What to Look for in a Cooking Class
When considering taking a cooking class it is important to find
a class that will be of the most benefit to you. There are a
wide variety of cooking classes available and finding the best
one for you can be intimidating. Here are a few 'what to look
for' tips when considering a cooking class.
Class Size: Choose a cooking class with a limited number of
students. Ten to twelve seems to be a good number. If the class
has too many more than twelve it becomes hard to see and hear
and easy to become distracted. If the class has too few
participants you will miss out on the camaraderie and tips that
the other students bring with them to class.
Menu: Choose a cooking class with a menu that appeals to you and
has interesting recipes. You also want to have clear and concise
instructions. When you leave class you want to take with you a
complete and thorough instruction set so that when you go to
cook at home you are able to replicate what you learned in class.
Copy of Recipes: Choose a cooking class that allows you to take
home the recipes. If you have to rely solely on notes and memory
it is likely that you will forget key steps in the recipes.
Room Set Up: Choose a room where every student in the cooking
class can see. If the room is set up like a traditional class
room with the instructor up front then the cooking class
students in the back may miss out. A room with a half circle of
seating around the instructor is the optimum choice. This gives
each cooking class student equal distance to viewing the
instructor.
Enough Food: After the instructor prepares the recipes you will
want to sample the menu. Make sure that the class offers enough
food for each cooking class student to sample. Many classes
allow the students to prepare meals while in class, this is a
preferred class. This way you have the advantages of preparing
the meal with the instructor on hand and the there being plenty
of food to taste.
Quality of Instruction: Your cooking class instructor should be
clear, concise and knowledgeable. When a question is asked you
want to have an instructor who can answer the question. The
instructor should also be able to communicate with the everyday
cook. If you find an instructor who is using terminology that
you do not understand ask questions, remember this cooking class
is for you.