Journey of a Taverna Manos Cooking Class student: Let’s cook! Men are most welcome! The best chefs in the world are men – and besides nothing is better than a man who can cook!!!

Embarking on an afternoon of fun as a Taverna cooking school student is both exciting and challenging. It is a path filled with new experiences, flavors, and techniques. Here’s a glimpse into what a cooking school student entails.

FAQ: What is the format of your classes?

Hands-On Experience

What to Expect When Attending a Cooking Class at Taverna Manos:

• Interactive Learning: Our cooking classes are highly interactive. You’ll be getting hands-on experience with various cooking techniques and recipes.
• Culinary Creativity: Encourage your creativity by experimenting with new ingredients and flavor combinations, often inspired by the restaurant’s own menu offerings.
• Culinary Community: Meet fellow food enthusiasts and aspiring chefs, creating connections that can lead to future collaborations or friendships.

Enjoying Your Creations

• Tasting Session: After the class, enjoy a tasting session where you can savor the dishes you’ve created. This is a rewarding opportunity to appreciate the results of your hard work and receive feedback from peers and instructors.
• Take-Home Recipes: Most classes provide recipes or cooking guides so you can recreate the dishes at home, allowing you to practice and perfect your newfound skills.

Attending a cooking class at the Taverna is not just about learning to cook; it’s an immersive experience that offers a glimpse into the culinary world, providing skills and memories that will last a lifetime. Classes are held on designated Sunday afternoons from 12-3. If there are particular dishes, skills or recipes you would like to learn please text me or call me at 352-564-0078 to discuss them.

Tea and coffee are free. Soda, beer and wine will be available at menu prices, limited to one glass of alcoholic beverage for your safety around an open flame. While it’s a relaxed atmosphere, safety and Florida Health Department regulations will be discussed and followed in each class. Classes start at $65, depending on the recipe.

What should I wear?

We will provide you with an apron, but we recommend wearing casual clothes that you don’t mind getting a little bit messy. We ask that you wear flat comfortable shoes. Please do not wear open-toed shoes or sandals. Please pull long hair back. No excessive jewelry please. Plain Wedding bands are acceptable of course, but large rings or ornate rings are not permitted by Health Department regulations

March classes 2025:

Class March 2, 2025 – Booked. No more reservations accepted

Class March 9, 2025 – Reservations accepted – call 352-564-0078 to reserve your space. $65 per person. All materials provided.

Class March 23, 2025 – Reservations now being accepted

We will be making stuffed zucchini boats – gimestra in Greek – which also includes stuffed tomatoes and peppers and other stuffable veggies. Reserve soon as classes fill up quickly.

Private party reservations available – Call for Details – 352-564-0078

April classes 2025: Dates to be announced

Essential Skills and Techniques

Cooking class is not just about learning recipes; it’s about mastering fundamental skills and techniques. Things that might be, but not always, incorporated in your classes are:

• Knife Skills: Understanding how to chop, dice, and julienne vegetables efficiently and safely.
• Cooking Methods: Learning different methods such as sautéing, roasting, grilling, and poaching.
• Sauces and Stocks: Creating the base components that elevate any dish.
• Plating and Presentation: Understanding the importance of visual appeal in a dish.

Culinary Theory and History

In addition to hands-on practice, students will hear stories about cultural culinary history. You’ll hear the traditions passed down for generations in my culture and the origins of various cuisines.

The Importance of Ingredients

We will discuss the importance of choosing and using quality ingredients. You’ll hear about seasonal produce, sustainable practices, and how to select the best meats and seafood. and get an understanding for flavors and how they complement each other – which is crucial in creating a balanced dish.

The Art of Tasting

Tasting is a vital skill in the culinary world. Our classes discuss how to develop a tasting palate, recognizing subtle differences in flavors and textures. This helps them adjust seasonings and ingredients to perfect their dishes.

Cooking with a Tagine and Middle Eastern Spices

Cooking with Middle Eastern spices is an aromatic adventure that brings a burst of flavors to your culinary creations. Famous for their rich and diverse profiles, these spices are a cornerstone of Middle Eastern cuisine, offering an array of possibilities for both novice and experienced cooks. Here’s a guide to some essential Middle Eastern spices and how you will use them to elevate your practice dishes.

Essential Middle Eastern Spices

Tarcin (Cinnamon) Cinnamon powder adds an earthy, sweet flavor. They are used in the rice used for stuffing vegetables, chicken and lamb. It is used as a flavor in Turkish desserts, as well as traditional drinks such as boza and salep.

