Chef John holds private cooking lessons teaching basic cooking skills in the privacy of your home. Cooking lessons make great parties and are a great experience. Each lesson is customized, so whether you want to learn cooking basics or expand your culinary repertoire, The Take Home Chef has the class for you. Included in the lessons are chef instruction with “hands on” learning for students, printed recipes and a delicious meal.

You may also add special services to your event, such as a wine specialist or a field trip to your local farmer’s market.

Class Choices Include:

Cuisine (Italian, Mexican, Chinese)
There are so many different cuisines. You choose a style and The Take Home Chef will prepare a detailed theme menu for your get together.

Cooking Basics
Cooking well is an art, but it relies on mastering specific skills. Pick one of the following techniques to master in this class: Roasting, Sautéing, Steaming & Boiling, Grilling, Pan-Frying or Braising.

Pantry Organization
This lesson teaches you the importance of the well-stocked and organized pantry. A well-stocked pantry is a must for today’s busy cook. You can prepare meals in minutes and be prepared for drop-in guests. Learn how to organize, stock and replenish your pantry.

Kitchen and Food Safety/Basic Knife Techniques
This lesson provides an in-depth look at what kitchen safety and sanitation is all about, and how you can improve these elements in your own home to keep your family safe. We also go through the functions of different knives, knife safety and knife technique while practicing with different vegetables.

Kids Classes
Lessons are fun and easy. Children (ages 7 years old and up) are assured of getting their hands dusty with flour and sticky with dough as they make pizza, foccacia, cookies and biscotti.

Pajama Party Breakfast for Kids
Don’t know what to do this year for your child’s birthday party? The Take Home Chef can help! Invite up to 5 guests for a Breakfast Pajama Party! The attendees arrive in their pajamas and slippers. This hands-on class will include waffles and pancakes with a fruit topping, bacon and sausage.

Great Vegetable Dishes
Learn how to make those dull vegetables exciting! The Take Home Chef will show you some fabulous vegetable side dishes to add some excitement to your meal.

Sensational Salads
One of the biggest misconceptions is that salads are boring, but salads are so much more than iceberg lettuce. Come and discover sensational salad recipes that will thrill your taste buds!

Soup Suppers
Making soup is simple, therapeutic and creative. There are no strict techniques to learn and it can be made with anything from the finest ingredients to the humblest leftovers. The Take Home Chef will teach you some basic procedures that make good soup, plus we’ll show you how to transform simple soups into elegant dishes.

Dinner Menu Ideas
What’s for dinner? In this class, we go through some fast and easy dinner options. The host chooses what dish will be completed and each student takes home their creation.

Private Cooking Lesson for 2
We will shop together, so you learn how to choose only the best quality ingredients and then come back to your home to prepare your personally designed three course meal.

Or contact The Take Home Chef to plan a request a cooking class designed just for you.

Here’s an easy way to bring lots of flavor to all kinds of dishes, not to mention make your home smell incredibly good! Simply preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 1 or more 6-8 inch squares of aluminum foil. Cut the pointed end off of the garlic head(s) exposing most or all of the garlic cloves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Then sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place cut side down on the foil then bring up and twist the sides together. Put them in the oven for about 50 minutes, remove and let cool for 10-20 minutes. Discard the foil and squeeze out all of the garlic. Get creative and use it in all kinds of things from simple garlic bread to a roasted garlic chicken dinner.