Ice Cream Social at Ample Hills

Does “Eat Spain Up,” the name of NYC’s upcoming Spanish food and culture festival, sound like a challenge to anyone else? If it is, I’m down — definitely down. And consuming ungodly amounts of Spanish cuisine surely requires a certain level of highly specialized skill, right? So get ready, Eat Spain Up, get ready, because, thanks to years of experience with gluttony, I plan to dominate in the Spanish wine-drinking department. To triumph at the olive oil tasting. To be the mightiest of all (of all!) in the (over) consumption of ham and cheese. Oh, and I guess I could stop by one of the cooking classes, check out one of the screenings or roundtables with world-renowned Iberian chefs, and maybe try to stop being so competitive about the whole thing. Who’s with me?! October 24 – 28 in NYC.

If there’s a week this year to get your whiskey tasting on it would be this week. Wine By The Case is hosting a myriad of tastes composed of the best of American Whiskey, Bourbons & Scotches in their Whiskey Week. Lagavulin, Highland Park, Cody Road, Boondocks++ This event is FREE all they ask is that you purchase a commemorative glass. And why would you not want a commemorative glass? Wednesday, March 16 at 6:00 PM – Tuesday, March 22 at 10:00 PM @ Wine By The Case in Brooklyn.

We’re more likely talking ’67 Camaro than ’47 Cheval Blanc but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to sip on some great vino. FIAF Wine Tasting’s The Vintage Effect Class gives you that opportunity with one of this years more interesting sessions. Learn enough to navigate that monster list at Del Posto BUT be careful it doesn’t break your ApplePay next time you catch yourself with a full cart on Wine Library.com. Monday, March 14 @ 7pm in NYC.

You made that awesome veggie dish last weekend. Then there was the grilled onions and veal. Don’t forget about those apple sauce cupcakes you baked for your vegan friends 30th birthday party. The Brooklyn Brainery is bringing illustrator Malou Zuidema in to show us all how to make a more permanent version of our favorite recipes. In their 2-hour Food Illustration Workshop you’ll learn technics to make your yummies on a page with a myriad of mediums. Malou believes that playfulness is what creating art is all about. The event is more “for fun” than for “technique” but you will learn a ton in the process. The hope is simply that you leave with something that you didn’t know you could create before. Wednesday, August 10th from 5:30-7:30pm in Brooklyn.