All upcoming Culinary Arts programs

Explore the rich diversity of Walla Walla Valley as it celebrates 40 years since becoming an appellation. Sommelier Erik Segelbaum leads you in discovering the nuances in aroma, flavor profiles, and aging potential of select Walla Walla Valley wines and gaining a deeper appreciation for this renowned wine region of Washington State.

A day-long visit to the Brandywine Museum of Art led by art historian Bonita Billman brings the landscape of Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley to life and offers an opportunity to explore a trio of special exhibitions, featuring works by Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth, and Karl J. Kuerner—plus the Andrew Wyeth house and studio and Kuerner Farm (open to public tours for only a few days of the year). (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Celebrate spring with a delicious evening at Shilling Canning Company, a modern Mid-Atlantic restaurant where executive chef Reid Shilling serves his take on seasonal cuisine highlighting ingredients from around the Chesapeake. His specially designed menu for the event showcases locally sourced, creatively inspired dishes­—all in the restaurant’s spirit of sharing the bounties of the Bay region. Sommelier Erik Segelbaum, who leads Smithsonian Associates’ popular Wine Adventures series, pairs wines with the courses and joins chef Shilling to talk about the food and drink.

Winemakers in Chile are amid a new era of innovation, modernization, discovery, and rejuvenation—leading to some of the most exciting wines the country has ever known. Sommelier Erik Segelbaum and Amanda Barnes, author of The South American Wine Guide, reveal why Chilean wine has never been better. The immersive program includes a curated personal tasting kit to enhance the experience.

One of the biggest food trends today is a traditional Japanese ingredient called koji, the mold-inoculated grains responsible for miso, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and a host of other ingredients. Although it has been a culinary mainstay in Asia for centuries, it's only recently that Western chefs have started catching on to its transformative powers as a seasoning and a curing agent. Takashi Sato, an eighth-generation member of the founding family of a tamari and miso brewery, shares how koji creates the flavors behind your favorite Japanese foods. After the presentation, savor the secret ingredient as you sample foods and beverages that have been flavored with koji.

In colloquial Lebanese Arabic, “ilili” means “tell me” —and it’s always an invitation. Take advantage of your invitation to visit The Wharf in Southwest Washington and break fresh pita at ilili DC in a three-course lunch designed exclusively for Smithsonian Associates. Chef and owner Philippe Massoud and executive chef Satinder Vij are on hand to introduce the menu, which includes mezze, an entrée, and dessert.

Singapore’s culinary identity is defined by its hawker centers, large food markets ringed by stalls that serve everything from full meals to snacks and drinks. Singaporean chef Danny Ng Wei Jun takes over the kitchen of D.C.’s Michelin-starred Cranes for a four-course dinner developed specially for Smithsonian Associates that features a menu that reflects and honors the history of Singapore’s hawker culture.

Singapore’s culinary identity is defined by its hawker centers, large food markets ringed by stalls that serve everything from full meals to snacks and drinks. Singaporean chef Danny Ng Wei Jun takes over the kitchen of D.C.’s Michelin-starred Cranes for a four-course dinner developed specially for Smithsonian Associates that features a menu that reflects and honors the history of Singapore’s hawker culture.

Whether their fortunes were old or new, members of Gilded Age society reveled in hosting and attending teas, cotillions, lawn parties, luncheons, and formal dinners—all of which had their own codes of dress and manners. Even picnics were served on fine china. Food historian Francine Segan highlights the variety of foods, elaborate etiquette, and entertainments enjoyed by the period’s upper crust.

Sommelier Erik Segelbaum spotlights New Zealand's commitment to viticultural sustainability and the country’s distinctive fusion of traditional and modern winemaking. Between unforgettable Pinot Noirs from the South Island, world-renowned Syrah and Bordeaux style blends from the North, and bright crisp whites, New Zealand has something for everyone. The immersive program includes a curated personal tasting kit to enhance the experience.