Today

Rustic Italian Cooking: Italian Holiday Suppers with Francesca Giarraffa. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor. The menu features a holiday meal of spaghetti with clam sauce, salmon fillet, cod fritters, roasted scampi, broccoli florets and a traditional holiday sponge cake .Tuition is $39, plus a mandatory materials fee of $15. www.wccnet.edu.

HARC 8th Annual Wine Cellar. 6:30 p.m. METAL, 220 Felch St., Ann Arbor. On World AIDS Day, Benefiting the HIV/AIDS Resource Center (HARC). Enjoy a tasting of holiday wines provided by Everyday Wines, appetizers prepared by local caterers, rich European style chocolates and live jazz performed by the Jesse Kramer Trio. Raffle features over one hundred bottles of wine donated by local celebrities, sports figures, wine collectors and bon vivants and autographed with their personal story of the wine. $50 in advance; $60 at the door; raffle tickets $10 each. hivaidsresource.org/winecellar/.

(un)Corked - Wine Tasting -- The Languedoc-Rousillon. 7:30 p.m. Alley Bar, 112 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. The Languedoc-Rousillon is a region in southern France that produces the majority of wine in all of France. Hosts Andrew Gorsuch and Jorge Lopez Chavez plan to explore Corbieres, Minervois, Faugeres, Coteaux du Languedoc, and maybe a Picpoul de Pinet to have a white represented. $10 includes sampling of five different wines. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. 734-662-8757.

Holiday Cookie Baking. 2-4:30 p.m. Pittsfield Grange, 3337 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor. Each person will take home several varieties of cookies -- you'll be contacted about what to bring. Free for Grange members, $5 for nonmembers. www.preservingtraditions.org.

Thursday Night Rush Hour Relief at the Wine Bar. 5-8:30 p.m. Cranbrook Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor. An exploration of wine, cheese and appetizers. This week's topic: Pinot Noir.

Saturday

Tasting: Wines of Northern Italy. 2-4 p.m. Morgan & York, 1928 Packard, Ann Arbor. Taste three estate-bottled wines from Veneto and the Piedmont. Free, no registration required. 734-662-0798.

Gingerbread Decorating Event. 2-4 p.m. Morgan & York, 1928 Packard St., Ann Arbor. Come in and decorate a pre-made miniature gingerbread house, made from graham crackers, at our annual holiday kick-off. All proceeds go to Alpha House, which provides temporary shelter and supportive services for homeless families in our community. Free. A donation is greatly appreciated for Alpha House, or bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. Geared for for any age and especially kids 2-12 years old. 734-662-0798.

Learn to Make Fresh Mozzarella. Noon-2:30 p.m. Zingerman's Creamery, 3723 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor. Learn how to stretch your own from-scratch fresh mozzarella at home. First and third Saturday of each month, September through May. $60 (or $55 if paid in advance). Reservations required at 734-929-0500.

Saturday and Sunday

Weekend Wine Tasting. 2-6 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave. This weekend’s wines are Chateau Grand Claret Bordeaux Rouge and Cave de Rasteau Les Peyrrieres. Free. 734-975-4500.

Sunday

Bake-N-Take Holiday Cookies. 1-5 p.m. Ann Arbor Cooks, 5060 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. Join a group of fellow bakers and bake all of your holiday cookies in one afternoon! Make chocolate-dipped ginger florentines, pecan tassies, benne wafers, Mexican wedding cookies, lemon-vanilla shortbreads, spiced-nut palmiers and chocolate-malt sandwich cookies. $95. 734-645-1030 .

Ajiaco - Columbian Potato Soup with Elizabeth Marcano Kennedy. 1-2 p.m. Hollander's, 401 N. Fourth Ave., Kerrytown Shops, Ann Arbor. Ajiaco is a traditional Colombian potato soup made with chicken, large chunks of corn on the cob, two or three kinds of potatoes and guasca, an aromatic herb common in all of South America that lends the dish part of its distinctive flavor. The soup is typically served with heavy cream, rice, capers and avocado. $16. 734-741-7531.

