Martha Rose Shulman and Clifford A. Wright announce new class schedule at Venice Cooking School

You should cook at home more. You know it's true. So do renowned cookbook authors Martha Rose Shulman and Clifford A. Wright, which is why they founded Venice Cooking School. Their mission is simple: to encourage those who want to cook at home to do it more often. They also want to show you how to make cooking fun.

The chefs offer three series of cooking classes at their school at St. Joseph Center in Venice: Learn to Cook: Building a Repertoire; Mediterranean Cuisine; and Recipes for Health. Shulman and Wright are uniquely qualified to teach these particular classes as both have penned cookbooks on Mediterranean cooking ("Mediterranean Light" and "Mediterranean Harvest" by Shulman and "Mediterranean Feast" by Wright, for which he won the James Beard Award for Best Writing in Food). In addition Shulman writes the daily "Recipes for Health" column on nytimes.com; and both are charter contributors to food and wine website ZesterDaily.com.

The new roster of classes for February through May includes options titled Delicious Stews; Savory Mediterranean Pies; Mastering Salads and Salad Dressings; Meatless Main Dishes for Everyone; Unforgettable Pasta Classics for Beginners; and Quick Family Dinners in a Wok.

All classes are hands on, cost $70 to $80, and include samplings of the recipes with wine. There are two time slots for each: Wednesdays from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m. and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m.

Sign up soon for your favorite, because some options are already filling up.

Venice Cooking School, St. Joseph Center, 204 Hampton Drive, Venice. (323) 932-1632; www.venicecookingschool.com.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Martha Rose Shulman at home in her kitchen. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times