Valentine’s Day Food and Drink Masterclass

Join us online this Valentine's Day to craft the romantic feast of your dreams with Food Science and Technology experts from Oregon State University. This webinar series focuses on the perfect food and drink to make your at-home holiday a success. You can sign up for any individual course or take all five at a reduced price!

Note, if you register for the bundle, pick the three that you want to attend during registration and you will receive recordings of the others afterwards.

 

February 12 - Preparing a dinner meal kit with a chef and a chemist: exploring food science in the kitchen

Join Mike and Jason as they demonstrate how to prepare a simple (and EXCITING) Valentine’s Day meal kit! Learn how to take the stress out of preparing a fun and fancy dinner. This is not just about chopping and sautéing - we will discuss some of the chemistry behind cooking and storing food and beverages to allow for ease of execution and preservation of quality. What if I make a mistake? How do I know when something is ready? How can I prep ingredients a day ahead but keep them fresh? What is a brunoise cut? We will answer these questions and more…

There will be tasty treats! We will be making a homemade pasta and salad, lemon curd for dessert and Negroni and Bellini drinks to accompany. We will also discuss substitutions/modifications to meet alternative diets if needed.

We'll also go over cocktails, maybe wine (and there will be interesting beverages without alcohol as well).

There are a lot of ways to make great food while having fun in the kitchen. We’ll show you how to impress your loved ones on Valentine’s Day (and any other day of the week, too)!

Presenters: Jason Ball and Mike Adams from OSU Department of Food Science & Technology

Time: 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. (PST)

 

February 13 - Cheese and/or Beer

Preparing a Cheese Plate: The Science and History behind a diverse collection of cheese on your cheese board

Join Robin and Lisbeth as they discuss the many different cheeses that you can select for the ultimate cheese board. Which cheeses go well together and what else belongs on the cheese board? This is not just about flavors and textures, but also about the fascinating history of cheeses. Learn how to assemble a winning cheese board and impress your Valentine with stories about each cheese. How is it possible to make hundreds of different cheeses using the same four ingredients and the same general process? Why do cheeses have different colors? Why does Swiss cheese have holes? Why so many different cheeses. There is a lot to learn about cheese. Join the cheese nerds and become one yourself.

Presenters: Cheesemaster Robin Frojen and Professor Lisbeth Goddik from OSU Department of Food Science & Technology

Time: 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. (PST)

Would you beer mine? Love is ale we need – a Valentine’s Day beer tasting

Does beer come to mind when you think of Valentine’s Day. Why not? This Valentine’s Day weekend, join Dr. Tom Shellhammer, the Nor’Wester Professor of Fermentation Science, to explore the wild side of brewing that is found in sour beers. These beers are intentionally sour and often spontaneously fermented, which lends a wild character to them. We’ll pay particular attention to sour beers that are blended with cherries (Kriek), but you can find them made with raspberries (Framboise), apricots and other fruit. Some can be sweet while many are quite sour, but regardless they will be fruity. If you love these beers, then bring your passion (and your favorite beer) to this event. If you have never tasted these types of beers and are curious to learn more, then join the adventure. Tom will guide you through their production techniques and survey the various types of flavors one can encounter. Bring a beer or two or three to the event and together we’ll smell and taste the romance between tartness of sour beer and their fruitiness. This will be a beer lover’s Valentine treat.
Yours brewly

We invite you to participate in a virtual tasting during this event. Bring your favorite Kriek(s) or sour beer(s), or shop for one using our suggestions.

Presenters: Dr. Tom Shellhammer from OSU Department of Food Science & Technology

Time: 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. (PST)

 

February 14 - Whisk(e)y and/or Wine

A wander Through whisk(e)ys

With origins tracing back to the medieval Celts of Ireland and Scotland, whisky/whiskey is produced is now produced in many other regions world-wide, including North America, Scandinavia, Germany, Taiwan, Japan and India. In 2020 global whiskey revenues are expected to be in excess of $87 billion, more than 20% of which is attributable to sales of Indian whisky alone. Today, more than 30% of whiskey sold in the US is from distilleries outside the top 5 spirits manufacturers, with craft producers producing significant volumes of American-made product.

Here we will explore the taste evaluation of a selection of international whiskeys and walk through the typical flavor attributes in the whiskeys of your choice and their flavor sources (ie raw materials, fermentation, maturation). We will also address questions such as whether ice and/or water should be added? What do cooling stones bring to the perception of whiskey? In advance of the event you will receive sensory evaluation sheets and a brief guide to the world of whiskeys. After the session you should be in a position to impress your friends with your knowledge of whiskey!

Presenter: Dr. Paul Hughes from OSU Department of Food Science & Technology

Time: 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. (PST)

Experiencing Wine: Think Pink!

There is nothing quite like enjoying a glass of sparkling rosé wine on special holidays such as Valentine’s day. Enjoy that lovely pink color and beautiful bubbles as they sparkle in the glass. While it may be a more traditional drink choice on Valentine’s day you can have a lot of fun exploring the many ways food and sparkling rosé mix. This event will briefly explain how sparkling rosé is made, the flavors and tastes of sparkling rosé, and go through some traditional food pairings and more adventurous choices! Please see the attached “grocery” list for items you can pick up at the grocery store and participate in the food and wine tasting. I will also provide some more advanced and exotic suggestions as we taste as well.

Presenter: Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino from OSU Department of Food Science & Technology

Time: 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. (PST)