Canberra markets offer festive cooking lessons

We’re suckers for a heavy ham and pudding kind of Christmas, but there’s no question seafood is better suited to the Australian Christmas table.

If you want to head down this path but are not so accomplished with fish, Andrew Haskins at Three Seeds leads a class on the subject on Thursday, December 19. He will cover celebratory dishes for scallops, prawns, oysters and fish – a seafood antipasto for entree and a poached and decorated fish for main. 6pm-9.30pm, $145, plus $50 for a dinner guest, 6295 7722.

Cooking Co-ordinates at the Belconnen Markets is also offering Christmas demonstrations, focused on the sweet end. This Saturday, November 23, Jenny Stirzaker will demonstrate how to use fondant icing and royal icing and how to make holly out of modelling paste (noon and 1pm). On November 30, Stirzaker demonstrates how to make a gingerbread house (noon and 1pm).

And on December 14, the subject is making and decorating gingerbread trees (all demonstrations noon and 1pm). On December 21, Anne Varley will share her recipe for glazing a ham (11.30am-1.30pm). 6253 5132.