Just Foodies

Home Barista Training

 

 

 

When you are a coffee lover, your morning latte takes on new meaning after you have trained to pull the ultimate brew at Barista School. There are intensive coffee classes for professionals and fortunately there are also consumer-based classes that teach the basics of making the best expresso drinks and latte art at home. 

Here is an overview of coffee schools that provide home barista training:

The American Barista Coffee School in Portland, OR has a one day class that includes brewing and purchasing expresso.

The Seattle Barista Academy has a three hour class that will help you discover how to get the best coffee flavors. This class is in Renton, WA. 

In Melbourne, Victoria Australia, The Expresso School gives private lessons in your home (within 15 km of Melbourne CBD) on coffee making and Latte Art classes. The classes last about 2 hours. They also have books and DVD's available. 

The Canadian Barista Academy travels to several cities in Canada to present a 1/2 day home barista class.

In the Sydney, NSW region of Australia, there are two barista schools that have offerings for a home barista: Danes Gourmet Coffee Institute or Toby's Estate's . Both offer half day courses.

In Holland, MI The Midwest Barista School has four-hour Home Barista training sessions available. The hands-on sessions are held atJP's Coffee House.  

 

Ann Arbor MI Cooking Lessons

Washtenaw Community College (WCC) has excellent cooking lessons for recreational cooks.  The new schedule is posted at their Lifelong Learning website. There are a variety of classes scheduled to help expand your cooking talents this winter.

I am excited to see Francesca Gitschlag return with more Italian cooking lessons. Italian cooking classes are held at Whole Foods.   Her cooking classes include: 

• Rustic Italian Cooking: A Taste of Northern Italy
• Rustic Italian Cooking A Taste of Southern Italy
• Rustic Italian Cooking: Hearty Winter Soups
• Rustic Italian Cooking: Every Day Pasta
• Rustic Italian Cooking: Two for Two (Two tested recipes to prepare for two people!)

Other fun courses at WCC this winter include:

• Tofu for Your Health ( Healthy Chinese Cooking)
• Vegan Foods (Cholesterol-Free Living)
• Wines fo MI

Recreational cooking classes are also organized by Ann Arbor Community Education & Recreation.

The Community Education Center holds a variety of cooking classes featuring local food experts. The topics include:

• Italian Cooking Classes by Francesca Giarraffa, owner, La Rustica catering company. Francesca is teaching several classes at Big George's Kitchen.  Classes planned are:Quick and Easy Italian Style, Soups for Lunch and Dinner, Italian Sunday Supper, Italian Cooking City Style and The Flavor of Spring.
  
• Bill Loomis is teaching Soups: simple to Sublime and Roast Chicken Sunday Dinner
  
• Thai Green Curry Class is taught by Christine Nguyen, owner, Holy Basil website.
• Vegetarian Cooking Classes by Sharon Sheldon, owner Sage Chef Cooking School is teaching The Rites of Spring.
• Valentine Cupcakes is taught by Dahlia Weinman of Dahlia’s Cakes
• Fantastic Fish and Heart smarts classes are taught by Jennie Hahn RD CDE
• Jyothi Matthews Abraham is teaching Indian Cooking Classes.  Lessons include: Baingan Bharta with Chapati, Chicken Saag & Gajar Ka Halwa, Idian Vegetarian Meal and Vegetable Pakoras & Meat Cutlet.
• Singapore native Mercy Yang teaches: Bi Bim Bap, Chicken Satay and Taro or Shrimp Chow main & Hot Sour Soup. 
  

The Quarter Bistro & Tavern

Classes include knife skills, Mediterranean Appetizers and Jambalaya.

Ann Arbor Cooks

There are great  holiday cooking classes schedules at Ann Arbor Cooks.   The children and teens class schedule includes: candy making and gingerbread house workshops. Adults can enjoy a cooking lesson about creating "Food Gifts from the Kitchen" or hosting a "Dessert Open House" .

Arbor Arbor has a cooking class for everyone.  I'd love to take all these classes!  Let me know your favorites.

Seattle Cooking Classes

Seattle is a foodie's "Mecca" with a variety of cooking schools and classes.  Also, there are amazing fresh ingredients and lots of fantastic stores with hard to find ingredients.  Here are some of my favorite cooking schools:

Seattle Cooking Schools and Classes

Dish It Up!

