Cooking Classes

I'm a home cook who did her first demo for a group in my home last year. I'm a teacher by training, so it wasn't a new thing for me to do a task analysis.

What I mean is, think it through completely, step by step. Try to visualize what utensils you'll need, what step or steps in the preparation you will assume or demonstrate, etc. Here's an example:

I made three dishes for my hour-long demo. All recipes were provided so they could follow along and make notes. One of the recipes was a pastry that needed the dough to have chilled overnight. Rather than mixing up the dough, I showed the ingredients, then gave them each a pinch of the dough to see what the texture was like. From there I assembled the pastries and baked them, step by step. They were done by the end of the demonstration, so they were eaten warm from the oven.

Another dish needed 20 minutes to simmer (kasha with bowtie macaroni), so I had a batch already cooked and ready to taste before I started the demo. I pre-cooked the pasta but prepared the rest of the dish "live". That, too, was ready to eat by the time I was done with the next dish.

Finally, I made a "speed-scratch" matzo ball soup. I made that ahead but showed the ingredients I used to enhance the broth and intensify its flavor.

Step by step... step by step! That's how I did it, and I'm not a chef by any stretch. The timing of what to make first was aided by my experience of getting all the dishes for a meal on the table at the same time- which most home cooks can manage with practice.

Perhaps you could sign up as a student for a one-night cooking class at a local college, for observation purposes.

I taught a few classes (To friends). Few things I've learned from them.

1) Make sure there are no kids around. They usually interrupt constantly. They eat things from your mise en place. (Ex: chopped parsley that's for garnish. Before you know it, they're gone!)

2) If it's a hands on. Expect an hour to make a 20 min dish, because you have to show them how to do it and also explain why you do the things you do. (Ex: Flour meats. Because the flour + fat will turn into a roux which we'll need for the pan sauce we're gonna make. Oh, what's a roux? It's a thicken agent blah blah blah.. you get the point. :)) That's for a one on one class. If you have more than one student. Get few dishes going at one time. Separate them in groups and assign them part of a dish to do.

3) If it's a group class. Have copies of recipes/what every you're gonna teach that day. Dishes, ingredents, objectives, instructions. Give a quick overview on what they're gonna be doing. (ex: We're gonna combine all these ingredents together and this is how you're gonna cut the carrots.)

4) Knife skills & knives. LARGE percent of normal people can't cut. Give them time and watch them closely.

5) Speaking of knives/cutting: There are people out there who are not comfortable working with raw meats.

6) I usually send them a questionnaire (10 questions) to fill out, so that'll help me choose what to teach and their skill level. Simple things like, How often do you cook at home? Rate your cooking skill? What's your favorite dish? Are you comfortable working with raw meats? Do you have food allergies?

7) If you're going to their house, bring EVERYTHING that you're gonna need! Don't assume they have stuff. As small as salt, pepper, pans, cutting board, etc.

Those are few tips I can think of off top of my head. PM me if you have more questions. I'll do my best to answer them for you. :)

all good advice.....

I've taught one on one as well as groups, in homes, culinary schools, kitchen shops, camps.

Hands on is very different than demo.

One on One.....find out what they want to learn.
Most asked for classes:
(1) fish, normally I take them to a fish shop and we buy different kinds of fish....monk, salmon, a firm white fish etc then cook them in different ways.
3 hour class

(2) fillo, it intimidates people that have not used it.....or they've tried it once and the sheets were not fresh and broke on them. Different fillings, different shapes.

(3) wild mushrooms, fresh and dried.....how to work with them, different flavors etc.

(4) Vegetable, alot of people want more vegetables in their diets and again are at a loss when it comes to unusual veg.

Unless they're students I've had before, I always teach two basic things in every class. Of course, I'm not telling you what you should teach.

The first has to do with knife technique. I usually require students to bring their own chef's knives and steels, if they have them. As part of the class, I teach steeling and show how to sharpen using a stone. However, since there isn't time to sharpen everyone's knife, I let a few of them use one of mine. If give advice on what type of knife to buy, if requested -- and it always is. I also discuss what types of boards to buy (wood, sani-tuff) and what type not to buy (glass, stone, corian, hard plastics).

The second has to do with hot pan technique. Many people don't know to preheat the pan, most don't know how much oil to use for a saute or sear and almost none know when to turn or how often to toss.

I use swap-outs when I have to show prep, but don't have time to get to the finish for the class. I teach techniques rather than recipes. Techniques are cooking. Recipes are instructions to follow. Multiple recipes use a few techniques, this allows you to be canny about what you actually make and what you distribute as recipes your class learned enough to make themselves. That way you don't get stuck with a lot of half prepped standing rib roast. Also, remember you can send them home with food they can finish there. Afterall, that's why they took the class.

Good luck,
BDL