Take A Cooking Class!

Do you like great food but don’t think you can cook?  Why not take a cooking class and upgrade your kitchen skills.  My wife and I have participated in at least a half dozen classes and have had a great time on each occasion.  Usually, we go with friends but last night we took a class on making ravioli by ourselves and left with some wonderful recipes, newly acquired skills and some leftovers.  We had a great time.  A lot of the mystery attached to being a great chef is brought down to the level of us mere kitchen mortals by watching someone prepare a dish right in front of you and letting you practice what’s being demonstrated.

If you want a truly enjoyable and different experience, why not take a cooking class.  You can probably find one close by, especially if there’s a college that offers a culinary program.  We are very fortunate to live in the Hudson Valley, which is home to the Culinary Institute of America, a top school for chefs that has a world-class reputation.  Truth be told, we would be intimidated to take a class there and most of their programs are for a few days rather than just a single evening.  We went to a culinary studio just outside of Albany and were taught some amazing things by Chef Gio.  The Gio Culinary Studio in Voorheesville, New York is operated by the highly acclaimed Chef Giovani Morina who has been running classes for almost twenty years.  He is talented, extremely knowledgeable and extremely engaging while he demonstrates his skills on almost any topic you can name.  From raviolis to cookies and from desserts to wonderful breads, salads and pizza, Chef Gio will make sure you come away with a tremendous amount of knowledge and never leave hungry.  He has built a wonderful establishment and offers a culinary adventure to Italy a few times a year that gets rave reviews from everyone who is lucky enough to secure a spot.  He has a passion for cooking and wine, and it shows.  If you’re anywhere near Albany, New York and want to take a cooking class, you can’t do better than this.  It’s like a night out at a great restaurant with entertainment and learning as additional courses.

But I’m sure there are cooking classes near you as well.  We have taken classes in a few different places including on a couple of cruises and have always had a great time and learned a little bit in the process.  Has it made us great cooks?  Great is a strong word but I do know that we have gotten great compliments on things we learned in class.  Our class on Paella, the classic dish from Spain, allowed us to prepare a wonderful meal for a couple who actually had taken the class with us.  They were very impressed and prepared their own evening from Spain.  It’s a wonderful way to learn about different cultures and cuisines without having to travel further than your kitchen.  When people say that they don’t have the money to travel, my suggestion always is to bring those places into your home through food and wine from that area.  There are also some excellent travel shows that give you a glimpse of a country in a way that is truly satisfying and enlightening.  During our pandemic shutdown, we watched Stanley Tucci travel through Italy and savor the tastes of the different regions of this wonderful country that we have been fortunate enough to get to.  We know from our own experience that a good show on travel can do a very nice job of getting to know a country.  But why not take a cooking class to complete the experience?  Learn a little bit of the language and you may find yourself saving up to take that trip that you always wanted.  We know a few people who have learned the language of their ancestors and made a trip to their “homeland” to get a true appreciation for their heritage.  It’s a wonderful thing to do.

Take a cooking class and discover your heritage!

But you can also just focus on the wonderful cuisines we have in our own country.  From the wonderful New England Chowders, the New York delicatessens, the Philadelphia cheesesteaks, the fried chicken from the south and the incredibly exciting tastes from New Orleans, you can spend a lifetime mastering some of these great recipes and we only covered half the country!  Take a cooking class and learn how to make “real” barbecue or Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.  And, please, don’t overlook the wine each area has to offer.  Did you know every state has at least one vineyard?  Wine is a perfect pairing with a nice meal and our daughter would be very upset if we didn’t mention that there are some pretty awesome cocktails to be enjoyed as well.  If you don’t want to take a cooking class, perhaps a session on bartending skills would be right up your alley!  Life is meant to be enjoyed, and food is a perfect way to journey through each week with friends and family and an appreciation for this wonderful world we are a part of.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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