Cooking With Spirits, the Best Kind of Cooking Class

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

A few weeks ago I attended my first cooking class and I loved it so much that I’m beyond excited to share it with you! My friend Kate and I are often found in the kitchen together so when I drove by cooking school, Culin Aerie, in downtown DC I instantly made my carpool buddy jot down the details so I could so some research. How had I never spotted this gem before? After a quick web search (I wanted to be sure it was a participation class, not a demo!) and a phone call to Kate, we had signed up for an evening class called “Cooking With Spirits” with chef Amanda Page.

The day came and I had no idea what to expect. I was just hoping for some hands-on experience and perhaps a spirit or two myself. The class was all that and so much more! If you’ve never taken a class and enjoy the kitchen than I definitely recommend it. I learned many new techniques and dusted the cobwebs off a few others I had long since forgotten. Knowledge like how to slice an onion quick and efficiently (meaning less tears) and what the heck you can do with figs, isn’t info that just comes naturally, at least not to me.

Amanda the instructor, who in all honestly was all kinds of amazing, would demo each course one at a time and then we would recreate it with our partner. Then, now here’s the best part, you get to eat your hard work while sipping on a glass of wine. Repeat for about three more courses and I was one stuffed happy camper! Cooking with spirits was no laughing matter. We took our figs marinated in port, cognac seared scallops, red wine mushroom ragout and vanilla ice cream with a walnut rum sauce very seriously….and ate every bite!

And while I would highly recommend Culin Aerie for anyone in the DC area, there is usually a great place to get schooled in every town. I know the Arlington, VA Sur La Table also has great participation classes. So how ’bout it, what’s your dream cooking class? Any suggestions on what I should take next?