Join wildlife photographer Jonathan Lavan and cooking instructor Chris Toy for a fantastic weekend of photography and food. The retreat happens on the shores of Merrymeeting Bay in the Butler Head Nature Preserve. Come prepared for some nature walks with your cameras and hands on cooking lessons. A limited number of Air BNB style overnight accommodations with shared bathrooms are available for $100/weekend. Contact Chris Toy at christoy.net@gmail.com FMI.

Enjoy a weekend with your instructor, Chris Toy, the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian-fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Learn how to prepare a variety of recipes from Asia, Europe, and the Americas incorporating traditional and local ingredients. Each meal will actively engage cooks with the tools, techniques, and stories behind the dishes being created. 

Escape to a Grand Victorian Inn, the Harbor View House in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artist, cooks and creatives! All meals are included in the workshop fee plus special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops, including a private house concert by Grammy balloted sing-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordon Ward. Day students are welcome. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/.  This is an in-person retreat.

Join our immersive cooking class where you’ll learn the time-honored secrets behind New York’s iconic bagels. In this hands-on experience, you’ll craft your own bagel dough from scratch, knead it to perfection, and master the art of hand-rolling. As the dough transforms into those chewy, golden rings, we’ll guide you through the traditional boiling and baking process - the very same steps that make Brooklyn bagels legendary. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a curious food enthusiast, the class promises a delightful journey into bagel bliss. All ingredients, materials, equipment and recipes will be provided. Bagels contain gluten.

Join master wood carver Ken Wise and cooking instructor Chris Toy for a fantastic weekend of hands on Carving and Cooking instruction. Learn how to carve cooking utensils such as chopsticks, spatulas, and spoons. Then use them to prepare, cook, and eat some tasty Asian fusion recipes from Chris Toy’s cookbooks! The retreat happens on the shores of Merrymeeting Bay in the Butler Head Nature Preserve. A limited number of Air BNB style overnight accommodations with shared bathrooms are available for $100/weekend. Contact Chris Toy at christoy.net@gmail.com FMI.