Something's Cookin'
I was off at a cooking class yesterday at the Institute of Culinary Education and I'm telling you, I just can't recommend this place enough. I've taken a few classes there in the past couple years and they're always loads of fun.

My friend Alex and I took the "Quick & Easy Seafood" class - primarily because it was being taught by Richard Ruben, who we'd both taken classes from before. Not only is he smart and creative about his cooking, but he has a great sense of humor and will keep you on your toes all day. Not only will he teach you to prepare everything on the day's menu, but he'll also give you very opinionated advice on where to (and not to) buy your foodstuffs in Manhattan. (For fresh fish his favorite is Piscayne on 1st Ave near 51st.) He's the author of "The Farmer's Market Cookbook" and according to my course catalog, was voted the "Cooking Teacher of the Year" by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

It was a small class yesterday - only six of us - but we whipped up a big lunch of garlic mussels, skewers of shrimp and scallops marinated in tequila, orange juice and cinnamon, fish balls in lemongrass broth plus salmon, tuna and a few other things, including a non-fish tabouleh. The price for the day was $100 but that also includes the huge meal - with wine. You get to take home the leftovers and you don't have to do any dishes.

Their catalog is online, but now you can also search by day - especially good if you know you have a certain day (or evening) in mind or a friend coming to visit. I'd like to try the historical cooking classes (such as Medieval Persian Cooking or Dining in Imperial Rome") but then again, there's also the upcoming ice sculpting class involving a chainsaw. Hmmm.
- posted by Amy @ 1/28/2004 10:05:00 AM