When considering taking a cooking class it is important to find a class that will be of the most benefit to you. There are a wide variety of cooking classes available and finding the best one for you can be intimidating. Here are a few ‘what to look for?tips when considering a cooking class.
Class Size: Choose a cooking class with a limited number of students. Ten to twelve seems to be a good number. If the class has too many more than twelve it becomes hard to see and hear and easy to become distracted. If the class has too few participants you will miss out on the camaraderie and tips that the other students bring with them to class.
Menu: Choose a cooking class with a menu that appeals to you and has interesting recipes. You also want to have clear and concise instructions. When you leave class you want to take with you a complete and thorough instruction set so that when you go to cook at home you are able to replicate what you learned in class.
Copy of Recipes: Choose a cooking class that allows you to take home the recipes. If you have to rely solely on notes and memory it is likely that you will forget key steps in the recipes.
Room Set Up: Choose a room where every student in the cooking class can see. If the room is set up like a traditional class room with the instructor up front then the cooking class students in the back may miss out. A room with a half circle of seating around the instructor is the optimum choice. This gives each cooking class student equal distance to viewing the instructor.
Enough Food: After the instructor prepares the recipes you will want to sample the menu. Make sure that the class offers enough food for each cooking class student to sample. Many classes allow the students to prepare meals while in class, this is a preferred class. This way you have the advantages of preparing the meal with the instructor on hand and the there being plenty of food to taste.
Quality of Instruction: Your cooking class instructor should be clear, concise and knowledgeable. When a question is asked you want to have an instructor who can answer the question. The instructor should also be able to communicate with the everyday cook. If you find an instructor who is using terminology that you do not understand ask questions, remember this cooking class is for you.
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com