The days of mint juleps and long Sunday lunches have faded into history, and despite the objections of Paula Deen, refined Southern cuisine offers more than the deep-fried options of years past. Martha Hall Foose's cookbook, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, encourages cooks to modernize Southern favorites without sacrificing flavor. This Thursday at Central Market, 5750 E. Lovers Lane, you can learn the secrets to preparing dishes that will even impress that cousin from Savannah, like black-eyed pea cakes and bourbon- and molasses-glazed hens. Pick up your spatula and head on over to the Market at 6:30 p.m. The class is $55 and includes a signed copy of Foose's book. For reservations, call 214-361-5754 or visit centralmarket.com.
Thu., Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m., 2011