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Liberty Prairie Dinners Feature Hands-On Food Prep Lessons
- Bob Benenson
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Rising Star Chefs to Teach and Cook at the Grayslake Non-Profit
I am always happy to promote events presented by Liberty Prairie, a non-profit based in Grayslake in far northeastern Illinois that focuses on food and farm education. I'm especially happy to promote their two upcoming events that feature local culinary artists — and friends of Local Food Forum — who will not only be cooking dinner for the guests but will be leading them through hands-on cooking lessons.
Both events will take place at The Blue Schoolhouse at 32470 Harris Rd. in Grayslake.
First up, next Tuesday (August 12) from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. is a Farm-to-Table Dinner and Gazpacho Demo featuring Chef Sebastian White — founder of The Evolved Network, a Chicago non-profit that provides food education, cooking lessons and life skills to underprivileged youths.
Here's how Liberty Prairie describes the event:
Join Chef Sebastian White for a Refreshing Summer Gazpacho Demonstration and Farm Fresh Supper. Step into a perfect evening as Chef Sebastian guides you through the art of crafting a vibrant and refreshing gazpacho. This hands-on culinary experience is a celebration of seasonal flavors, local produce, and the connection between food, land, and community.
During this immersive demonstration, you’ll explore techniques for building flavor, balancing freshness, and creating a dish that speaks to the essence of summer. Afterward, enjoy a guided wagon ride and farm tour, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the land and ingredients that bring the meal to life.
Return to the table for a relaxed and thoughtful farm-fresh supper inspired by the day’s harvest. This is more than a cooking class; it’s an invitation to connect with the food, the land, and each other.
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Sebastian White is a Liberty Prairie Board Member and the founder of The Evolved Network, NFP, and Evolved Kitchen and Garden, LLC. Sebastian is a youth leader and chef who inspires students through food and the cooking process. He weaves lessons of culinary arts, gardening, and financial literacy to create transformative and transcending insights and growth.
As a chef, he was nominated by acclaimed Chef Paul Kahan as a “Chef to Watch” in 2024 in Insidehook Magazine, was featured in Mariano’s Chicago Chefs Cookbook, and recognized as a Mariano’s Tastemaker in Chicago Magazine. Most recently, he was listed as one of The 6 Best Private Chefs In Chicago, by Modern Luxury and Chicago Social Magazine.
Next up, on Tuesday, September 16 (also 6-8:30), is Liberty Prairie's Farm-to-Table Dinner plus Mole Making Demonstration, featuring Chef Ernesto Rodriguez of Evanston-based El Molcajete Sauces.
Join Chef Ernesto and his family for an unforgettable Mole Making Class! This immersive, hands-on experience will teach you the art of preparing this rich and complex Mexican dish and offer you a taste of the vibrant Oaxacan culture, where mole is a true celebration of life.
You will learn step by step how to create traditional mole sauce, discovering why Oaxaca is affectionately known as "The Land of the 7 Moles." You'll get the chance to roast and grind an array of ingredients, including chiles, nuts, seeds, spices, chocolate, and fruit. It's a fantastic opportunity to master the art of balancing flavors, from smoky and spicy to subtly sweet, achieving the perfect thickness for your mole.
As the mole simmers to perfection, we'll also prepare some delicious accompanying dishes such as chicken, rice, and beans. To enhance the experience, we'll sip on Oaxacan-style beverages and delve into discussions about the rich culture and culinary heritage of Oaxaca, often hailed as the food capital of Mexico.
This class is more than just a cooking lesson; it's about embracing the joy of creating a deeply flavorful and complex sauce that has been passed down through generations. By the end of this session, you'll have a greater understanding of this essential part of Mexican culinary tradition and how food plays a pivotal role in our celebration.
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Chef Ernesto is the proprietor of El Molcajete Sauces. His favorite childhood memory was helping his mom make mole sauce from scratch every Sunday for dinner with his 5 siblings. Her mole preparation began on Friday and everything was blended by hand on a metate (or mealing stone) grinding the ingredients to make a perfect sauce. When Ernesto became a father, he started the same tradition with his family every Sunday. You can taste his care in every jar of Mole Sauce (which is for sale in Liberty Prairie’s Farm Store).
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