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Fresh Sheet

Classes feature Hatch chiles

Hatch chiles, cultivated in New Mexico and a favorite among lovers of flavor and heat, have arrived at Spokane’s De Leon Foods.

The deli and grocery store will host cooking classes featuring three dishes highlighting the chiles: green chile stew, green chile enchiladas and stuffed green chiles with picadillo.

The New Mexico peppers range in hotness from very mild to very spicy.

While they’re more available in the Southwest, the peppers are harder to come by elsewhere in the U.S.

Class instructors are Lynne Wiedemann, of CookWithUs.com, and Mike Gonzalez (pictured), of the Hispanic Food Network.

Artisan green chile bread, chips and salsa and agua frescas will be served, with beer available.

The classes run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28. Register at www.cookwithus.com; call (208) 665-0282 for more information.

Cost: $45 a person.

De Leon Foods is at 102 E. Francis Ave.

Gourmet Way classes, tasting

Gourmet Way, a food, wine and cooking store in Hayden, plans three events in upcoming weeks.

• Next Wednesday: Chef Steve Geving will teach an “All About Crepes” class from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting with a versatile crepe recipe, Geving – a retired master chef living in Blanchard, Idaho – also will teach participants how to prepare gourmet fillings. The menu includes a crab-and- avocado concoction and a lemon-curd- and-cream crepe with strawberries.

• Sept. 11: A wine-tasting event from 5 to 7 p.m. will pair some unusual finds with appetizers, said the store’s wine buyer, Heather Runge. One example of the former: a Bukettraube wine, made from a variety of white grape of German origin. Participants will receive instructions for re-creating the appetizers at home.

• Sept. 28: An Oktoberfest cooking class, also taught by Geving, will feature German dishes prepared and/or served with German beer, such as dumplings “stuffed with all sorts of deliciousness,” Runge said.

The cooking classes cost $35 a person. Register by calling the store at (208) 762-1333. The wine-tasting event costs $10 (no charge for members of the store’s wine club); no registration required.

Gourmet Way is at 8222 Government Way in Hayden.