I took Chinese cooking classes back in the late 70's. $5.00 a lesson. She demonstrated different cutting techniques for a recipe, we ate it for lunch, she gave us a printed copy of the recipe, but most of all she ran a grocery store in her home. It was back in the day when you couldn't get the ingredients in your local grocery store. Every week she had a recipe that had all new ingredients, so of course, we had to buy them. She also sold bamboo steamers, woks and anything else we might need. The $5.00 was just a drop in the bucket. LOL It was really fun and I still use her recipes.

We took an afternoon cooking class while in Istanbul several years ago. It was fantastic and included a trip to the historical spice market. The food was delish, the host and chef interesting and we came home with spices to recreate the dishes at home. This lead to several turkish cookbooks added to the ever growing collection and new dining for friends and family. Very fun afternoon and I highly recommend it via Trip Advisor when anyone asks about it.

We plan to take a class while in Paris this spring.

M

I've taken a couple of specialized classes in things like cake decorating, and I finished the Master Canner's class through out extension service.

I've also learned the difference between a "class" and a "demonstration". I've experienced a couple of the former and several of the latter, where you just sit and watch the presenter do something, but you don't get to do anything yourself.

I enjoyed presentations by Tyler Florence and Ellie Krieger. Others were pretty boring and a couple were outright wastes of time.

KatieC and I also ran a three day canning class for forum members and TeresaNC gave a bread baking class, using the kitchen of a local bed and breakfast. I missed that one, but I heard it was lots of fun and very educational, involving wine and hot tubs at the end. (grin)

Annie

I've been taking food classes since I was a kid in 4-H in the early 1960's, and then eventually with EHU (Extension Homemakers Units) through our local County Extension Office as a young homemaker. They taught all kinds of great classes back-in-the-day (Greek, Irish, Bread-in-a-Bag, microwave cooking, home canning...), and now there are some really intensive Master Classes available.

These days I'm usually teaching food and nutrition classes instead of taking them; but I also see the trend of cooking with a mentor is getting a boost over the more formal classes. It's often easier for me to mentor one person, or 2-3 people at one time, than it is to try to do large classes.

I have also noticed classes trending towards things like home food preservation (canning, dehydrating, fermenting), bread classes are really popular, along with using whole grains and milling. The back-to-nature kinds of classes are much more popular than anything else just now.

-Grainlady

I participated in a few cooking classes when we lived in Grand Rapids, back in 1979. At the Pat Davis Cooking School. Pat was trained by Simone Beck.

The classes were held in Pat's beautiful home. The classes were all hands-on. Not just a demonstration. Only six to eight participants. In each class, Pat covered a particular technique and then we broke up into pairs and prepared a three course meal. Everyone got to participate in each step.

It is where I learned to bone out a whole chicken. At the end of the class we sat down to a lovely set table in Pat's dining room and enjoyed our meal. With wine. In some cases the dessert that we made was enjoyed by the next day's class and we got to enjoy the dessert made by the class from the day before. Everything was made from scratch.

When we moved back to Toronto, I went to one class by a highly respected chef/teacher. BUT, her classes were all demonstration, which wasn't much fun.

If anyone is thinking of taking a cooking lesson, try and fine one that allows full participation. Big difference between watching and actually doing.

OOOPS!!!!! That should be "find" not fine.

I would like to take a class on Chinese vegan cooking. They seem to understand how to make meat free foods taste better than anyone.

This past December and January I taught two Heritage Cooking classes on a wood stove from the 1920's. People were crazy to get in them. Each session sold out at 10ppl with a waiting list. If the kitchen was bigger I could have done more but it is in a 1920's historical site farm house kitchen and rather small. They did all the work, chopping, prep, cooking, everything. All I did was be sure they understood the recipes, and that no one burned the food or burned themselves, and they even washed all the dishes!

It was amazing to see how 10 strangers came together for a common purpose - lunch - and became friends over the course of a few hours. Then we all sat down and ate the food they had just prepared. They were so proud of themselves, and rightly so.

Steve

I took some cooking classes through 4-H as a child and would have taken Homemaking in high school if I had been allowed. I was forced to take one year of Vocational Agriculture (9th grade) and then transfered to another school, since I got my drivers' license at 14 and could drive myself to high school.

I did participate in Yoly's Greek cooking class a couple of years ago here in L.A., and I still have some raw video that I have never had time to edit properly. That was "hands on" and therefore very enjoyable, and I have continued to use techniques that I learned from Yoly. I've thought about taking an Indian cooking class here but have never scheduled the time. I learn fairly well from TV and record shows that I think are going to be useful. I think I would enjoy a Japanese or Vietnamese class.

Lars

I took one at a local liquor store. It was Italian themed. It was a demonstration that included appetizer, main course and dessert. It was a full dinner (which we didn't know) with an accompanying pairing wine. It was a great time. I also went to a free one at a local grocery store, which was pretty good and that also included a lunch with it.

Annie, I think the Tenseness get-together had the hot tubs, grin.

Lars, Phyllo Phun camp was great, I need to make some more of (Oly's/Yasou's) recipes!

I still want a knife skills class. I've taken hands-on and demonstration classes and learn from both. Lately we've been attending a 'Cooking with the Chef' class which has turned out to be mostly a wine and socialization evening - nothing wrong with that either!

Jessica, a "tenseness" get together? OK, now that's one of my favorite typos ever!

Annie

LOLOL serves me right for typing on a teeny tiny netbook where I can't read the auto correct suggestions

Only if 4-H and Home Ec could be considered 'cooking classes'.

I did enjoy the baking projects in 4-H.
The Home Ec class I had in high school
(wa-a-a-a-a-y back when)
was a joke.
Mainly because of a very poor teacher.
Although some of us did turn out some passable meals,
In spite of her.

The couple of demonstrations I've attended have been
Big disappointments.
Probably why I haven't attended more of them.

Rusty

I've never been formally trained in the culinary field. I longed for it. But my interest in cooking, baking and sugar arts began when I quit my job to become a stay-at-home mom.

With baby Sam on my shoulder, I explored and researched all subjects of interest.

However:) I must give credit to the CIM (Culinary Institute of Mom) for giving me the tools needed to survive in the kitchen. My paternal grandmother was also a great influence in my life.

Sol