Well obviously the big news is that the cookbook is out! Keep on reading to learn more...

Special Series of Classes in West Virginia! The Pipestem Spa in Pipestem, WV is hosting a series of cooking classes by yours truly on the weekend of January 13-15. I'll be teaching a Rustic Italian Dinner on the Friday the 13th, Artisanal Breads on Saturday the 14th, and a Homemade Pasta workshop on Sunday the 15th. And of course, in between classes you can enjoy the spa and local parks for all kinds of great winter fun! I'd love to see you all there!

Last Month's Happenings:

Yes, you can learn how to make the pasta on the cover. And you want to...

My debut cookbook, "Beyond the Red Sauce: Classic Italian Cooking Without Tomatoes" is now available for purchase via the Chef Finarelli website. Thank you all for your incredible support as I wrote the book, from my recipe testers and proof readers to the cheerleaders who couldn't wait to get their hands on a copy. I am thrilled to finally share the book with everyone!

"Beyond the Red Sauce" makes an excellent gift, so be sure to buy one for yourself and a friend. Don't forget that a gift certificates for Chef Finarelli private cooking classes are also available and make a perfect companion to the cookbook! (Check out the list of sample classes; I will gladly teach these or anything your culinary heart desires! To buy a gift certificate, please contact me directly.)

Of course November was also a time for cooking classes, and I had a wonderful time teaching a Thanksgiving Cooking Class to a group of students learning about nutrition at George Mason Univeristy (GMU) in Fairfax, VA. The class was a ton of fun to teach, but best of all there was a crew there taking photos and recording sound, and they put together a great video of the event. I can be heard giving part of a chicken (turkey) carving demonstration. It's a fun video, and you can check it out on their site.

And of course, this was not the only Thanksgiving dinner demo I did in November - not by a long shot. I stuffed and carved up many a bird this past month, and taught lots of people the right way to carve a turkey as a result. Of course, Christmas is coming, and the rules for carving a turkey also apply to a goose, so if you want to book a class to learn all about roasting and carving a bird (as well as some great sides to complete your Christmas table), contact me today!

Coming Up in December:
December has a lot of great classes in it - when I'm not going to be signing cookbooks, and doing my best to sell them. (Did I mention you can buy signed copies on my website? Just select that option when ordering, and you'll get a signed - even personalized! - copy in the mail!) But back to the classes...

I'll be teaching Winter Pastas and the Esquire Magazine "Eat Like a Man" class at Sur La Table in Pentagon Row this month. While I do know that many of us know how to eat like a man already, let's make sure we all can cook like one as well.

Fairfax County has picked up some really great classes of mine, like "Cooking with Tea" and "A Left Turn at Albuquerque: The Cooking of the New Mexico," but alas, they are sold out. But be sure to check out their newly released calendar which features many Chef Finarelli classes--register now because space is limited! And, of course, if you want to learn any of these classes in private to better fit your schedule and skill level, all you have to do is contact me!

And finally, I'll be teaching my very popular "The Feast of the Seven Fishes: An Italian-American Christmas Eve" class at CulinAerie in Washington, DC this month on the 16th. It is filling up fast, but I think there's still some space left! Be sure to be a part of this class!

Chef Matt's Culinary Tip of the Month This question keeps coming up in my classes, so I want to help lay this issue to rest here. You don't need to add oil to your pasta cooking water. The oil will not help prevent the pasta from sticking together in the cooking process, since the oil is floating on top of the water while the pasta is down in the water. But more to the point, you want the pasta to be sticky after it's cooked so that the sauce will stick to it! Having oil in the water will also help prevent the water from boiling over, but so will watching what you're doing while you're cooking. :) I know this won't be the last of this issue, but I want to make sure this gospel keeps getting out there! For more tips, stay tuned for next month's E-Newsletter, or come on by and take one of my classes!

Thanks everyone for helping me to get my cookbook done. Your support in the writing was greatly appreciated, and of course please head on over and buy a copy today! Support your favorite starving young chef! :)

Thanks for being part of the Chef Matt Finarelli Culinary E-Newsletter list! If you want to know more, you can always follow me on Facebook as well. I hope to see you at an upcoming class soon!

Happy Cooking,
Chef Matt Finarelli