Take a Cooking Class
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Learn how to prepare wonderful meals, make new friends, and have a great time!
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At the most basic level, cooking is about preparing something to eat. But over the centuries, cooking has evolved far beyond the level of simple sustenance and become an artform, an activity full of creativity, personal expression and fun. If you’ve ever pictured yourself as a skilled chef or felt the desire to move beyond the ability to make a great PB&J, signing up for a cooking class might be just the thing to open up a whole new world of enjoyment.
Wally Joe learned cooking basics in his parents’ restaurant in Cleveland, Miss. Now he’s the executive chef for the Viking Range Corporation and the owner and executive chef of his eponymous Memphis restaurant, which is earning rave reviews. Wally Joe has made appearances on The Today Show and the Food Network, and has been a guest teacher at the Viking Culinary Arts Center on numerous occasions. Here he fills us in on the benefits of taking a cooking class:
Learning the basics. Once you learn the basic techniques, says Wally Joe, you can cook almost anything, from making a simple salad dressing to making homemade pasta from scratch. The skills you learn in a cooking class are likely ones you will use all your life.
Control. By learning to make your own meals from basic ingredients, you will also gain greater control over what you eat. Unlike when you heat up packaged food or order out, cooking lets you take into account personal dietary restrictions and make the meal exactly the way you want it. It may be a simple matter of lowering fat or salt content, or it could be as important as staying away from ingredients you are allergic to.
Expression. Cooking classes also let you tap into your creative side, as preparing food is truly an art. For Wally Joe, learning how to cook lets him express his love, passion, and his feelings towards family members and friends.
Friends. Last but not least, taking a class is a wonderful way to meet new friends that share your interest in cooking. And once you learn to make a few great meals, you’ll have something to share with the friends you already have by inviting them over to enjoy a home cooked dinner that expresses your passion for fine food and appreciation of the good life.
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