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Cooking with class

Area programs are the ticket to expanding a home-cook's horizon

Wednesday, March 21, 2001

By HSIAO-CHING CHOU
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER FOOD WRITER

There's much that happens in a cooking class.

A practical lesson is guaranteed. You can learn how to hold a knife properly and how to make the perfect pie crust or roast a chicken and decorate a wedding cake.

  Photo
  At The Kitchen Door cooking school, guest chef Robert Reynolds, left, works with students Leslie Berg, her mother, Bobbie Gilmore, center, and Nels Thompson. Shirlee Read's Kitchen Door is intended to be a place where a student can spend three to four days in a short cooking program.
Gilbert W. Arias/P-I
What may not be so obvious is that relationships begin and get nurtured in a cooking class. You have an exchange with the instructors, other students, the food, your inner self.

You may discover you have a talent for sauce-making that sparks your creative side. Perhaps you get the encouragement you need to host your first Thanksgiving dinner. In a class of two dozen, you're bound to find someone who also uses salsa as a verb more than a condiment.

"The reason I like these classes is that too many people go home and cook alone," says Virginia Duppenthaler, co-owner of Blue Ribbon Cooking School. "They come here, it's down to earth, not like a cocktail party. I have many men and women who already know how to cook, but they like the atmosphere here."

Cooking class gives you a reason to come home instead of resorting to the drive-through. There are plenty of instructors ready to show you how to whip up simple dinners for your family or give you tips on how to plan a week's worth of menus so you don't have to think about it during rush hour.

"There's such a trend of going to restaurants and fast food," says Shirlee Read, owner of The Kitchen Door. "But people are missing cooking at home. They know that working with food is a comfort and that having people over for dinner is a good, closer way to socialize."

The perfect class is in session at a kitchen near you. Meet some of your hosts:

  • The Kitchen Door

    Owned by Shirlee Read

    The Kitchen Door opens to a picturesque setting on Whidbey Island. Located at the Whidbey Institute, a learning center, the school caters to those who enjoy a hands-on experience.

      Photo
      Shirlee Read pours the wine for a toast with students and guest chef. A cooking series can be a travel destination for participants.
    Gilbert W. Arias/P-I
    The school is intended to be a "destination" and a place where a student can spend three to four days in a short cooking program rather than a single cooking class.

    "People don't think of taking a cooking vacation," says Read. "But, like with the (chef) Robert Reynolds series, we had three days that were very cohesive ... there was a wonderful progression."

    The instructor showed the students how the same basic ingredients were handled in three different regions, moving from Italy to France to Spain.

    Read teaches some of the classes herself. Others are led by visiting instructors.

    Classes are limited to 10 students and cost $65 for three-hour classes and $125 for daylong sessions. Topics include: Italian bread, Cajun and Creole, sushi, afternoon tea, flavors of the Southwest.

  • Blue Ribbon Cooking

    Owned by Virginia and Mike Duppenthaler

    When you walk into Blue Ribbon, you walk into the Madison Valley home of the Duppenthalers, who tore down the walls of three rooms to build a dream kitchen.

      Photo
      Virginia and Mike Duppenthaler, owners of Blue Ribbon Cooking School, want the hands-on experiences they offer to celebrate hospitality and allow cooks to enjoy their time in the kitchen together.
    Gilbert W. Arias/P-I
    All classes are hands-on and are limited to about 20 students.

    "We try to offer classes that are exciting and teach the whys," says Virginia Duppenthaler. "We want the touchy-feely stuff so people have the experience of hospitality."

    Blue Ribbon draws many local celebrity chefs, such as Jerry Traunfeld (The Herbfarm), Kerry Sear (Cascadia) and Greg Atkinson (Canlis). The Duppenthalers often teach classes, too.

    Classes start at $60 for three hours and include a sit-down meal. Topics include: Vietnamese and Thai, barbecue and grilling, oysters, wine and beer appreciation, basic skills, corporate team building, kids in the kitchen.

  • Culinary Concepts

    Owned by Lisa Cole

    The classes coordinated by Culinary Concepts take place at three locations: Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Pasta &Co. on Queen Anne, and Compleat Cook in Bellevue.

    All are demonstration classes led by local celebrity chefs and instructors such as John Sundstrom from Earth and Ocean, Traunfeld, Lisa Dupar (Lisa Dupar Catering) and Holly Smith (Cafe Juanita).