Kakule (Cardamom) The small, white pods of this plant from the ginger family are used in appetizer dishes, desserts and hot drinks.

Anason (Anise) This fragrant, low growing plant came to Anatolia from Egypt. It is used in baking and to make the Turkish liquor raki.

Roka (Arugula) Arugula used in turkey is similar to the common, radish-like form of the herb. Its leaves are used in salads and to garnish dishes, especially fried or boiled fish.

Karanfil (Clove) These aromatic flower buds are tiny black sticks with a knob-like head, releasing a lingeringly sweet yet pungent flavor. Cloves are used a bit differently in Turkish cuisine, less in curries (though there are exceptions) and more in compotes, sherbets, cakes, desserts and herbal teas.

Defne Yapragi (Bay Leaves) The pleasant aroma of dried Laurel Bay Leaves is used for flavoring a variety of meat and fish dishes, including poultry and game animals. They are also used in tomato sauce-based preparations and to produce canned and pickled goods.

Kimyon (Cumin) White cumin seeds are usually ground into powder before being used in Turkish cuisine. The seeds grow on trees found in a wide range from the Middle East to India – Turkish cumin has an especially strong odor. The strong, earthy and musty flavored cumin is used to suppress the smell of meat when preparing kofte (Turkish meatballs) and sucuk (flavored Turkish Sausages), among other uses.

Kisnis (Coriander/Cilantro) Whole leaves and shoots of cilantro are frequently chopped up and used as garnish in salads, soups, syrups and liqueurs, as well as some meat dishes. Candied coriander seeds are used in pastries.

Zerdecal (Turmeric) Turmeric came from India. Ground yellow turmeric powder is used in a wide variety of egg, meat and fish dishes. The yellow coloring it imparts allows it to be substituted for saffron in many cases.

Sumac (Turkish Spice, similar to Lemon Pepper) This signature Turkish spice is tart and tangy as a lemon. The leaves from dwarf Sumac plants in Anatolia are dried and ground into a brownish-red powder, which is liberally used in the preparation of a variety of kebabs, onion salad, raw meatballs (akin to steak tartare), Turkish ravioli and fish.

Hardalotu (Wild Mustard) The Turkish wild mustard is different from some other yellow mustard varieties and grows over most of Anatolia. With its slightly bitter flavor and mustard aroma, it is usually parboiled before being added as a popular flavor enhancer in boiled salads (e.g. Aegean boiled salads with eggs and lime). In Adana, it is used as a stuffing for sac boregi; in Icel, it is cooked with bulgur and in Adana, with boiled meat.

Samsak (Garlic) Garlic is used in many meat and fish dishes in Turkey. The herb originated in Central Asia, from where it spread to Mesopotamia, then to China and India along the Silk Route. A special variety of garlic found in Anatolia are the Turkish Red, grown in the mountains close to the Black Sea. These have purplish red skin, an intense, pungent aroma but only medium heat – chopped garlic is a frequent garnish in olive oil and meat dishes. Turkish Garlic Bread is a delight to savor.

Zencefil Tozu (Ginger Powder) Ginger originated in South Asia but quickly spread throughout Anatolia and the Middle East. Ginger powder is more frequently used than the original root. It is used in meat and fish dishes along with red pepper flakes and Sumac, to add flavor. Ginger is also used for medicinal purposes.

Sogan (Onion) Onions are used extensively in cooking, as well as garnish on the side or on top of dishes in minced form.

Safran (Saffron) This distinctive crimson stigma from the Saffron Crocus flower is highly prized in Turkey, high grade saffron is mainly grown in the high mountains of Anatolia. It is the most expensive spice in the world. It adds a floral flavor and an intense, rich aroma, along with a gorgeous golden color to rice dishes, curries and desserts.

Cemen Otu (Fenugreek Seeds) Fenugreek is a very common spice used in Turkey. The hard, brownish-yellow seed of the pea-family plant is ground up and used in soups, meat dishes and pickles.

Frenk Feslegeni (Basil Leaves) Basil leaves, with a distinctive fresh flavor, are from a plant in the mint family. The leaves are used in dishes using eggplant and peppers.

Arapsaci or Rezene (Fennel Seeds) Fennel plants grow all over Anatolia, especially the northern part of the country. The leaves, buds and shoots of this anise scented herb are used extensively in lamb dishes, but also used with other meats and fish. Other uses are in the dish borek and in mixed green sautes for flavoring.

