Kendall College’s Spice Up Your Life Program Spice Up Your Life’s rotating course menu extends a hand to those seeking skills in the culinary arts but aren’t on a professional track. Current offerings include a class inspired by Julie Powell’s blog-turned-book-turned-movie “Julie & Julia” ($85). In the tale, Powell tackles Julia Child’s 524-recipe tome, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” in a year. Along the same ethos, the class will complete five multilayered recipes in just three hours, including Coq Au Vin (Chicken in Red Wine Sauce), Crème Brulee (Burnt Custard), and the very French Mousseline De Poission, Blanche Neige (Fish Mousse-With Shellfish and chaud-froid sauce). In Sushi 101 students learn the finer points of finicky sushi rice, culminating in a spicy Ahi tuna and avocado Maki ($65). In Bread Baking 101, snuff out memories of Wonderbread hibernating in the cabinet by mastering classic baguettes, sourdough, foccacia and Challah. For more information visit www.kendall.edu
School of The Art Institute Continuing Studies: Fashion An accomplished staff teaches the fashion classes at the School of the Art Institutes’ Continuing Studies program. CFDA “best of school” award winner Dijana Granov teaches an introductory course, where students are acquainted with the industry, as well as traditional and non-traditional clothing. One-half of the creative team behind label Creatures of the Wind, Shane Gabier leads students in exploring draping, pattern-drafting and the importance of a good fit in Fashion Construction. A Drawing/Illustration Fashion course arms students with the ability to sketch designs, drawing from live models and photographs. All classes are $525 and run for ten weeks. For more information visit saic.edu/continuing_studies/ace/index.html
Arabesque Dance Studio Arabesque’s array of belly-dancing courses are not to be missed by anyone sick of the elliptical or only setting foot on the dance floor after too many gin & tonics, self-conscious of herky-jerky moves. The studio honors the commitment-shy with its buffet-style registration: periods of three weeks where interested parties can drop into any class to try it out. Once ready to take the next step, students can enroll in the eight-to-nine-week dedicated sessions that follow the buffet periods. Courses range from the Pre-Fundamentals of Belly Dance (recommended before venturing onward) to Sword Dance for Belly Dancers (extra scimitars, or curved swords, are available) to a more advanced course in Goth/Rock Tribal Fusion Bellydance, an expressive class that cultivates liquid-like movements and a hard-edged attitude. For more information visit arabesquechicago.com/classdes.shtml
All About Dance Studio Cardio Striptease may have no practical uses per se, but the intense workout surely possesses some kind of intrinsic value, not to mention giving you a spectacular set of abs. (And no, there is no strip-teasing—in the studio, anyway; students use their new skills at their own discretion.) Try this and other great classes at the All About Dance Studio, like a ten-week Intro to Ballroom Class, where a different classic form is explored each week, including Tango, Salsa and the Foxtrot. Wearing comfortable dancing shoes is suggested, and bringing a partner is purely optional. For more information visit allaboutdance.org/adultClassDescription.html
