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During the summer in Maine there are more things to do than you can possibly fit into your busy schedule, but in the winter, if you're not an outdoor enthusiast, there seems to be little to do to while away the long, dark hours and days.

Why not take a cooking class? A number of Maine restaurants and kitchen stores offer one-time cooking classes that last an afternoon or an evening. Some classes are demo only--you'll watch a culinary expert prepare the dishes and you walk away with the recipe and some cooking tips.

Other classes, usually those offered by restaurants, let you work directly with a culinary specialist doing hands-on preparation of a meal of three to five courses while you learn cooking techniques and recipes.

Here are a few places in southern and midcoast Maine that offer cooking classes:

Portland Public Market

During the fall, winter, and spring, the Portland Public Market offers cooking programs for the whole family. Cooking classes are held in the Public Market's state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen, a private room on the mezzanine level. Learn great recipes and cooking tips while sampling the chefs' creations. These classes are demonstration, not direct participation. Call (207) 228-2001 to register.

Stonewall Kitchen

Stonewall Kitchen in downtown Portland and other company stores around New England offers a Celebrity Chef Series. Cooking Classes cost $50 and include recipe tastings, a printed menu packet, product samples, and 10% off any store purchase made that day. See Stonewall Kitchen's Web site for the schedule of classes.

The Robinhood Free Meetinghouse Restaurant

From mid-October to mid-May, The Robinhood Free Meetinghouse in Georgetown (just minutes from Bath), one of Maine's finest five-star restaurants, offers Cook Without Fear classes, taught by Chef/Owner Michael Gagné. Get eight or more of your friends together, decide on a menu, and work side-by-side with Chef Gagné preparing and eating a complete five-course meal acccompanied by fine wine. Classes are $60 per person. Call 207-371-2188 for more information or to schedule a class.

Cape Neddick House

From November to May, the Cape Neddick House, an 1885 Victorian farmhouse turned Bed and Breakfast on ten acres in the coastal town of York, Maine, offers at least two cooking classes per month as part of a weekend package. For $295 you receive two nights lodging, full breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning, 2 1/2-hour cooking class Saturday evening (must have a minimum of six people) followed by eating the three courses prepared in the class, and the recipes for all dishes. A cooking class weekend can be arranged by getting three or more couples together and choosing your own date, or you can sign up for one of the monthly classes arranged by the inn. Call 207-363-2500 for a schedule of classes.

Now You're Cooking: A Cook's Emporium

Now You're Cooking is a delightful kitchen store in downtown Bath, filled with pots, pans, dishes, cooking utensils, small appliances, cookbooks, and an in-store kitchen where guest chefs demonstrate a variety of dishes and techniques in small classes (from five to eight people). See their Web site for a schedule of classes or call 207-443-1402 for more information.

Learn a new skill or recipe at one of these cooking classes and impress your friends or family at your next get-together.

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