Ideas for cookery classes

bakerscooks

Hi, I am in the process of establishing a cookery school and I wondering if anybody has any good ideas for classes and what people would like to learn to cook?

foodaholic

I'd love to do some authentic mexican
BBQ would be a big hit as well i'd say

Mackleton

Not my taste personally but I imagine a Vegan/Vegetarian course would be interesting as a veggie friend of mine is always stuck for recipe ideas.

Possibly a ground up classical French course where you learn the most basic and important things in culinary terms, the correct way.

Personally I'd love a Japanese course as I lived in Japan and am now addicted to the food!

bakerscooks

"What to serve a vegetarian coming to dinner" is one idea I had. As I feel allot of people who are not vegetarian almost panic as to know what to serve someone who is a vegetarian, also not to make them feel excluded at dinner.
Any Ideas as to what to cook that wont be a burden on the host but will be perfect for the guests?

bakerscooks

Mackleton wrote: »

Not my taste personally but I imagine a Vegan/Vegetarian course would be interesting as a veggie friend of mine is always stuck for recipe ideas.

Possibly a ground up classical French course where you learn the most basic and important things in culinary terms, the correct way.

Personally I'd love a Japanese course as I lived in Japan and am now addicted to the food!

Great ideas thanks!

Maglight

Corporate events for companies. Some years ago I went to an event at a cookery school abroad where we broke into teams and prepared one course each from a three course dinner, along with many glasses of wine.

The staff in the school put the finishing touches to the dinner while we repaired to the dining room and ate the dinner we had just produced - along with many more glasses of wine.

It wasn't cheap, but it was one of the best company nights out I have ever had.

bakerscooks

foodaholic wrote: »

I'd love to do some authentic mexican
BBQ would be a big hit as well i'd say

BBQ's work really well- I do a real one with wood etc etc.

Authentic mexican?? can you expand - not the usual tortillas, chilli etc should I be thinking someting mainstream or very different? Or the usual with a twist??

imstrongerthanu

Mackleton wrote: »

Not my taste personally but I imagine a Vegan/Vegetarian course would be interesting as a veggie friend of mine is always stuck for recipe ideas.

Possibly a ground up classical French course where you learn the most basic and important things in culinary terms, the correct way.

Personally I'd love a Japanese course as I lived in Japan and am now addicted to the food!

Vegans are a minority, why bother wasting your time?
I realise some things are in fashion right now but things change.


You could try to cook some russian food such as they're style of borscht.Some russian food is lovely.

bakerscooks

Maglight wrote: »

Corporate events for companies. Some years ago I went to an event at a cookery school abroad where we broke into teams and prepared one course each from a three course dinner, along with many glasses of wine.

The staff in the school put the finishing touches to the dinner while we repaired to the dining room and ate the dinner we had just produced - along with many more glasses of wine.

It wasn't cheap, but it was one of the best company nights out I have ever had.

I would love to do this type of thing as it would be great fun to teach only problem is location, Im in a village in the midlands away from any real centre of population. I dont imagine Sat is an option. One Idea maybe is for me to go to the companies during lunch hour do a 20 minute demo of fast healthy food then they eat. Is there a market?

niall_belfast

We went to the "Italian Night" at La Cucina Caldesi in London - a great night, with some great insight into regional Italian food.. and who doesn't like Italian?!

They also do "men only" and "women only" nights with a bit more beer/wine, a bit more banter.. and the cookery part was pizza-making, or some other cooking that doesn't require a lot of attention..

BBQ in the summer, thrifty-family-meals in the winter..

It's a really nice school, which has/had the benefit of a television show behind it ("Return to Tuscany").. http://www.chilliandchocolate.com/italian-cookery-school-la-cucina-caldesi/

Miaireland

I've done an Italian and a Chinese one this year. I also have done a Fish one. I have signed up to do a summer salads/dips one for next year.

oldscoil

Hi Bakerscooks.

I actually came onto this thread to look into evening courses in cookery, best one’s in Dublin City Centre and North Dublin, where I live and work.

I hope to post a thread about it now, but before I do…

…I learned how to cook when I was in my late teens, I then met my future wife when I was 21, I’m now 34 and married…..to her .

She is a fantastic cook, so my skills were no longer needed.:(

However in an attempt to win the coveted “Husband of the Year Award” I am hoping to take back up the cooking so we can share the duties…. She’s out looking for the biggest Christmas tree in the world at the moment, so ya know, fairs fair!!!

Anyhoo, personally I’d like to learn the following: :rolleyes:

How to cook everyday food that is easy to come by and very damn tasty.
Also if it was the healthy side of tasty that would be a plus.

How to cook a really nice dish for dinner parties.
I eat in with friends more and more these days, due to the obvious reasons.
And I'd love to bowl them over with a killer dish!!!!

How to cook BBQ would be cool, and really handy.
I love BBQ but also it would be good to know more than sausages and burger.
Maybe something like this:
http://www.ivillage.com/how-make-beer-can-chicken/3-h-60084

Also its good to know the BBQ cook isn't going to hospitalise everyone!!! :eek:

How to cook the basics.
We hope to have kids in the next few years, and knowing know to cook basic but really good food for the clan would be great. My wife’s boiled eggs are amazing, but there’s a skill to them too!!!

