Wonder why your steamed broccoli never turns out bright green? Or why cooked beets will dye your fingers red, but not roasted peppers? Should you use different dressings for red and green lettuce? (Hint: yes)

Color is a huge part of what makes food appealing. But it can be tricky getting your naturally colored dishes to come out with vibrant hues-- colors can bleed, fade, or turn brown without warning. This class will cover the basics of how pigments in plant foods work, and how to bring each color in the spectrum in your own recipes. Three tasty, colorful recipes will be demonstrated, and then subsequently devoured by hungry students. Students will sample and snack, ask colorful questions and leave with a packet of color-rich recipes. This class is for inquisitive cooks at all skill levels.

Renee is a classically trained pastry chef and obsessive researcher of all erudite foodie things. She didn't start out intending to study color in food. But with her background in both design and food, it really should not have come as a surprise to anyone. She writes the blog Kitchen Table Scraps, where you can see some of the colorful recipes she's dreamt up lately.