Biberiye (Rosemary) The Rosemary plant originated in Anatolia. The thin, spiny green leaves of the dwarf rosemary plant are used both raw and dried in Turkish cuisine – mainly to make sauces and as flavoring in meat dishes. Rosemary Tea is also popular.

Kekik (Thyme) Thyme is available all over Anatolia, but the preferred varieties of this herb come from the mountains. Dried or crumbled thyme leaves are used in flavoring a number of dishes, especially meat-based ones, and soups. One of the customs among the cattle farmers in Turkey is to feed thyme to their cattle, a practice that produces prime beef. Thyme tea is also popular in Anatolia.

Nane (Mint) With its intense flavor and fresh taste, mints are used in salads, appetizers, cold juices, yogurt dips and stuffed vegetables (dolme). Mint is also used in lamb dishes.

Guvey Out (Oregano) Like a wide swathe of the Mediterranean region, Oregano is widely used in Turkish cuisine, for garnish added to soups, legumes and cabbage dishes, or part of the rubs for barbecue steak.

Ficus Carica (Brown Turkish Figs) Brown Figs from Turkey are distinctly different from Black Mission Figs. They are large, moist and succulent with a maple-brown skin and light amber flesh, tasting of honey, jam and butterscotch with a hint of nuttiness. Figs are eaten whole, dried and powdered, added to a variety of dishes and desserts.

Frenk Maydonozu (Curly Parsley) This local grown herb has a milder aroma than Italian parsley and is used as garnish for similar dishes to Italian cuisine.

Karabiber (Black Peppercorn) India introduced the world to Black Peppercorn, berries that grow on climbing vines native to South India. Harvested green, they turn red and then are dried before getting to retail stores. Black Peppercorn adds an intense aroma, heat and flavor to any dish. Ground Black Pepper and peppercorn are both used extensively in Turkish cuisine.

Ardic (Juniper) Black, fragrant berries from the evergreen juniper tree is used extensively in poultry dishes and as part of the marinades for meat.

Susam (Sesame) The oil-bearing seeds of the tall plant are grown extensively in Southern Anatolia. The seeds are used in simit and other baked products, and ground sesame is one of the key ingredients of tahini.

Dolmalik Fistik (Pine Nuts) These small nuts, extracted from the cones of a pine species, are used in doma mix and asure.

Pul Biber (Red Pepper Flakes) Obtained by grinding hot red pepper, these flakes are used in both oiled and unoiled forms to spice up dishes. The Antep and Marap varieties are the most prized.

Aleppo Red Pepper Flakes (Red Chili Pepper Flakes) Red Chili Flakes grown in Northern Syria and Turkey have a special flavor, with less spice/heat overtones than Cayenne Pepper flakes but hotter than paprika used in Mediterranean cuisine. They are used as flavoring to provide a spicy touch to Turkish meat and seafood dishes, among others.

Paprika Turkish red paprika is famous the world over, used in a variety of Mediterranean cuisines, including Greek. They are made from the dried red fruits of the Capsicum annuum plant, but only sweeter varieties – meaning that the powder has mild chili flavor with a hint of sweetness and lots of flavor.

Kucuk Hindistan Cevizi (Nutmeg) These are similar to European nutmeg, the inner fruit of the mace plant. Sweet and aromatic, a pinch of nutmeg adds flavor to selected dishes. Their wider use is in a number of Turkish desserts and hot drinks, though a pinch of nutmeg may be added to bread, soups and some sweeter flavored curries.

Mahlab This is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of the Prunus mahaleb cherry. The stones, which are ground to a dust before use, impart a unique, faintly vanilla-like flavor, a combination of bitter almonds and cherry. Mahlab is used as a flavoring in Turkish desserts, drinks and sherbets, including in sweet buns such as iklice and pogaca, a figgy milk pudding called uyutma and a sweet soup or pudding

Za’atar: A fragrant mix usually containing thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. Za’atar is used as a seasoning on meats, vegetables, and flatbreads, and is often mixed with olive oil for dipping, Called bulamac made with molasses, walnuts and sesame seeds.

Techniques for Using Middle Eastern Spices

• Toasting Spices: Enhance the flavor of whole spices by toasting them in a dry pan before grinding. This process releases their natural oils and intensifies their aroma.
• Spice Blends: Create custom spice blends like Baharat or Ras el Hanout to add complexity to your dishes. These blends are versatile and can be used in rubs, stews, and marinades.
• Infusing Oils: Infuse olive or vegetable oils with spices like cumin, coriander, or cardamom to create flavorful bases for dressings, dips, and sautés.

