Every time I announce my class schedule, I hear from bunches of you that you wish I could come and teach a class in your town. This summer, I’m going to be doing a bunch of traveling and teaching as a way to help promote my book and hopefully, I’ll be able to make a few of your wishes come true.

The first firmed up, official book-type dates I have to announce are those in Seattle in early June. On Sunday, June 10 at 11 am, I’ll be at the Book Larder, doing a canning demo and book signing.

Then, on Monday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 12, I’ll be at The Pantry at Delancey, teaching a pair of identical classes that will feature four recipes/canning skills. We’ll be making gingered pickled sugar snap peas, slightly spicy pickled asparagus, rosemary rhubarb jelly (you can see the jam version of that recipe above) and strawberry vanilla jam. Those classes are filling up fast, so make sure to reserve your spot soon.

For those of you who don’t live in Seattle, I’m also currently working on events in Portland, Eugene, San Francisco, LA, Austin, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.

If your city isn’t on the list and you want me to come to your town, let me know. Because I’m funding this tour entirely on my own, what I’m trying to do is schedule pairs of paid classes and free events everywhere I go so as to help cover costs. If you can help me find ways to make that work, I’d love to hear from you.

Related Posts:

• Off to Seattle
• Sour Cherry Winner, Classes + More
• Upcoming Classes for February through May

January has been a blessedly quiet month for me. I haven’t taught a canning class since the beginning of December. It’s been a nice break, but it’s time to get things moving again.

If learning to can was one of your resolutions for 2012, you should come and take a class with me!

I have monthly Philadelphia-based canning class scheduled February through May (I plan on adding summer classes soon). These classes are on Saturday mornings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and cost $50. Students take home a jar of what we made in the class, as well as a printout of the recipe. These classes are all held at Indy Hall, 20 N. 3rd Street, in Old City.

February 4 – Meyer lemon jelly
March 3 – Blood orange marmalade
April 7 – Pickled asparagus
May 12 – Strawberry rhubarb jam

Currently, all these classes have availability but will all fill up. Email me at foodinjars@gmail.com to sign up!

I’m also teaching another class at the Kitchen Potager in Bucks County on April 14. We’ll be doing a pickled asparagus and vanilla rhubarb jam. Click here to register for that class.

Related Posts:

• Classes at The Pantry at Delancey in Seattle and an Event at the Book Larder
• Canning at The Kitchen Potager on November 12
• A Portland, OR Canning Class

It’s my final Philadelphia class of 2011!

On Saturday, December 3, come make cranberry marmalade with me at Indy Hall in Old City Philadelphia. Class is from 11 am to 1 pm and will include snacks of bread, goat cheese and jam. Since this class is so close to the holidays, we’ll be canning our marmalade up in 4 ounce jars, so that each attendee with take home two jars of the marm – one for gifting and one to keep.

Class fee is $45 and includes snacks, jars of jam and a copy of the recipe. To sign up, email me at foodinjars AT gmail . com.

Related Posts:

• Reminder: Food Writing Workshop
• Classes at The Pantry at Delancey in Seattle and an Event at the Book Larder
• Classes at The Kitchen Potager and Greensgrow

Teaching at Greensgrow on October 8

Time for a class reminder and an announcement!

First of all, there are still spots available in the class I’m teaching at The Kitchen Potager at Linden Hill Gardens on Saturday, November 12, from 1-4 pm. In that class we’ll make both an apple cranberry jam and a cranberry chutney.

Attendees will take home small jars of both preserves as well as a few tips on how to fancy up your jars for holiday giving. Cost is $45 per person and you can sign up by clicking here.

Second, I’m teaching another class at the Greensgrow Kitchen (the last one was on October 8, and it sold out so fast that I didn’t even get a chance to post it here).

This class is on Saturday, November 19, from 3-5 pm. We’ll make that same apple cranberry jam and I’ll make sure to talk about holiday canning and using your preserves on your Thanksgiving table. That class costs $35 per person and everyone leaves with a small jar of the jam we made. To sign up, send an email to kitchen@greensgrow.org.

Related Posts:

• Classes at The Pantry at Delancey in Seattle and an Event at the Book Larder
• Cranberry Marmalade Class at Indy Hall on December 3
• Reminder: Food Writing Workshop

This Saturday, Tenaya and I launch our little pair of food blogging workshops. There is still room in both sessions. Both classes will be held in the conference room at Indy Hall, 20 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA. Here are the details should you want to join us:

Food Blogging I : An Introduction
Sat., October 15, 10-1 p.m.
Indy Hall, $75, includes brunch
Instructors: Marisa McClellan & Tenaya Darlington

Want to launch a food blog, or spice up the one you’ve already started? Spend a morning developing your culinary identity. We’ll give you an anatomy lesson of good blog components, talk photo gear, explore trends and niches, plus brainstorm future posts with you. This is a hands-on class. You will eat muffins. You will take lots of notes. When you leave, you’ll have all the tools to start blogging with a clear vision of the food story you want to share.

Food Blogging II: Ethics & Etiquette
Sat., Nov. 5, 10-1p.m.
Indy Hall, $75, includes breakfast
Instructors: Marisa McClellan & Tenaya Darlington

So you’ve been blogging for a while, but you’re wondering how to get noticed. And you’re worried your posts might be too long. And you think you might want to run advertising? In this 3-hour workshop, we’ll run through Blog Ethics 101 and help you think through the choices ahead. We’ll also look at several case studies of successful bloggers who have landed book deals and launched full-blown careers in writing. It’s not just about branding, it’s also about understanding the ethics and etiquette around posting recipes, photos, and comments. Consider this your baptism into the pro blogger community.