Foodies will feel right at home taking cooking classes at Dish it UP in Magnolia Village. The class size is small and students really learn new skills.  Seattle Chefs Wayne Johnson, Jordi Viladas, and Greg Atkinson are just a few of the Seattle chefs teaching at Dish it up! 

Blue Ribbon Cooking & Culinary Center

The Blue Ribbon Cooking and Culinary Center offers instructional intensive training (each student executes every recipe) or cooking party format classes (still hands-on, but more casual the intensive).   Check out the schedule of Monday night classes. Besides the training and recipes attendees enjoy plenty of food and wine. The cooking school is located in the Eastlake Area on Lake Union.  Children's summer cooking class programs are also offered.

Bon Vivant School of Cooking

Bon Vivant Director Louise Hasson provides hands-on and demonstration cooking classes to Seattle and Bellevue residents. A wide range of classes are available. Examples of recent classes include a knife skills workshop, Indian Festival Dinner, or Saveur Cooks Italian Classics.

Cook's World

Cook's World one night classes have been a Seattle favorite for more than 18 years. A variety of guest chefs display cooking techniques. Recent classes examples include:

• Guest Chef Monique Jong teaching " A World of Spices: The Art of Flavoring Food".
• Native Thai Chef Pranee Halvorsen teaching "Thai Cooking Party Foods".
• Guest Chef Imad Abi-Saleh teaching "Party Food Middle-Eastern Style".
• Cheesemaker Mark Solomon teaching "Home Cheesemaking".

Diane's Market Kitchen

For a unique Seattle experience try a class at Diane's Market kitchen. The cooking classes lead by Dianne LaVonne combine a insider's tour of Pike's Market and an informative cooking class. Students report lots of conversation, good food and of course, excellent instruction.   The cooking classes are demonstration style or hands-on at the guest's discretion. Diane's Market Kitchen also offers family cooking classes. Diane's goal is to use her business to give back to community through connecting, cooking and companionship.

The Art Institute of Seattle

Culinary classes at the Art Insititue of Seattle is for serious students wanting professional skills to work in a culinary position. Most programs require 21 months of study.

Thyme to Nourish

Personal chef Rachel Duboff provides custom cooking classes to help people become empowered with food knowledge and its on health.

Korean Cooking Classes in Seoul

At the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine website there is an incredible guide to Korean Food. The institute's goal is to help preserve traditional Korean dishes.  There are classes in English which are hard to find on the website.  If you are interested contact the Institute by phone or email. The blog "Seoul Eats" also displays the listing of recent korean cooking classes.

If you ever wanted to learn how to make Kimchi this sounds like the best place to learn.  This complete review of the Korean cooking class also highlights the unique cooking program.

If you can't make the trip to Seoul, here are a series of u-tube videos on Korean Cooking Classes.

Cooking Classes in Battle Creek MI

There are several recreational cooking classes available in the Lifelong Learning Department at Kellogg Community College's (KCC) Regional Manufacturing & Technology Center. 

Fall 2009 selections include:

• Korean Beef Stir Fry using marinated beef, this dish is also called Bulgogi.  The class is available Oct 28 evening.

• Eat to Live: Anti-Aging Power Foods class is scheduled for the evening of Oct 27. Participants will discuss the science of healthy eating choices. 

Registration is available on-line or by phone (269) 965 4134. 

Another option for fun craft classes with a unique dining experience in the Battle Creek & Marshall Area are programs at the  Southern Exposure Herb Farm. 

Enjoy!

Read my latest update on Southern Exposure Herb Farm

The Cancer Project Nutrition and Cooking Classes

This summer I took several cooking classes with a friend at the Cancer Center in Kalamazoo MI.  These classes are part of a nation wide project to share information about how diet can influence cancer.  While a strict vegan diet (No meat, fish or dairy products) is advocated by the cancer project, there really were lessons about healthy eating for everyone in these classes.

Our Food for Life Nutrition and Cooking Classes for Cancer Prevention and Survival were taught by Jill Ovnik. The series of four classes were well attended.  The audience included a broad range of age groups, people with cancer and people that support people with cancer and folks trying to prevent cancer from touching their family. The recipes provided were fun to make and tasty.   A great cookbook is also available for ~$20.00 and the Cancer Prevention project web site has lots of vegan recipes listed.

Each cooking class consisted of a short video presentation reviewing medical information related to healthy diets.  The video was about 20 minutes long. The cooking demonstration was about 30 minutes longand then it was time to enjoy the delicious food.  

Our instructor, Jill was an effective spokeperson for the effect of diet on your health. Jill shared her background during the class and how she made the change to a vegan diet and lifestyle.   

