If you still avoid any kind of cooking duties at home, that’s just sad. And claiming that your mother wouldn’t let you near the kitchen, much less teach you anything, is no excuse. There are loads of options, most of them inexpensive (and some free), for anyone willing to take knife in hand and learn to prepare something a little more challenging and appealing than a bologna sandwich.
Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Course
Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m., May 7-28: the Cancer Center, Parma
Community General Hospital, 6525 Powers Blvd., Parma; for information
contact Jessica Young at 440.743.2223. Mondays, 5:30-7:30 p.m., May
4-June 1 (except May 25): Fairview Hospital, 1st Floor Conference Room,
18200 Lorain Ave., Cleveland; contact Jean Ellsworth-Wolk at
216.476.7000.
Sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit the Cancer Project
(cancerproject.org), this free
series is designed to teach cancer prevention and survival through
better nutrition — specifically, a low-fat vegetarian diet. The
sessions are: Introduction to How Foods Fight Cancer; Fueling Up on
Low-Fat, High-Fiber Foods; Discovering Dairy and Meat Alternatives; and
Cancer-Fighting Compounds/Healthy Weight Control.
Cooking Thyme
King James Plaza, 25076 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake, 440.808.8808,
cooking-thyme.com
Cooking Thyme’s sessions are as much about convenience as they are
about learning new skills. In two hours you’ll rotate through 12
stations, making meals to take home and serve or freeze. Groups of
friends can schedule private parties.
Mustard Seed Market & Cafe
Uptown Solon Shopping Center, 6025 Kruse Dr., Solon,
877.496.3663; and West Market Plaza, 3885 W. Market St., Akron,
888.476.2379; mustardseedmarket.com.
Organic before organic was cool, the Mustard Seed offers lots of
presentations on sustainability and the like, and some on nutritional
issues — like “The Omega-3 Solution,” on controlling inflammation
with fish oils. The free class is offered June 9 in Montrose and June
10 is Solon. “Get Up and Go!” (on sports nutrition) is June 20 in
Montrose and June 27 in Solon.
The Loretta Paganini School of Cooking
8613 Mayfield Rd., Chesterland, 888.748.4063, lpscinc.com
This school is the real deal, a place for aspiring professional
chefs. But it also offers a wide range of one-offs and series for
hobbyists. Many upcoming sessions are already sold out, but classes
with seats remaining as of press time included “New York Pizza” (May
5), “The World of Italian Cheese” (May 11), “A Day in the Kitchen With
Loretta: Cooking Bolognese” (May 16), “Caribbean Island Flavors” (May
22) and Crab Fest (May 28). Paganini’s also has classes for kids and
teens.
Sur La Table
28819 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere, 216.378.1800, cooking037@surlatable.com,
surlatable.com (look for “cooking
classes” link at top left)
“Date Night: Provence” (May 15), focusing on dishes from southern
France, is a pleasant compromise for couples differing over whether to
eat out or eat in. “Tuscany on the Grill” (May 29) will teach new
options for outdoor summer cooking — and doesn’t grilled pizza
with pears, fresh pecorino and walnuts sound a lot more appetizing than
hot dogs?
Viking Cooking School
Legacy Village, 24703 Cedar Rd., Lyndhurst, 216.381.2100,
vikingcookingschool.com
The high-end cookware and cooking-gadget store also boasts a
gorgeous kitchen classroom that can accommodate around a dozen students
at a time (reservations usually required). There are sessions almost
every day, and upcoming themes include Cinco de Mayo (April 30),
“Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate” (May 9), “Prep Once, Dine for Days”
(May 13) and French Culinary Basics (May 23).
Western Reserve School Of Cooking
140 N. Main St., Hudson, 330.650.1665, wrsoc.com
The WRSOC takes all comers, from pros to amateurs. For the latter,
one-off sessions in coming weeks include “Mozarella Workshop” (May 2),
“Hor d’oeuvres & Wine” (May 14), “Cakes & Tortes” (May 21) and
“Thrill of the Grill: Seafood” (May 29).
Whole Foods
13998 Cedar Rd., University Heights, 216.932.3918, wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cleveland
The natural, organic foods supermarket offers lots of programs,
including the weekly Quest for Cooking, 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Quest is
usually led by Whole Foods’ Dave Moss, but special guests have been
lured for upcoming sessions. On May 12, chef/owner Marlin Kaplan of
Luxe Kitchen & Lounge (luxecleveland.com) presents “Kitchen
Vitality.” And on May 26, chef/owner Sunny Ting from Ty Fun Thai Bistro
(tyfunthaibistro.com) will
share “More Fun Thai Secrets.”
Whole Foods’ Woodmere location (27249 Chagrin Blvd. 216.464.9403,
wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/chagrin)
offers classes with with Moss on Wednesday nights.
This article appears in Apr 29 – May 5, 2009.