Summer Grilling, Vegan Baking, Winetasting at Whole Foods

​Learn how to prepare dishes ranging from sun-dried tomato bison burgers to vegan chocolate chip-walnut cake, plus what wines to drink with everything at July classes at the Fort Lauderdale and Plantation Whole Foods Markets.  

Among the courses offered in Fort Lauderdale are some in cooking and baking fundamentals, with recipes for vegetable stock and hollandaise sauce and whole-wheat dinner rolls, peach and mango sorbet, and rustic peach galette. The cooking class takes place  Saturday, July 17, from 2 to 5 p.m., the baking class Saturday, July 24, from 9 a.m. to noon. Cost for each is $20.

On Thursday, July 15, from 6 to 7 p.m., a healthy-cooking class is on tap, preparing citrus catfish and peach crisp. Cost is $10. The following day -- same time, same price -- is Wine 101, covering all you need to know to act like a genuine cork dork in front of your friends. 

At the Plantation WF, a class in summer grilling will help take the "ill" out of "grill" and replace it with a little thrill. You'll learn how to make raw vegetable "pasta" with tomatoes and herbs; Gorgonzola-sun-dried tomato bison burgers; and berry shortcakes. It's happening Friday, July 16, from 7 to 8 p.m., and it's free. 

Vegan baking with Peace A' Cake's Veronica Menin is on tap for Thursday, July 29, from 6 to 7 p.m. Check out her vegan cake with chocolate chips, walnuts, and orange extract, made with spelt flour, applesauce, and yacon syrup. And it's free. 

To reserve space in any of these classes, call the Fort Lauderdale Whole Foods at 954-565-5655 or the Plantation market at 954-236-0600, or visit their individual websites.