MCCC To Offer Personal Interest Courses in Cooking, Writing, Fitness, ESL, Other Subjects

The Center for Continuing Studies (CCS) at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) is ready to serve community residents this fall with a wide range of personal interest classes including cooking, horticulture, swimming, photography, filmmaking and more.

Multiple courses are offered for community residents seeking to improve their English speaking and writing skills. Courses in conversational Italian, Spanish, and Hindi are also on the schedule. Most CCS classes are held evenings and weekends on the college’s West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

• Both aspiring and experienced cooks will want to check out what’s on the menu at the MCCC Culinary Center as Chefs Benson Yu and Bill Conrad sharpen their knives for a variety of cooking classes. Courses include:
• “Knife Skills” (Sept. 17);
• “Playing with Pasta” (Sept. 17);
• “Sushi 101 Colorful and Fun Sushi” (Sept. 18);
• “Stir Fry” (Oct. 2);
• “Soups On” ( Oct. 29);
• “Thanksgiving with Ease” (Oct. 29);
• “Four Holidays in Four Hours” (Nov. 5);
• “Holiday Cookies” (Nov. 12);
• "Thailand” (Nov. 13);
• “Asian Infusion and Hold the Gluten” (Nov. 20); and
• “Knife Skills” (Dec. 3 – repeated from Sept. 17).

Classes feature demos, hands-on practice and a sampling of the dishes prepared.

On Wednesday evenings, instructor Bruce Smith presents new classes in his popular Wine Regions of the World series:

• “Israeli Wines” (Sept. 28);
• “Wines from Castello Banfi” (Oct. 5);
• “International Viognier Comparison” (Oct. 19);
• “Sake” (Oct. 26); and
• “Rhone Varietals from California” (Nov. 2).

Classes are held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and include a discussion of styles, appellations, climates, food pairings, recommended producers and wine tasting. Participants must be 21 years of age.

New this year is a course for teens, ages 11 to 15, interested in babysitting. The “Red Cross Babysitting Certification” course will held Oct. 19 and 26, 5 to 8 p.m., and repeated Dec. 7 and 14, 5 to 8 p.m. CCS will also offer “Red Cross Water Safety Instructor” on Oct. 9 and 16 for experienced swimmers ages 16 and over.

For new drivers, ages 17 and over, or anyone seeking to improve their driving skills, CCS presents “Defensive Driving National Safety Council Defensive Driving Course DDC-6” on Oct. 15. This practical course is recognized by the N.J. Motor Vehicle Commission for a two-point reduction and insurance premium discount.

CCS offers hundreds of professional and personal interest classes, including many online options that begin every month.

To register, call 609-570-3311 or email ComEd@mccc.edu.

For information on all courses, visit www.mccc.edu/ccs. CCS is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ccsmercer.