Adults Go Back to School at Brien McMahon

During the Day Karin Beggan works in City Hall as the assistant city clerk for Norwalk. At night though, she's been taking classes at the Continuing Education program. The classes that have caught her interest are related to cooking.

On a snow filled day last week, she pulled out the circular and chatted about how much fun the classes have been, raving to fellow City Hall workers about the artisan bread class she took last fall. They got to sample the result.

The instructor, Dr. Richard Barbour, comes with some pretty impressive credentials. A dean's list graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he's managed the kitchens for the “21” Club and the Rainbow Room complex at Rockefeller Center and has been teaching the culinary arts program at Brien McMahon for five years.

Cooking isn't all what's available at Brien McMahon: Crochet, floral arrangements, computer training and even trout fly fishing are being offered. The classes are all starting after February 14, and you can check out the circular from the Norwalk Public Schools web site here.

The registration info-line is (203) 854-4115, and there's a $5 late fee for registrations that missed an earlier cutoff date. On St. Valentine's Day, Feb. 14,  the Chocolate Truffles and Candies class is held. There you can learn chocolate tempering techniques and how to make ganache (a glaze, icing or filling). The class costs $30 plus a $20 fee payable to the instructor.