Education & Classes in Chino

After a course at Village Kitchen, accomplished chefs will inch closer to pro status, while those who've chopped more fingers than potatoes will have their clumsiness exorcised thanks to patient instruction from Village Kitchen's enlightened gurus of all things edible. Classes are held Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. (some classes are also offered on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.), while the theme varies from week to week. On Wednesday, February 2, learn to master the wok to easily turn out incredible delights such as Szechuan stir-fried green beans with ground pork. On Wednesday, March 9, discover the joys of pollotarianism with a complete tutorial in a four-course feast centered around a fennel pollen roast chicken with tarragon jus, or on Saturday, April 9, craft the perfect dessert including glazed lemon cake, custard éclair rings, or fudge pecan pie. You'll eat everything you make and get a beverage, so no one escapes hungry. Classes are limited to 18 people.

The sounds of spoon against bowl and knife against chopping board fill the classroom kitchen at Get Cooking 101 as expert instructors demonstrate proper techniques for turning ingredients into savory meals. Kids from age 6 to 18 craft a two- to three-course meal that includes dishes such as chicken pot pie, cheese-and-bacon quiche, and wonton wraps. Older students master the fundamental techniques of global cuisines, as appropriately aged chefs accompany class with their own bottles of wine that provide delicious culinary pairings as well as substitute rolling pins. Romance fills the air during Saturday singles or date night classes, where students collaborate to create chicken milanese with escarole salad and pickled red onions or cheese-and-lobster ravioli with parmesan crisps. Girls'- or guys'-night-out classes allow friends to get together to enjoy each others' company, crafting delicacies and learning how to reinforce doors and windows against unrelenting armies of processed foods.

Adopting the low-traffic skies above Riverside Municipal Airport as their classroom, the instructors at Riverside Flight Academy produce nearly every kind of civilian aviator. The academy is able to quickly determine whether recreational or commercial pilot hopefuls have what it takes to fly using simulators and fuel-efficient multi-engine training aircraft. Student aviators who show stellar piloting chops can matriculate into one of several career programs for commercial, sport, and airline transport pilots. The curriculum is overseen by chief pilot Johan Backlund, whose long career has totaled upwards of 4,000 hours of flight time as an instructor and more than 6,000 as a commercial and cargo pilot.