    "Some people come to be entertained, others come to meet (a chef) they admire," says Cole. "They all come to learn. I try to get the most information from the chefs to give to the students because they want to be able to cook these recipes at home."

    Classes start at $35 for a two-hour session and include food samples and wine. Topics include: traditional Mexican, breakfast and brunch, quick and light pasta, fancy desserts, Thai home cooking, paella and other Spanish favorites.

  • Sur La Table

    You know these stores probably because half your kitchen was purchased there. The Kirkland location offers cooking classes on everything from kids in the kitchen and basics to baking and ethnic cuisines.

    There are up to seven different sessions a week. Because Sur La Table focuses on retail, cookbook authors on tour frequent the demo kitchen. You can attend a class to learn or just be a fan.

    "We have such a varied clientele here that if it doesn't work in Kirkland, it won't work anywhere," says Martha Aitken, culinary program manager. "We've developed a trust with customers. You're purchasing something intangible, so we have to maintain a relationship."

    Classes start at $40 for demonstration and $100 for hands-on. Topics include: authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, gnocchi, pates, how to boil water, corporate team building.

  • Sweet Basil's

    Owned by Jeanne Judd

    Based in the Edmonds home of Jeanne Judd, Sweet Basil's features classes on cooking with herbs. Field trips to Pike Place Market or to Columbia Winery help emphasize the connection between the earth and quality food.

    Judd cultivates a garden in the back yard and tries to "incorporate herbs and using fresh ingredients."

    Some of the featured chef-instructors include Barbara Figueroa, Pamela Sheldon Johnson and Bertrand de Boutray.

    Judd also leads tours to Italy and France to study artisan foods.

    Classes are limited to 24 and cost $32.50 to $35.50 for two-hour sessions. Topics include: best of Italy, comfort foods, fresh from the garden, pizza, brunch, chowder.

    DELECTABLE LESSONS

    All the following schools offer a variety of classes. Contact each for the latest calendar.

    NameLocationContactIn a bite
    Blue Ribbon Cooking School1611 McGilvra Blvd. E.206-328-2442; www.blueribboncooking.comFeatures hands-on classes in a commercially equipped home kitchen on a broad range of topics.
    Compleat Cook15600 N.E. Eighth St., Suite K10, Bellevue425-746-9201Features demonstration classes in a retail store on a variety of topics.
    The Kitchen DoorWhidbey Island360-730-2322 or toll free at 888-278-0866; www.thekitchendoor.netOffers daylong, evening and multiple-day programs in a bucolic setting.
    Third Place Books17171 Bothell Way N.E., Lake Forest Park206-366-3333; www.thirdplacebooks.comOffers demonstration classes from a variety of chefs and instructors in a large bookstore.
    Pasta & Co.2109 Queen Anne Ave. N.206-283-1182;
    www.pastaco.com    		Features demonstration classes in the evenings on a variety of subjects.
    Whole Foods Market6400 Roosevelt Way N.E.206-985-1500Offers evening and weekend demonstration classes on diverse topics.
    PCC Natural Markets All locationswww.pccnaturalmarkets.com/
    instore/foodworks/index.html    		Offers evening and weekend classes on specialty cooking (soy, for example).
    Sweet Basil's5820 156th St. S.W., Edmonds425-743-7438Classes are demonstration and held in a cozy home kitchen. Culinary tours are available.
    Sur La Table90 Central Way, Kirkland425-827-1311; www.surlatable.comTopics are diverse and many instructors are celebrity chefs or authors.
    Bertrand Chez Vous4756 University Village Place N.E.206-729-1554; www.bertrandchezvous.comClasses focus on the art of French cooking and are taught by Cordon Bleu-trained chef.
    Cook's World2900 N.E. Blakeley St.206-528-8192; www.cooksworld.netOffers classes in basics to intermediate-level cooking. Instructors are professional chefs.
    Bon Vivant School of Cooking4925 N.E. 86th St.206-525-7537;
    www.bon-vivant.com    		Features demonstration and hands-on courses taught by professional instructors and celebrity chefs. You can design your own program, too.
    Larry's Market699 120th Ave. N.E., Bellevue425-646-8846; www.larrysmarkets.com/schoolEvening and weekend classes on a variety of topics.

    P-I food writer Hsiao-Ching Chou can be reached at 206-448-8117 or hsiaochingchou@seattle-pi.com

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