At Home On The Range: A Sampling of New Canaan Cooking Classes

A few years ago I wrote an article about fabulous kitchens and the owners that had poured so much work and money into putting these beautiful works of art in their homes. While interviewing these folks a strange pattern emerged. Most of them either didn't know how, didn't want to, or didn't have the time to cook. I was stunned. Maybe I shouldn't have been. Busy lives, prepared foods, and a plethora of restaurants make it quite convenient for us to not cook.

So, for the more ambitious foodies, as well as the not-so motivated cooks out there, here are a few fun places, and the people behind them, that offer cooking classes for all levels, interests, and styles.

Kitchens By Deane, a New Canaan fixture in town and the place to find and create your dream kitchen, is also the home to Chef Julia Deane of Culinary Works, a unique interactive, hands-on, enjoyable approach to culinary instruction.

Julia, a culinary graduate and passionate cook, conducts an ongoing calendar of classes in both Deane's Stamford and New Canaan showrooms. Classes run the gamut from Easy Summer Entertaining to Holiday Meals to 20 Minute Dinners and Girls Grilling. Knife skills, mise en place (organization), and various methods and techniques are also covered.

Culinary Works has earned a reputation for its casual, social format and attracts groups of friends and couples who trade a night out at a restaurant for a more interactive cooking, learning, eating and sipping kind of evening in Deane's grand kitchens. www.culinaryworks.com

Making Busy People Healthier is the tag phrase for Lisa Corrado Nutrition. Lisa, a licensed nutritionist and former private chef, has a healthful approach to cooking and teaches people to "eat well", combining clinical nutrition with culinary training.

For example:

"A common dietary restriction is to reduce salt because of blood pressure and stroke concerns," explains Lisa, "The problem is that salt is an incredible flavor enhancer, so people have trouble adjusting to using less or no salt. I show how adding a little lemon juice or lemon zest can act as a flavor enhancer."

Lisa also receives many calls for help regarding weight management and cholesterol issues and often these challenges can be met by simple cooking and lifestyle modifications. Upon individual nutritional counseling and goal setting, Lisa teaches people what to eat, how to shop for it, and how to prepare it. Private and group cooking classes can be arranged in one's home.

I say, "The couple that learns to cook healthy together, stays together – for a long time!" www.lisacorradonutrition.com

Chef Prasad Chirnomula of Thali teaches food enthusiasts about Indian cuisine and also about cooking with spices. I was fortunate enough to have experienced one of his cooking classes firsthand.  A gloriously colorful spice palette with well over 40 spices and herbs was presented. We all had the opportunity to smell and taste many of the lesser known spices, as well as learn about some that are quite common but underutilized. Fenugreek, tamarind, cumin, chilies, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, curry leaf, and galanga will never be looked at the same again.

From there we were guided through several Indian recipes such as the aromatic Konkan Blue Crab with green chilies and coconut milk, spicy Jinga (shrimp) Manchurian, and fragrant Biryani rice. Students can jump in or just watch, and everybody sits down to a big meal together at the end to enjoy the fruits of their labor. www.thali.com

If you are planning to entertain, but cooking is not your forte, Chef Bertrand L'Herbette of Fabulous Feasts would be happy to be a guest at your party – and he'll even cook! In addition to instructing group and private classes at the FF Café or in private homes, Chef Bertrand is a host's dream.

Part of the process is planning the menu with Chef Bertrand and then watching this talented chef prepare the menu right in front of your guests. Guests can enjoy the interaction, learn a few things, be entertained and indulge in a spectacular meal. Obviously one would need a suitable kitchen to accommodate such an event – and that's when those wonderful "works of art" come in handy. www.fabulousfeasts.com