30 until 4:30.  Drop-in drawing and painting classes are also held on Monday and Thursday evenings from 7-10 pm for those adverse to long-term commitment.  Easels are provided, but students bring all other materials.  Artists of all levels are welcome, stick people included.  The drop in price is $18 or students can purchase a package of sessions.  To see a complete list of prices and available classes look online at http://www.washingtonstudioschool.com/

Language:
Viva L’Italia! At Casa Italiana Language School, learn this romance language while watching and discussing movies, in a 12 week course about Italian Cinema.  Not one for film?  Another class series is based on the work of Machiavelli, and a turbulent period of Italian history remembered for its weakness and foreign invasions.  Call (202) 638-0165 or look online at http://www.casaitalianaschool.org.

You have a pair of lederhosen in your closet, love Swiss chocolate and can yodel with the best of them. But not so fast, Hans and Franz; downing brats and Beck’s on NFL gameday does not an authentic German make. If you truly have a Teutonic fixation, try some introductory German language courses at the Goethe Institut, the most acclaimed German culture school worldwide. Beginning classes start at $395 for an intensive, nine-week course running through March. Register online at www.goethe.de/washington. Viel gluck!

Parlez vous? If you don’t, and are feeling romantic, celebrate the upcoming month of love to brush up on your French at Alliance Francaise (2142 Wyoming Ave.), if only to pick up some choice phrases that will make your sweetheart swoon. Francais is not just for lovers, either — fans of poetry, philosophy, film and, let’s face it, much of the world’s great art will find plenty of satisfaction in Gallic creativity. And, as they say, nothing’s quite as good in translation. Beginner’s courses will run you $350 for two-hour, twice-weekly sessions from February to April. Faster-paced courses are also available for those with previous instruction. The Alliance also hosts plenty of cultural events and tastings, all with a distinctly European twist. Visit www.francedc.org for more information.

Corcoran continuing education classes are a great way for artists of all levels to learn more about their craft.  Available through the Corocan College of Art and Design, you can try anything from sculpture to a photography or cinema class.  With more than 200 continuing education classes, the Corocan offers something for everyone.  Prices and registration are online at www.corcoran.edu/cewww.corcoran.edu/ce.  Need some inspiration? Take a tour of either the college or the gallery.  The college is located 500 Seventeenth Street NW.