Cooking Classes

Rich Hoffman, a chef-instructor at Baltimore International College, shared some culinary truisms with students in his French cuisine class last week. "Everything's better with bacon. " "Never, ever, ever add alcohol to a pan on an open flame. " And, when marinating chicken pieces in red wine overnight for coq au vin, expect this: "Your chicken is going to turn purple. It's supposed to. Don't freak out. " Hoffman teaches aspiring professional chefs at BIC, but the 30 students in this class were there simply to sharpen their skills as home cooks.

The Waterfront Kitchen is offering Monday evening cooking classes with chef Jerry Pellegirino. The Monday Series of hands-on cooking classes at Waterfront Kitchen are taught by chef Jerry Pellegrino in the restaurant's kitchen. Tastings and wine are included in the $59 per class fee, and reservations are required. On Monday, April 30, the Pellegrino will demonstrate "The Art of the Savory Pie," in all manner of forms, from the traditional British pasty and empanadas to quiche and pot pies.

The Waterfront Kitchen is offering Monday evening cooking classes with chef Jerry Pellegirino. The Monday Series of hands-on cooking classes at Waterfront Kitchen are taught by chef Jerry Pellegrino in the restaurant's kitchen. Tastings and wine are included in the $59 per class fee, and reservations are required. On Monday, April 30, the Pellegrino will demonstrate "The Art of the Savory Pie," in all manner of forms, from the traditional British pasty and empanadas to quiche and pot pies.

Chef Nancy Longo was a culinary instructor at Pierpoint before she opened Pierpoint in Fells Point in 1989, and since 2001, she's been holding  cooking classes for both children and adults on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at Pierpoint, teaching everything from basic knife skills Thai cooking and international barbecue. The 2012 schedule of classes has been posted on Pierpoint's website, along with information about how to order gift certificates. Pierpoint cooking classes fill early, so you might consider making this one an early gift.

Aunt Susan's Kitchen Academy - Aug. 28, 2-4 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Aunt Susan's Kitchen, 15101 Baltimore Ave. Learn how to cook Cajun shrimp sunken in butternut squash soup, pan-seared tilapia, roast chicken and more. Space is limited; sign up at the restaurant. $40 per person, $75 for couples and $20 off groups of five. Community Job Fair - Sept. 14, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Club Meade, 6600 Mapes Road, Fort Meade. Fair is open to all job seekers (veterans and non-veterans)

This summer, thousands of people will combine their vacations with cooking classes, culinary tours and food festivals, choosing to work on both their tans and their tapenade.The 1994 edition of "The Guide to Cooking Schools" (Shaw Guides, $19.95) lists 193 cooking vacation programs, a figure that has tripled in the last five years.These gourmet getaways "are part of a growth movement of travel for enrichment," says David Roth, publisher of Palate and Spirit, a New York-based quarterly devoted to culinary travel.

The public's interest in cooking classes is barely lukewarm in some years. In others, it reaches a rolling boil. Few programs weather this popularity roller coaster, yet cooking classes offered by the Women's Committee of the Walters Art Gallery have managed to make a comeback."

Before Lisa Davis took a cooking class, she avoided any recipe that required more than five ingredients. Too complicated. But now, with the benefit of cooking instruction, she feels confident enough to whip up something as complex as a chocolate souffle.Michael Palmisano, 10, was already an old hand at preparing breakfast standards like scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes and French toast when he decided to take a cooking class. Now he's expanding his repertoire to include dinner dishes for his family -- including fried chicken and a cheesy fusilli pasta.

Faith Durgin's love of people, gourmet recipes and entertaining blossoms each month when she holds cooking classes in her Berrett home.From appetizer to dessert, Mrs. Durgin teaches students how to prepare a full-course meal centered around a monthly theme. The step-by-step lessons end with generous tastings of the finished products in her festively decorated dining room."I feel like I travel each month," said Eldersburg resident Patty Smith, who has been attending the "Faith in Cooking" classes for three years.

There are several guidebooks on vacation cooking courses. One of the most comprehensive, Guide to Cooking Schools 2002 (ShawGuides, $24.95), provides information on 632 vacation cooking courses worldwide. ShawGuides also publishes updated listings at www. shawguides.com. Fine Cooking, Bon Appetit, Cooking Light and other cooking magazines regularly advertise cooking classes and tours. Some tour operators now specialize in culinary travel; one is Food & Wine Trails, a recently launched subdivision of HMS Travel Group in Santa Rosa, Calif.

