If you’ve been here (and we hope you have and return frequently), then you know that a visit to the North Market is quite the sensory experience. What with the colorful and captivating sights, the sound of the market bustle, the wonderful aromas as you travel around the building and the unparalleled tastes of our merchants’ offerings, this place is something special to behold. And we did our best to capture a fraction of that goodness in our newest video vignette. We’re still waiting for “smell-o-vision” technology to become affordable, but we think you’ll get the picture!

Kay Davenport is the queen bee of Le Creuset, All Clad and everything from the highest quality chef’s knives to the gadgets that make a cook’s culinary undertakings easier:

The North Market is excited to announce the roster of upcoming School of Cooking classes for the first half of 2010. Cooking classes make the perfect gift for your favorite foodie and they are value-priced at $50 each or $125 for 3 classes. The School of Cooking even offers opportunities for your aspiring young chef with hands-on kid’s classes centered on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day offered at $35 each.

Launched in autumn of 2009, the North Market School of Cooking offers basic cooking classes, ethnic cooking classes, hands-on classes for kids, classes with Dispatch Food Editor Robin Davis, and the ever-popular Chef Series classes. Participants have a clear view of the cooking action through the use of 2 LCD monitors and a roaming camera. Classes take place in the Dispatch Kitchen on the second floor of the North Market and parking in the North Market lot is included in the class price. The upcoming class schedule offers an appealing blend of offerings for everyone from amateurs to restaurant aficionados.

Chef Series teams up with Dine Originals Columbus
A new year brings new partnerships for the School of Cooking. The Dine Originals Chef Series is a product of collaboration between Columbus’ public market and the independently owned and operated restaurants of the Dine Originals Columbus group. Chefs from fourteen of the Dine Originals’ outstanding restaurants will hold demonstration style classes which culminate in the sharing of the meal prepared with recipes provided for class participants to recreate the meal at home. The alliance is an ideal one as both the North Market and Dine Originals share a mission to celebrate and promote locally owned and operated independent food purveyors.

Kid’s Classes Join the Line-Up in the North Market School of Cooking!
Kids ages 8 to 14 will be able to put on an apron on February 13 and learn to prepare a dish for their Valentine in the Cooking for Valentines class. On May 1, kids will learn how to make a meal for that special parent in their life in the Cooking for Mother’s Day class. All Kid’s classes are $35 per student and take place on a Saturday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Parents are welcome to stay for the class or use the opportunity to shop the market.

Classes with Robin Davis return to the North Market School of Cooking
You have read her stories in the Dispatch and have seen her cook on WBNS10TV, now you can join Robin Davis up close and in person in her studio kitchen. Want to see what ale lends to a recipe? Robin will show you the way on January 21 in the Cooking with Beer class. Learn the basics of protein in the Meat 101 class on January 24. When you are sick of winter and need something to take the chill off she’ll share some warming recipes on February 21 with a Soups class. On March 24, Robin will work with Hubert Wilamowski from Hania’s Olde World Cuisine cook up some traditional Eastern European specialties. Finally, Robin will get into gear with a spring menu for the “Almost Summer” class on May 16. We hope you will join Robin, our Dine Originals chefs and other local experts for a class, or three in the new year!

Winter/Spring Class Schedule

January
20 Katzinger’s ~ Diane Warren
21 Cooking with Beer with Robin Davis
24 Meat 101 with Robin Davis
27 Shaw’s Restaurant and Inn ~ Susie Cork

February
7 Mardi Gras
3 Rigsby’s Kitchen ~ Kent Rigsby
10 Alana’s Food and Wine ~ Alana Shock and Devon Morgan
11 Vegetarian Cooking
13 Kids’ Cooking for Valentine’s Day
18 Makin’ Bacon
21 Soups with Robin Davis
24 G. Michael’s Bistro ~ David Tetzloff

March
3 Black Creek Bistro ~ David Morrison
7 Seafood Suppers
18 The Refectory ~ Richard Blondin
24 Eastern European
31 Trattoria Roma ~ Matt Prokopchak

April
7 Barcelona Restaurant and Bar ~ Paul Yow
14 Z Cucina di Spirito ~ Travis Hyde
28 Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls ~ Anthony Schulz

May
1 Kids’ Cooking for Mothers’ Day
5 Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus ~ Nate Crockett
6 Almost Summer with Robin Davis
19 Banana Bean Cafe ~ Kevin Caskey
26 Cotters Restaurant at the Arena

The Dispatch Kitchen is located on the second floor of the North Market. Registration is required and enrollment is limited for individual classes. Class reservations may be made online, by phone 614-463-9664, by email info@northmarket.com, or in person at the business office on the second floor of the Market building.

The North Market has the privilege of working with some fantastic partners. This holiday season we’ve teamed up with local production powerhouse MediaSource to create content that speaks to the essence of what we try to accomplish here at Columbus’ only remaining public market. At the heart of our mission is supporting small local businesses who serve up fresh, local fare. You’ll find that to be a theme that carries through from our merchants to our farmers, our entertainment and our artisan events. MediaSource created this little video vignette for us (one of a series of 3 to come) that we think shows off our character…and our characters…quite nicely. Give it a gander:

Nida knows sushi. Proprietress Nida Perry graduated from the Sushi Academy of California in Venice Beach!