Related Posts:

• Cranberry Marmalade Class at Indy Hall on December 3
• A Pair of Food Blogging Classes with Madame Fromage
• Classes at The Pantry at Delancey in Seattle and an Event at the Book Larder

Looks like we’re on for the demo at Linvilla Orchards tomorrow at 4 pm. If you’re free, come on out and say hi!

Related Posts:

• Saturday’s Demo at Linvilla Orchards Cancelled
• Demos, Classes, Can-It-Forward and Canning Week on Simple Bites
• Seattle Canning Class Update

I mentioned this awhile back, but it was in a long list of other classes, so it’s time to shine a little light on a fun event. On Saturday, November 12, I’m partnering with The Kitchen Potager at Linden Hill Gardens to teach a class on canning holiday gifts.

We’ll make make an apple cranberry jam and a cranberry chutney (perfect for serving with your Thanksgiving chutney). Attendees will take home small jars of both preserves as well as a few tips on how to fancy up your jars for holiday giving. Cost is $45 per person and you can sign up by clicking here.

Hope to see a few of you there!

Related Posts:

• Classes at The Pantry at Delancey in Seattle and an Event at the Book Larder
• Upcoming Classes for February through May
• A Portland, OR Canning Class

I started blogging in February 2005. In actual years, that’s not so long ago, but in internet years, it’s at least two lifetimes. I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words for wide swath of online sites (most of them having to do with food, Philadelphia or food in Philadelphia). I’ve launched, run, edited, managed and even closed blogs.

I know a little bit about this blogging thing.

Next month, I’m teaming up with Tenaya Darlington (you might know her as Madame Fromage), to teach a pair of workshops about food blogging at Indy Hall. The first session is geared to those who are newer to the food blogging world or haven’t even started a blog yet. The second workshop will be a bit more advanced and is the perfect thing for those who need a bit of grounding and focus. Both sessions will leave you motivated, excited and happily fed (of course, I’ll be bringing jam). We hope a few of you will join us!

Food Blogging I : An Introduction
Sat., October 15, 10-1 p.m.
Indy Hall, $75, includes brunch
Instructors: Marisa McClellan & Tenaya Darlington

Want to launch a food blog, or spice up the one you’ve already started? Spend a morning developing your culinary identity. We’ll give you an anatomy lesson of good blog components, talk photo gear, explore trends and niches, plus brainstorm future posts with you. This is a hands-on class. You will eat muffins. You will take lots of notes. When you leave, you’ll have all the tools to start blogging with a clear vision of the food story you want to share.

Food Blogging II: Ethics & Etiquette
Sat., Nov. 5, 10-1p.m.
Indy Hall, $75, includes breakfast
Instructors: Marisa McClellan & Tenaya Darlington

So you’ve been blogging for a while, but you’re wondering how to get noticed. And you’re worried your posts might be too long. And you think you might want to run advertising? In this 3-hour workshop, we’ll run through Blog Ethics 101 and help you think through the choices ahead. We’ll also look at several case studies of successful bloggers who have landed book deals and launched full-blown careers in writing. It’s not just about branding, it’s also about understanding the ethics and etiquette around posting recipes, photos, and comments. Consider this your baptism into the pro blogger community.

Related Posts:

• Reminder: Food Writing Workshop
• A Cheese’n Pickles Tasting with Madame Fromage
• Cranberry Marmalade Class at Indy Hall on December 3

This one is for all you Philadelphia-area folk! On Wednesday, September 21, I’ll be giving a canning talk/demonstration at the Restaurant School of Philadelphia as part of Slow Food Philadelphia’s annual seminar series.

I’ll be talking about all the basics of canning and will demonstrate a batch of spiced plum jam. Questions will be answered, preserved food will be tasted and wine will be poured. The seminar costs $20 per person and you can register through Brown Paper Tickets.

In other event-based news, there are still spots in both of this Sunday’s (September 18) canning events. Choose between a jam and pickles class at 12 noon at Cook or the cheeses and preserves pairing that Madame Fromage and I are hosting at Wedge + Fig at 4 pm.

Related Posts:

• Classes at The Pantry at Delancey in Seattle and an Event at the Book Larder
• Cranberry Marmalade Class at Indy Hall on December 3
• Classes at The Kitchen Potager and Greensgrow

Dear Portland. I am coming to visit you in just a couple short weeks. I am going to eat a Pok Pok (fish! sauce! wings!), dig for treasure at the bins and attend my 10 year college reunion out in Walla Walla (I’m still not certain how I got to be this old).

I am also going to teach a canning class at Kitchen Cru. It’s on Tuesday, October 4 from 7-9 p.m. and costs $60 to attend. We’ll make pear vanilla jam and I’ll answer every canning question you have (even the ones you think are too silly to ask. Nothing is too silly).

I’ll bring some bread and goat cheese and you’ll swoon when you taste hot pear vanilla jam on top of crusty baguette and creamy chevre. You’ll even get to meet my mom.

Click here to sign up.

Related Posts:

• Classes at The Pantry at Delancey in Seattle and an Event at the Book Larder
• Upcoming Classes for February through May
• Pickles and Potlucks