Tours of the Creamery. 2 p.m. Zingerman's Creamery, 3723 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor. Cheesemaker and managing partner John Loomis gives the inside scoop on how they make artisan cheeses and old-fashioned gelato. $5. 734-929-0500.

Monday

Basic Knife Skills. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Cooks, 5060 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. This hands-on class will cover how to sharpen and care for your knives, as well as proper use. Learn the fundamental cuts, including mincing, dicing and battoneting, as well as breaking down a whole chicken. $65. 734-645-1030.

Milan Senior Nutrition Program. 11:45 a.m. Milan Senior & Community Activity Center, 45 Neckel Court. A nutritionally balanced meal offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Suggested donation of $2.50 for anyone who is 60 years or older and a fee of $5 for anyone under the age of 60. 48-hour advance reservations. Call or stop by the office. 734-439-1549.

Tuesday

Great Soups - Italian Style with Francesca Giarraffa. Noon-1 p.m. Hollander's, 401 N. Fourth Ave., Kerrytown Shops, Ann Arbor. Today, Francesca features a zucchini soup with the zucchini diced and sautéed, then simmered in a chicken based broth & basil served with crostini. Also, learn to make farro soup, an ancient grain soup simmered with vegetables and fresh herbs. $16. 734-741-7531.

Holiday Specialties Beer Tasting. 6 p.m. Arbor Brewing Co., 114 E. Washington, Ann Arbor. Two dozen great examples of festive brews will be served with an appetizer buffet. $30 in advance, $35 at the door. 734-213-1393.

Holiday Seafood Ideas. 5 p.m. Cranbrook Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor. We’ll provide tips and preparations for shrimp, oysters and seafood roasts and more. Free, but preregistration is required at 734-997-7500.

Lunch is Served. Noon-1 p.m. Turner Senior Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor. Repeats every Tuesday and Friday. Reservations are required with two days prior notice. Suggested donation for those over 60 years of age is $2.50, for all others, $5. Call 734-998-9353 for reservations.

Wednesday

Gifts from the Kitchen. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Cooks, 5060 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. Make unique holiday gifts for your friends and family. Take home a sampling of sweet and salty spiced nuts; handmade chocolate truffles; chewy caramels; maple cinnamon granola and hand-painted cookie ornaments. $65. 734-645-1030.

Rustic Italian Cooking: Antipasti with Francesca Giarraffa. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave. Prepare and enjoy four traditional Italian appetizers: grilled bruschetta, sautéed asparagus tips, fresh artichoke hearts and crostini (topped with fontina cheese, toasted pine nuts, roasted peppers). $39 plus a mandatory fee of $15. www.wccnet.edu.

Wisconsin Cheese Dinner. 7 p.m. Zingerman's Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor. Zingerman’s Roadhouse chef Alex Young is joined by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board oral historian Ed Janus to host a dinner featuring dishes with Wisconsin cheese in each course. $45. Beverages available a la carte. Reservations required. 734-663-3663.

Wednesday Wine Tasting. 6:30 p.m. Paesano's Italian Restaurant, 3411 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor. Sample five up and coming wines from Italy, accompanied by appetizers. $25. www.paesanosannarbor.com.

Dec. 8

Small Dishes with Chef Brendan McCall of Mani Osteria. 7-8:30 p.m. Ann Arbor District Library- Taverwood Branch, 3333 Taverwood Drive, Ann Arbor. Join Chef Brendan McCall of Mani Osteria and learn the secrets of small dishes that pack big flavor and flair. Free. 734-327-4555.

Malai Kofta (vegetarian meatballs). 6:30-8:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave. Malai Kofta is India’s vegetarian alternative to meatballs, made from potatoes and vegetables and served in a thick, creamy sauce. It goes very well with Jeera Rice. Discover the delights of this classic Indian meal traditionally prepared. Instructor: Jyothi Abrahams. $39. Preregistration required at 734-994-2300 ext. 53203.

Thursday Night Rush Hour Relief at the Wine Bar. 5-8:30 p.m. Cranbrook Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor. An exploration of wine, cheese and appetizers. This week's topic: Cabernet Sauvignon. 734-997-7500.

To submit events for this calendar, e-mail calendar@annarbor.com.