Cooking Techniques

• Marinating: Use spices in marinades to tenderize and flavor meats and vegetables. Combine spices with yogurt or lemon juice for a tangy marinade that penetrates deeply.
• Slow Cooking: Middle Eastern spices shine in slow-cooked dishes, allowing flavors to meld and develop over time. Use a tagine or slow cooker to achieve the best results.
• Finishing Touches: Sprinkle spices like sumac or za’atar on finished dishes for an extra burst of flavor. These spices can also be used to garnish hummus, salads, or roasted vegetables.

Cooking with Middle Eastern spices opens up a world of flavors that are both exotic and comforting. By incorporating these spices into your culinary repertoire, you will explore the rich tapestry of Middle Eastern cuisine right in your own kitchen.

Cooking with a tagine is an experience that transports you to the heart of Moroccan/Mideastern cuisine. These dishes are served nightly at Taverna Manos. This unique, conical clay pot is designed to lock in moisture, allowing dishes to simmer gently, absorbing rich, aromatic spices. The slow cooking method enhances the flavors of ingredients like tender meats, vibrant vegetables, and savory herbs, creating a harmonious blend that tantalizes the taste buds. 

The tagine’s ability to maintain a consistent temperature ensures that each bite is infused with warmth and depth. Traditionally used over an open flame or in an oven, the tagine is perfect for preparing hearty stews and braises, making it a versatile tool for any kitchen. You will become proficient in using this vessel during class.

As the lid is lifted, the aroma that fills the air evokes a sense of comfort and adventure, inviting family and friends to gather around and share in the culinary journey.

Cooking with Greek Spices

Cooking with Greek spices is an enchanting journey into the heart of Mediterranean flavors, where simplicity meets sophistication. Greek cuisine is celebrated for its use of vibrant herbs and spices like oregano, thyme, mint, bay leaves, and cinnamon, each adding its unique touch to dishes. These spices are essential in creating classic Greek dishes such as moussaka, souvlaki, and tzatziki. The earthy aroma of oregano and thyme perfectly complements grilled meats and fresh vegetables, while the warmth of cinnamon adds depth to savory dishes. 

Greek food emphasizes the use of fresh, high-quality ingredients, enhancing the natural flavors with a careful balance of spices. Whether it’s a rich tomato-based stew or a refreshing Greek salad, the harmonious blend of herbs and spices creates a symphony of taste that is both invigorating and comforting. Embrace the essence of Greece in your kitchen and savor the delightful flavors that define this timeless cuisine.

Essential Greek Spices and Herbs

1. Oregano: Known for its aromatic, slightly bitter taste, oregano is a staple in Greek cuisine. It’s often used in grilled meats, salads, and marinades.
2. Thyme: This fragrant herb is perfect for seasoning roasted vegetables and meats. Its earthy flavor enhances soups and stews.
3. Mint: Adds a refreshing note to dishes like tzatziki and salads. Mint pairs well with lamb and can be used in both savory and sweet recipes.
4. Bay Leaves: Used to infuse stews and sauces with a subtle, aromatic flavor. Bay leaves are often added to slow-cooked dishes for depth.
5. Cinnamon: Although commonly associated with desserts, cinnamon is used in savory Greek dishes like moussaka and pastitsio, lending warmth and complexity.

Techniques for Using Greek Spices

• Herb Infusion: Infuse olive oil with oregano or thyme for a flavorful base in dressings or marinades.
• Spice Rubs: Create a spice rub using a combination of oregano, thyme, and garlic for meats and poultry. This enhances the flavor and creates a savory crust when grilled or roasted.
• Layering Flavors: Incorporate spices at different stages of cooking. Start with bay leaves in the initial simmer and finish with a sprinkle of fresh oregano for a burst of flavor.

Classic Greek Dishes

• Moussaka: A layered dish of eggplant, spiced meat, and béchamel sauce, flavored with cinnamon and bay leaves.
• Souvlaki: Skewered meats marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and thyme, then grilled to perfection.
• Tzatziki: A refreshing dip made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and mint, offering a cool contrast to spicy dishes.

Embrace the essence of Greece in your kitchen and savor the delightful flavors that define this timeless cuisine. Cooking with Greek spices allows you to explore the vibrant and diverse tastes of the Mediterranean, creating dishes that are both invigorating and comforting.

See you in class soon!  -Despina Manos

Taverna Manos, Crystal River, FL

352-564-0078