This class, led by Rachel Portnoy on Friday, April 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., will focus on demystifying plant-based ingredients and recipes, resulting in incredible flavor combinations to taste and explore. Participants will explore vegan, vegetarian and veggie-forward appetizers, main dishes and desserts to satisfy all tastebuds!

Rachel Portnoy started out as a vegetarian cook as a graduate student in the 1990s, and then moved on to specialize in pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in London. She worked at French fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, Washington D.C. and London, as well as at fine restaurants and bakeries in France. In 2002, Rachel and her husband, French chef Franck Tessier, opened Cakewalk Bakery and Chez Nous Restaurant in Lee, Mass. Rachel now works as a culinary and baking instructor/demonstration chef at Canyon Ranch.