Meet Brittany Heyen and her German grandmother Elona

You may have met Brittany Heyen at one of our pop-up dinners in the past year. Brittany was the server and all-around helper who made sure the food arrived hot, your wine glasses were never empty, and your needs in the dining room were met. So when Brittany said she wanted to be the chef du jour and cook up some German dishes inspired by her grandmother's recipes, we absolutely said yes. And since the annual Oktoberfest season is upon us, we thought she should do it twice.

First up is our Oktoberfest Feast in Munich pop-up dinner on Sunday, September 22. As is our tradition, we'll be serving up a multi-course dinner complete with imported German beers and wines for one fixed price (unlike at restaurants, all taxes and tip are included as well). This time, 16 guests will be invited to celebrate Oktoberfest in a private party room in downtown Urbana where we'll create a Bavarian beer hall atmosphere with communal-style dining. Brittany's grandmother Elona will also be there to help us celebrate the largest folk festival in the world. Seating is limited, reserve now: germany@cooking-with-paul.com

Later, on Thursday, October 10, Brittany will be co-teaching a German Oktoberfest Feast cooking class at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center. This dinner-party-style demonstration class is part of my long-running series called "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" where we travel the world cooking up the tastiest ethnic dishes we can find. Do come hungry and thirsty because the tuition includes a multi-course dinner with beer and wine pairings during the second half of the class when we will be eating everything that was cooked that evening. Registration for these classes and all other Urbana Park District fall events opens on August 7, 2024 at 10am. Full menus and details are here: www.cooking-with-paul.com/upd-2024-fall.html

Brittany Heyen is a graphic designer and fiber artist who grew up in Paxton, IL. She will be cooking up traditional German recipes that she has been practicing alongside her German grandmother who grew up in Bavaria and emigrated to the USA when she was 21 years old. Elona brought her taste of home with her and passed her palette on, cooking for Brittany when she would visit after school. Meet Elona at both events and come taste an authentic traditional German feast of homemade treats!

More information about my cooking classes and pop-up events can always be found on my website, where you'll also find over 150 recipes from my classes (no ads!). You can also subscribe to my email newsletter or follow me on Instagram or Facebook and like my posts. Bon appétit!