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Merrymeeting Community & Adult Education



Cooking

Fundamentals of Home Canning

$65

with Allison Carroll Duffy

Calendar Next available session starts Mar 2, 2027 at 5:30 pm, runs for 1 week

Have you ever wanted to try canning, but were unsure how to get started? Or perhaps you are concerned about food safety, and wondering how to ensure that your canned food is both delicious and safe. Well, this is the class for you! Join Allison Carroll Duffy, Master Food Preserver and cookbook author, for this hands-on workshop covering all that you need to know to get started canning your own food. We'll cover the basics of safe home canning, including proper procedures, techniques, and use of tools and equipment. Then we’ll learn hands-on--working together as a group and going step-by-step--to make and can a big batch of jam. We’ll use the boiling water bath method, which is the same method you’ll use for making many other canned goods you might want to make at home, including pickles, salsas, chutneys, and fruit. While this class will focus primarily on the boiling water bath method of canning, pressure canning will also be discussed. At the end of the class, there will be plenty of jam to taste, and each participant will go home with a jar of jam to enjoy...as well as all the know-how you need to start canning confidently at home! *There is a $10 materials fee, payable to the instructor at class.

Caribbean Cuisine: Ropa Vieja

$65

with Tony Garreton

Calendar Next available session starts Sep 28, 2026 at 5 pm, runs for 1 week

Join Tony for this special one-night cooking workshop! Ropa vieja is a classic Caribbean dish of shredded beef stewed in a flavorful tomato-based sauce with peppers, onions, and spices, traditionally made with flank steak or chuck roast that is slow-cooked until tender. The name means "old clothes" in Spanish, referring to the shredded meat's appearance. It's typically served with white rice, black beans, and other vegetables. Special Note: The instructor will provide the shredded beef already cooked, while students will prepare the side dishes together in class. The instructor will go over how students can make the shredded beef at home. Please bring containers to take food home with you! *There is a $25 ingredients fee, payable to the instructor at class.

Hands-On Herb-Infused Pasta

$65

with Chris Toy

Calendar Next session starts Sep 28, 2026 at 5 pm, runs for 1 week

Join Chef Chris Toy for a hands-on class to master fresh pasta making! We'll infuse the dough with intense, farm-fresh flavors—creating a colorful medley of mushroom, basil, and tomato pasta. You'll finish your creations with a choice of a rich tomato-red wine or a creamy vodka sauce. Get ready to roll, knead, and eat!

Full Course

Chinese Cuisine: Spring Rolls

$65

with Shufang Liao

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 1, 2026 at 4:30 pm, runs for 1 week

Love crispy snacks? Discover how to make traditional Chinese spring rolls from scratch in this fun, hands-on class! You’ll learn how to prepare fillings (bamboo shoots, pork, tofu, cabbage, carrots), wrap rolls tightly, and fry them to golden perfection. Spring rolls are especially popular during Chinese New Year, symbolizing wealth and prosperity because of their golden color. We will have enough materials to make and bring some finished products home. By the end, you’ll be able to recreate this delicious appetizer at home. *A $20 ingredients fee must be paid to the instructor on the day of the workshop.

ServSafe Food Handler

$60

with Mark Shinners

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 7, 2026 at 6 pm, runs for 3 weeks

This class is presented by NE Food Safety. Learn what you need to stay safe, keep customers safe and pass the CFPM exam. All key points are covered, from cleaning and sanitization to cooking temperatures, purchasing, and proper methods of food preparation and delivery. Price includes unlimited practice questions, book, class, and proctored exam. Students will be taught information in a variety of manners, including an exciting round of Food Jeopardy. Your instructor will be bilingual (Spanish/English), with over a decade of experience instructing adult learners at hospitals, VAs, colleges and universities, restaurants and hotels, and more. Upon completion of this course participants will receive a certificate of completion. *This certification program runs concurrently with the food manager class. Students may opt to take the food manager exam during the last night, on 4/29 if they desire.

ServSafe Food Manager

$200

with Mark Shinners

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 7, 2026 at 6 pm, runs for 3 weeks

This class is presented by NE Food Safety. Learn what you need to stay safe, keep customers safe and pass the CFPM exam. All key points are covered, from cleaning and sanitization to cooking temperatures, purchasing, supervision, HACCP and more! Price includes unlimited practice questions, book, class, and proctored exam. Students will be taught information in a variety of manners, including an exciting round of Food Jeopardy. The instructor is bilingual (Spanish/English), with over a decade of experience instructing adult learners at hospitals, VAs, colleges and universities, restaurants and hotels, and more. He will use the ServSafe method for instruction of the FDA code so that you will be ready to pass the exam!

Acadian Arts Retreats: Asian Fusion Cooking

$695

with Chris Toy

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 9, 2026 , runs for 1 week

Your instructor, Chris Toy is the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian-fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Cooking students will learn how to prepare a variety of recipes from Asia, Europe, and the Americas incorporating traditional and local ingredients. Each meal will actively engage cooks with the tools, techniques, and stories behind the dishes being created. More about the retreat location: Escape to a Victorian Inn, the Harbor View House in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artists, cooks and creatives! All meals are included in the workshop fee plus special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops, including a private house concert by Grammy-balloted sing-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordan Ward. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/. *Lodgings not included in price. **There is a $60 cancellation fee.

Chinese Cuisine: Snow Skin Mooncakes

$65

with Shufang Liao

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 15, 2026 at 4:30 pm, runs for 1 week

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in style! In this no-bake class, you’ll craft delicate Snow Skin Mooncakes—modern variations of a centuries-old symbol of reunion and gratitude. Using glutinous rice flour (gluten-free), you’ll make the smooth, chewy “snow skin” and fill it with sweet lotus paste, red bean, or fruit flavors before molding them into beautiful designs. Learn about the cultural stories behind the mooncake while enjoying a creative, hands-on experience. *A $18 materials fee is due to the instructor at the beginning of the workshop.





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