Part 5 of 5 series on hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore: Baltimore Chef Shop

New to Baltimore but not new as a culinary instructor, Chef Scott Ryan has recently opened the Baltimore Chef Shop cooking school in Hampden.  Chef Ryan has been a culinary instructor since graduating the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Massachusetts well over 10 years ago. During the Dim Sum class that I attended, the chef and I shared a moment fondly reminiscing about a common acquaintance, the founder of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, Roberta Dowling who recently passed away.

Chef Ryan has taught the culinary arts in multiple cities while moving about the country supporting his wife’s career.  They have set down roots in Baltimore and truly focused on his career as a culinary instructor.  Initially, the classes were held in his house until his school recently opened on ‘the Avenue’ in Hampden. 

Read the full story and watch the slideshow at Examiner.com / Dining

Part 4 of 5 series on hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore: For the Love of Food

The only Baltimore county hands-on cooking class, For the Love of Food, is situated in the heart of Pikesville, across from the Pikes Theatre on Reisterstown Road.  Initially For the Love of Food was started by Chef Diane Bukatman, in her Reisterstown home offering up a vast array of classes for the novice, children, team building, ‘Think like a Chef’ series and was eventually sold to Chef Thomas Casey when she moved out-of-state. Chef Casey is a Johnson and Wales graduate, a working chef for 18 years from the Four Seasons to Executive Chef of The Grill at Harryman House.  His passion for food turned him to education and he became a culinary instructor at Columbia’s Lincoln Technical Institute.

Due to circumstances and time frame, I ended up auditing his Date Night – Just the Two of Us: Pasta Class not participating.  This particular evening, it was couples and what an array; two of the couples were married and enjoying time away from the kids, a first date, long distance dating couple, and two other couples at various stages of their relationships.  Some cooked together before, some just getting to know each other, but the teamwork to complete the multiple recipes would draw the couples closer together.  Gift certificates were used that evening, which were a birthday gift and an anniversary gift – just saying, great holiday gift idea.   

Read the complete story and watch the slideshow at Examiner.com 

Part 3 of 5 series on hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore: Schola

A cool, bright Saturday afternoon in late October was a perfect day for the hands-on cooking class at Scola to make warming soups.  Schola, located in Mt. Vernon on Charles Street,  is a cooking school, not a restaurant,  a home for hands-on cooking classes, private parties and team building. You will have no problem finding parking on the street, though I should have just parked in the PMI lot across the street and not worry about going back out to feed the meter – after 6 p.m. you don’t have to pay the meter. 

Schola is on the first floor on a townhouse, with daylight pouring in from the street front windows that afternoon it was bright and shiny. Everything in its place in their small space - well stocked shelves, orderly and well thought out.  Down the center of the room were tables and stools.

Watch the slideshow and read the full review Examiner.com 

Part 2 of 5 series on top hands-on cooking classes - Chef Egg

On my continuing quest to take and share my experiences at five hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore, my second stop was with the roving cooking instructor Chef Egg (Erik Berlin). I’ve taken his class twice, the last being held in the Blue Moon Too location in Federal Hill.  Chef Egg is a culinary instructor with Whole Foods in the Washington, DC area, a culinary instructor/television host along with his monthly hands-on class in Baltimore. You need to be on his mailing list to know about the classes. You can click the sign-up tag on his Facebook page or request to be put on his email list at his Chef Egg page.

He has a cooking class this Thursday evening, autumn brunch – if interested reach out, it might not be sold out.  Tickets available:  http://www.eventbrite.com/o/chef-egg-1550147604

Check out the slideshow and full story at Examiner.com / Dining 

Part 1 of 5 series on hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore - Pierpoint

There are sufficient videos, food television that shows you how to make a dish but there is nothing like getting down and doing it yourself.  Do you know what finished pasta should feel like?  Learning how by just touching a steak to know if it is well done or rare?  How should I be holding my knife?  Can you chiffonade and dice to proper size?  Is that pie crust too dry? What are the techniques in making a proper dark roux?

I am a strong advocate of hands-on cooking classes, there is nothing like jumping right in and learning techniques. My first hands-on cooking class was well over 30 years ago or more with the lovely French instructor Germain Sharretts at the Church of the Redeemer.  I learned a lot in the class.  We would break up in teams and prepare a 3 course meal. It was there that I learned how finished pasta should feel, the proper rising of the baba rhum dough and making a proper pâte à choux.  

Read the entire part 1 post on hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore and watch the slideshow READ MORE at Examiner.com / Dining