There's more cooking at Westwood Unique Furnishings & Antiques than meets the eye. Wander past the antique chests and art deco lamps to the back of the shop, and customers might be surprised to see a large kitchen fully stocked with pots and pans and plenty of spatulas for serving hearty meals. And that's exactly what the kitchen is used for. For the past three years, Westwood's owner, Ingrid Melber, has turned over her shop's large back kitchen to her friend and personal chef, Alba Johnson, on Friday nights for Mediterranean cooking classes.

Aunt Susan's Kitchen Academy - Aug. 28, 2-4 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Aunt Susan's Kitchen, 15101 Baltimore Ave. Learn how to cook Cajun shrimp sunken in butternut squash soup, pan-seared tilapia, roast chicken and more. Space is limited; sign up at the restaurant. $40 per person, $75 for couples and $20 off groups of five. Community Job Fair - Sept. 14, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Club Meade, 6600 Mapes Road, Fort Meade. Fair is open to all job seekers (veterans and non-veterans)

Rich Hoffman, a chef-instructor at Baltimore International College, shared some culinary truisms with students in his French cuisine class last week. "Everything's better with bacon. " "Never, ever, ever add alcohol to a pan on an open flame. " And, when marinating chicken pieces in red wine overnight for coq au vin, expect this: "Your chicken is going to turn purple. It's supposed to. Don't freak out. " Hoffman teaches aspiring professional chefs at BIC, but the 30 students in this class were there simply to sharpen their skills as home cooks.

The Columbia Art Center will offer "Culinary Kids for Ages 9-12," a hands-on cooking class that teaches children science, math, nutrition, creativity and kitchen safety while they prepare delicious food. Nikki McGowan, owner of Culinary Kids Cooking School LLC, will teach the course. Chefs' hats and aprons are provided. Classes meet from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 23 through March 30, at the Columbia Art Center, 6100 Foreland Garth. Tuition is $120 for Columbia residents; $130 for nonresidents.

Donna Crivello, is founder and owner of Donna's cafes and coffee bars. In addition to running a chain of restaurants, she also teaches Mediterranean cooking classes at her restaurant in Columbia. Before she opened her first coffee bar in Mount Vernon in 1992, Crivello was a teacher and a graphic designer. Since then, Donna's has grown to include five locations in the Baltimore region. 1 Santuko knives "I have a few that I keep with me when I do cooking classes, and my husband is always asking me to bring them back home.

Seven children focused intently on the large, white mixing bowl their teacher placed on a square table, as the smell of melted butter wafted through the air. The students at Pointers Run Elementary School in Howard County were making "melting moment" cookies, taking turns pouring ingredients into the bowl and stirring them into dough. They scooped heaping spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet that they put into the oven in the nearby teachers lounge. Baking with a group of prekindergartners would give many grown-ups pause, particularly when many of the students have autism.

A Columbia woman walking along a dirt path in the Long Reach area Wednesday night narrowly escaped an attacker who lost his footing and fell after attempting to grab her.Police said the woman, 18, was alone on a dark path between Dobbin Center Way and the dead end of Tamar Drive about 10:20 p.m. The assailant grabbed the victim's shoulder, and they both fell to the ground.The woman was able to get up and run without being injured.Police have no suspects in the attack.Three cooking classes planned at HammondThe county Department of Recreation and Parks is offering three cooking classes through November at Hammond High School at 8800 Guilford Road.

Donna Crivello, is founder and owner of Donna's cafes and coffee bars. In addition to running a chain of restaurants, she also teaches Mediterranean cooking classes at her restaurant in Columbia. Before she opened her first coffee bar in Mount Vernon in 1992, Crivello was a teacher and a graphic designer. Since then, Donna's has grown to include five locations in the Baltimore region. 1 Santuko knives "I have a few that I keep with me when I do cooking classes, and my husband is always asking me to bring them back home.

Casey Tarman clutched a sweet potato with her fingers in a claw-like formation and pushed down hard with a large knife. When the knife barely budged into the potato, she took a deep breath and tried again. Chef Daniel Wecker walked over and asked, "How are you doing over here?" "This is a big one. Can you help me? I don't think I'm ever going to get this potato cut," the 9-year-old Baltimore resident said, pointing to the reluctant potato. "What do you mean, `Never'? Of course, you can do it," Wecker said.

Lisa Waterman and Ryan Wilkerson are cooking-class buddies. They've taken courses on how to prepare salmon and how to make homemade pasta and recently found themselves slaving over a Greek menu at a cooking class at Anne Arundel Community College. They've had some mixed luck when they've tried to re-create class recipes at home. A botched batch of gnocchi was particularly memorable. "It was a mess," said Waterman. "We used 5 pounds of flour. I had to go beg my neighbors for it at 2 a.m."