So there’s four basic areas I’d love to know more about in the next six months.

I hope that helps, maybe I could be a student of yours soon.

All the best,

Brian

Klove

I fancy myself as an alright cook but cannot for the life of me get baking bread down - would love to see a class in this.

olaola

Cooking for a lot of people - like a large BBQ. 20+

John Mason

i would like an indian course - i am scared of spices, i never know what or how much to use.



i am a veggie but think it would be great, people get in such a panic when i come around for dinner.

smallgarden

hey if your looking for staff im a home ec teacher looking for work.i find budget cookery and cake making and decorating are always popular courses

Ddad

Hi, I'm a chef myself that does some teaching, catering, freelancing etc.

I've had a lot of requests to run cookery lessons for kids on a saturday/sunday. I've run a few of these courses for people in their homes wher we organised the kids into teams and did a bit of a Gordon Ramsay on them (without the bullying and swearing). Great craic for the kids, you can keep your menus simple and approachable (no knife work and minimal direct heat; only ovens). I've done a few of these with parent and child too and it works out as a great bonding experience for them. I've found that the daytime hours are great for me and it's possible to do a morning and afternoon session if you are organised enough.

The money can be as good as grown up lessons if you structure the classes in the right way. A firm hand is essential; I brook no messing in a kitchen....ever. Fun yes, acting the eejit no.

As regards vegetarian, I've a fair bit of experience with it on a professional basis. What I've found is that most people have a negative view of it as the standard in most restaurants is dire, no imagination or passion. Look at indian, thai and chinese food where vegetarianism isn't as partitioned and there are a myriad of exciting dishes and Denis Cotter Paradiso cookbooks are an invaluable reference point. I've done vegetarian dinner parties personally and professionally and they blow the socks of the most entrenched of meat eaters.

Invariably when people choose to do a cookery course they want something 'different' so if you can keep thinbgs exciting but accesible your on to a winner.

Best of luck with the lessons, it's great fun and can be very rewarding.

bakerscooks

I am a keen veg gardener and the stuff I grow I use in the cookery classes so what I was thinking was to give a series of 6 classes one per month on a Sat, where I would show and discuss with participants how to grow their own no matter how small their plot or balcony is, then follow up with a cookery demo and lunch. Each day would have a theme from soil prep, weeding, thinning, pests, harvest, preserving, free food etc and the same in the kitchen...
I am in the countryside, big old restored farm house 80 miles from Dublin.
Anybody have an opinion as to whether this might be a runner??

John Mason

bakerscooks wrote: »

I am a keen veg gardener and the stuff I grow I use in the cookery classes so what I was thinking was to give a series of 6 classes one per month on a Sat, where I would show and discuss with participants how to grow their own no matter how small their plot or balcony is, then follow up with a cookery demo and lunch. Each day would have a theme from soil prep, weeding, thinning, pests, harvest, preserving, free food etc and the same in the kitchen...
I am in the countryside, big old restored farm house 80 miles from Dublin.
Anybody have an opinion as to whether this might be a runner??

i would be up for this definately

Kimia

What would work amazingly well for you for the ladies would be a Weightwatchers cooking course. I don't know if you'd have to get some sort of permission for using the name or whatever but I remember when I was on weightwatchers, I would have loved to learn how to make 15-20 dishes all under a certain amount of points.

Healthy, easy suppers, quick.
Italian.
French - I loved the idea of learning the basics of french cooking, like in masterchef the professionals!
BBQ - don't know if that would work here, when do we get the weather for bbqs!!?
Fish - not a lot of courses do a lot with fish because some people hate it. I would absolutely love to do a course on just fish cooking.

bakerscooks

Hi, will keep that in mind when I grow a bit bigger.
thanks for your help.

bakerscooks

Thanks,Yep can do that, on a real fire too! lots of fun.

bakerscooks

Will get in touch with weight watchers, maybe they dont have any think in place but Im sure if they do someone on boards will tell me. But aside from that it probably does not have to be weightwatchers but something similar like low calorie low cholestrol- esp after xmas.
All the other suggestions are great thanks.

bakerscooks

Ddad wrote: »

Hi, I'm a chef myself that does some teaching, catering, freelancing etc.

I've had a lot of requests to run cookery lessons for kids on a saturday/sunday. I've run a few of these courses for people in their homes wher we organised the kids into teams and did a bit of a Gordon Ramsay on them (without the bullying and swearing). Great craic for the kids, you can keep your menus simple and approachable (no knife work and minimal direct heat; only ovens). I've done a few of these with parent and child too and it works out as a great bonding experience for them. I've found that the daytime hours are great for me and it's possible to do a morning and afternoon session if you are organised enough.

The money can be as good as grown up lessons if you structure the classes in the right way. A firm hand is essential; I brook no messing in a kitchen....ever. Fun yes, acting the eejit no.