Jill's Vegan-gal  website has lots of interesting information. Be sure to try Jill's Chick Pea Smash Salad recipe, it is outstanding! 

Thai Cooking Class with Kasma

I've often dreamed of having a "Thai Mum" or "Italian Grandma" teach me about cooking and ingredients from a native cook's perspective. This summer I experienced five days of Thai cooking classes and Thai food eating nirvana in Oakland, CA.  The Thai Food and Travel Cooking School offers week long intensive classes or a series of cooking classes taught by Kasma Loha-unchit.  Kasma is a fantastic teacher. It is obvious she loves to share her gift for Thai cooking with her students. Under Kasma's gentle guidance and watchful eye, it really was like spending a week with your own "Thai Mum" learning her cooking secrets.

The week long intensive was a combination of demonstration and hands-on cooking.  Foodies from across the USA with a unique mix of personalities and cooking experiences were united to learn the best Thai ingredients, how to chop, use a mortar and pestle and, of course, how to use a  wok efficiently and effectively.  An excellent learning tool was the frequent "tastings", where everyone could sample the sauce as it was developed.  Kasma would guide the student cook to add more of an ingredient and voila, the whole sauce jumped alive with bold flavors. 

Friday morning's trip to Oakland's farmers market was shopping with an expert guiding you to the freshest produce and identifying critical characteristics that define ripe ingredients.  We also enjoyed touring local Asian specialty markets, buying fresh fish, wok utensils and other items we used in the class. 

Everyday we would feast on the Thai dishes we prepared, but Friday's menu was a true feast.  Many dishes were prepared on the grill.  We graduated from our Thai cooking experience after an amazing dinner in the garden.  Reflecting on the week, it was a total immersion in Thai ingredients, food and culture. Short of spending time in Thailand cooking with your "Thai Mum", I don't think you could find a better way to learn Thai cooking! 

Indianapolis Cooking Classes- Greek Cooking School

There is a new cooking school in Indy! Cooking Greek has relocated from Florida and will offer hands on and demonstration classes at the City Market in Indianapolis. Learn how to prepare traditional greek dishes and enjoy delightful greek food. 

Bloomington, IN Cooking Classes

The are adult and kids recreational cooking classes available throughout the year in Bloomington, IN the home of Indiana University

Bloomington Cooking School

The classes are taught by a variety of Chefs with many different specialities. The school also coordinates classes with Ivy Tech's Culinary Program and the city's department of Parks and Recreation.  Jan Bulla-Baker the schools owner specializes in candy making classes and co-owner Matt O'Neill focuses on technique and skill development training. 

People's University Cooking, Food and Drink Classes

Chef Matt O'Neill also teaches and cooks for the the food & drink series that celebrates food and the outdoors. 

Indianapolis Cooking Classes

There are a variety of recreational cooking classes available in the Indianapolis Area. Here are a few listings:

Chef's Academy of Indianapolis    DowntownThIs culinary school provides professional training or recreational classes.  The Culinary School is part of Harrison College. Recreational cooking classes are held during the day. 

Two Indiana culinary schools specialize in grilling classes to add to summer foodie fun; Clark Appliance and Grillmasters Garden

Clark Appliance   Stores in Castleton and South of Indianapolis

These gourmet appliance centers have BBQ or Grilling Classes and Convection Cooking Classes in Castleton, and South of Indianapolis.

Grillmasters Garden   Zionsville

Enjoy grilling outside at the Grillmaster's garden  grill center during these unique classes offered on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. Of course there is an indoor culinary center in case the weather doesn't support outdoor activities. Class curriculum varies from grilling turkey to steaks.  There are cooking classes for kids and adults.

Fraiser's Gourmet Foods   Fishers, IN

Whether you choose the 2 hour week night class or four hours of hands-on cooking skills training during the weekend, Fraiser's Gourmet Cooking Classes provides a opportunity to expand your cooking repertoire.

Kiss Z Cook   Carmel Indiana

This culinary school holds the famous Foundations Series or mini-culinary school teaching all the basics and more. The school also offers fun cooking classes for couples and kids. This culinary school also holds vegetarian cooking classes near Indianapolis.  While most cooking classes are held in the evening, there are several classes for Stay-at-Home Moms that are during the day. 

Williams Sonoma   Northside of Indianapolis 

The retail kitchen store also holds demonstration classes throughout the year. 

Check out the new Greek cooking school.