Have you taken cooking classes?

working poor_IHB

working poor_IHB

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Have you taken cooking classes?



If yes, how many and what cuisine?



I am thinking of offering private cooking classes to groups of five to ten in your home over a four or five week period. The class would be themed to a particular countries cuisine with a "Potluck" with entertainment for the final class to include each student's family.



Would you want the class to be hands on or presentation style? I will also include coupons (Restaurant, Cook Books, Cooking utensil's, etc.) to recoup some of the cost of the class. The final two classes would be part of the tuition with no additional cost other than alcohol and student prepared items.



Proposed schedule:

Class one: hors d'oeuvres

Class two: Soup's and Salad's

Class three: Main Course's

Class four: Dessert's

Class five: Lunch or Dinner at a restaurant matching the Country cuisine.

Class six: Student potluck with entertainment from the "Theme" country. (Student family invited.)



Any feedback would be appreciated. Looking for a new revenue stream in an area I have some expertise.



Thank you,

Mike
 
Thank you for the feedback.



As for location, I am thinking of buying a home in Shady Canyon to have the space, JUST KIDDING...



Class size would be dictated by the space available. In the past I have had as many as five students in a cramped space and it worked well, but not ideal. I am looking at a couple of Adult School locations and Churches with large kitchens. As for bringing in additional equipment, to be honest the funds are not there to go that direction.



In response to the local restaurant, I feel this is important to open the student's eyes to other styles and taste. Yes it would be a "Chef's Table".



I feel the "Pot Luck" with entertainment is a must. I think it is important to be immersed in the culture of the cuisine you are experiencing. It will also give the people in attendance a taste of what could be catered for future events.



Keep in mind that I am looking to make this an event, not just an in and out class. I have other ideas that I have not mentioned yet (Still negotiating some items to include.)
 
Churches are a great idea. They are looking for additional funding sources and you could provide that. Most have very large industrial type kitchens (although not the greatest appliances) so space wouldn't be a problem. Their kitchens go unused most of the time.
 
IAC club houses are perfect for something like that. For instance, ours here has a big loft area with a big open kitchen w/ bar and seating. Full kitchen set-up with all appliances and a dining and living room area with balcony. It sounds like fun. I have never taken a cooking class (unless you count attending Pampered Chef shows plus watching Food Network and following along making their recipes.)
 
I would say definitely hands on. Watching others do things gets boring. If you want to make it a really good experience make sure the class leaves with more than they came in with beyond food in tupperware. Maybe offer some tips on selecting meats and produce or pairing wines with the food you make. Think about the things you do as second nature that may not be obvious to most people, and be sure to point them out. I've taken a couple via continuing ed classes, one for Italian themes and one for Chinese. I'm a big fan of taking night classes for things that interest me. However, of all the classes I've taken I found the cooking ones to have the least value to my cooking skills, though they were the most social. As far as I can recall we followed the recipes that were handed out in class. Anyone can do that, and anyone can find recipes online or buy a book. I go to classes to learn the "tricks of the trade" that often don't come across in books and aren't common knowledge. The instructors for my other classes have decades of experience and have probably forgotten more about their trades than I'll ever know. At least one of the cooking instructors seemed like she was just there for an extra paycheck, and from talking to others in the class I think everyone agreed. If you have some real expertise then you already have a leg up.
 
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