We start our journey in Thailand with Hot and Sour Soup. Then we'll move west to India where we'll pick up a Vegetable Curry. Our main port of call will be Greece, where we'll have delicious Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki (yogurt-cucumber sauce). Our final stop will be France, for some French Crèpes for dessert. You will learn to make this low-fat and healthy meal using only locally available ingredients.

Decipher the language of Moroccan couscous and its exotic and flavorful accompaniments. Learn with ingredients you can find right here in Fort Collins. We'll make Chick Pea Soup; Couscous with Lamb, Chicken and Spicy Sausages (the famous one with over 30 ingredients); Zucchini Salad; Beet Salad; and a surprise dessert.

How many kinds of whole grains do you include in your diet on a regular basis? Come and find out what you've been missing! We will discuss, prepare and sample some truly whole grains that have sustained humanity for centuries, and that you're sure to love. We will be using Barley Primavera; Quinoa, Mediterranean Style; Kasha with Leeks and Toasted Pecans; Wild Rice with Apricots and Almonds; Cuccia (Wheat Berries with Ricotta and Honey, a classic Italian dish). We will make the ricotta cheese.

On a recent culinary tour of Thailand, Barb was awed by the bold flavors and clever use of ingredients by the Thai people. She would love to share a few of these easily prepared, authentic dishes that can be easily duplicated at your home. You will fall in love with these healthy, flavor-packed recipes that are simple, yet a complete departure for the adventurous cook:  Cellophane Noodle Salad, Pomelo Salad, String Beans with Fresh Ginger, Thai Greens, Grilled Chicken with Hot-Sweet Dipping Sauce and Sticky Rice, Satin Custard, and Thai Coffee.

Pink and green are the most evocative colors of Spring appetizers: pink for shrimp, green for chives, artichokes, English peas, and asparagus. Preparing Poached Shrimp and Creole Rémoulade will allow us to weigh the merits of wild versus farmed shrimp, fresh versus frozen, and discover a fool-proof technique for poaching shrimp. We'll bake a French Ginger Shrimp Timbale served warm with a Crème Fraiche Chive Sauce. Shrimp and Artichoke Gratin is the perfect way to learn the correct technique for sautéeing. Next, we abandon the pink of shrimp for the bright green of Fresh English Pea Soup, delicious either hot or cold. The king and queen of green are two asparagus dishes: a quick stir fry with sesame seeds, and the second a sauté with morels, shallots, crème fraiche and Marsala.

Spring is strawberry season, and time for desserts ranging from pink to bright red. We will begin by discussing issues related to flavor, including size, freshness, packaging and refrigeration. The first use for our berries will be in what I think might be the very best recipe for American Strawberry Shortcake. Along the way we will discuss delicious flavorings for macerating the berries, such as liqueurs, vinegars, and extracts. We will make two versions of Strawberry Tart, one with an almond crust and apricot glazed berries, and the other with a crunchy chocolate crust filled with a strawberry cream  and topped with a strawberry mirror. We will then make a Strawberry Cloud using fresh angel food cake and strawberry Bavarian Cream. This is a molded dessert and is served with Strawberry Coulis. We will finish with an intensely Strawberry Ice Cream, tripling up with chopped berries, jam and essence.