As regards vegetarian, I've a fair bit of experience with it on a professional basis. What I've found is that most people have a negative view of it as the standard in most restaurants is dire, no imagination or passion. Look at indian, thai and chinese food where vegetarianism isn't as partitioned and there are a myriad of exciting dishes and Denis Cotter Paradiso cookbooks are an invaluable reference point. I've done vegetarian dinner parties personally and professionally and they blow the socks of the most entrenched of meat eaters.

Invariably when people choose to do a cookery course they want something 'different' so if you can keep thinbgs exciting but accesible your on to a winner.

Best of luck with the lessons, it's great fun and can be very rewarding.

Hi Kids would be great fun, will do it..

bakerscooks

oldscoil wrote: »

Hi Bakerscooks.

I actually came onto this thread to look into evening courses in cookery, best one’s in Dublin City Centre and North Dublin, where I live and work.

I hope to post a thread about it now, but before I do…

…I learned how to cook when I was in my late teens, I then met my future wife when I was 21, I’m now 34 and married…..to her .

She is a fantastic cook, so my skills were no longer needed.:(

However in an attempt to win the coveted “Husband of the Year Award” I am hoping to take back up the cooking so we can share the duties…. She’s out looking for the biggest Christmas tree in the world at the moment, so ya know, fairs fair!!!

Anyhoo, personally I’d like to learn the following: :rolleyes:

How to cook everyday food that is easy to come by and very damn tasty.
Also if it was the healthy side of tasty that would be a plus.

How to cook a really nice dish for dinner parties.
I eat in with friends more and more these days, due to the obvious reasons.
And I'd love to bowl them over with a killer dish!!!!

How to cook BBQ would be cool, and really handy.
I love BBQ but also it would be good to know more than sausages and burger.
Maybe something like this:
http://www.ivillage.com/how-make-beer-can-chicken/3-h-60084

Also its good to know the BBQ cook isn't going to hospitalise everyone!!! :eek:

How to cook the basics.
We hope to have kids in the next few years, and knowing know to cook basic but really good food for the clan would be great. My wife’s boiled eggs are amazing, but there’s a skill to them too!!!

So there’s four basic areas I’d love to know more about in the next six months.

I hope that helps, maybe I could be a student of yours soon.

All the best,

Brian

Hey, thanks for all that, great information! hope what ever I do might interest you. Just getting my web site up and running hopefully very soon.

bakerscooks

Ddad wrote: »

Hi, I'm a chef myself that does some teaching, catering, freelancing etc.

I've had a lot of requests to run cookery lessons for kids on a saturday/sunday. I've run a few of these courses for people in their homes wher we organised the kids into teams and did a bit of a Gordon Ramsay on them (without the bullying and swearing). Great craic for the kids, you can keep your menus simple and approachable (no knife work and minimal direct heat; only ovens). I've done a few of these with parent and child too and it works out as a great bonding experience for them. I've found that the daytime hours are great for me and it's possible to do a morning and afternoon session if you are organised enough.

The money can be as good as grown up lessons if you structure the classes in the right way. A firm hand is essential; I brook no messing in a kitchen....ever. Fun yes, acting the eejit no.

As regards vegetarian, I've a fair bit of experience with it on a professional basis. What I've found is that most people have a negative view of it as the standard in most restaurants is dire, no imagination or passion. Look at indian, thai and chinese food where vegetarianism isn't as partitioned and there are a myriad of exciting dishes and Denis Cotter Paradiso cookbooks are an invaluable reference point. I've done vegetarian dinner parties personally and professionally and they blow the socks of the most entrenched of meat eaters.

Invariably when people choose to do a cookery course they want something 'different' so if you can keep thinbgs exciting but accesible your on to a winner.

Best of luck with the lessons, it's great fun and can be very rewarding.

Thanks a million, will keep your advise in mind.

Ddad

No bother, it sounds like you have a great setup there. Are you in a position to offer overnights as that would be a considerable asset to you. You could really expand your income.

bakerscooks

Ddad wrote: »

No bother, it sounds like you have a great setup there. Are you in a position to offer overnights as that would be a considerable asset to you. You could really expand your income.

I hope to have in the future, as its a really beautiful place with lots of atmosphere, but then there are lots of places like that! As you say, I need to offer something 'different' and its coming up with that something is the difficult part at the moment. I sent a thread earlier #18 re veg gardening then a cookery class then lunch. What is your opinion on that?

dobh

i hope to treat my son to a one or two day cookery course for his 22nd birthday. he is a good cook already so I would want something which would interest him, but not too basic.

There appear to be plenty of " basic " courses around so something a bit beyond that level would def be a runner. Have you opened your school yet, and if you have, where is it ?

bakerscooks

Hi Dobh,

Yes, I have started my cookery school. My web address is www.sarahbaker.ie Have a look and see if there is a class that might suit your son. I not please get back to me and maybe I can taylor a day/evening that might suit him.
regards
Bakerscooks:)

Acoshla

Sorry I know this is off topic but your cookery school looks fantastic, I don't live too far from there, I can see that being a present for my boyfriend in the near future, he'd love it