Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Cooking class for those without time
A neat idea for the rat race world, and a sad comment on the loss of folk tradition. Though if there is demand a solution will appear (Though not always a good one).
Jax
PARIS – For years I had thought of taking a cooking class. I love food, enjoy entertaining, and most of all, live in the world's gourmet capital, Paris. But the idea always appeared a little daunting. Courses seemed expensive, time-consuming, and - most of all - too complex.
That is, until cooking school L'Atelier des Chefs opened its doors last summer, offering 30-minute classes at lunchtime, not to mention a table on which to eat your meal afterward in the company of fellow students. All that for about $20, the price of lunch in an average Paris brasserie.L'Atelier des Chefs is located in an open space with a large kitchen in the center, partitioned off by glass walls. On one side, there's a large wooden table, surrounded by racks of wine and fine grocery products. On the other, rows of colorful cookbooks and shiny cooking utensils line the walls.
As I pushed open the front door in time for my class, two young men, dressed in suits and carrying briefcases, followed me in. Those who had arrived before us - mostly in their late 20s to early 30s - browsed through the cookbooks, chatting and laughing as they waited for the class to begin.
There was nothing intimidating about this place. It felt as though I were in someone's home.
"When we came up with the idea of a cooking school, our main aim was make this place accessible," says Nicolas Bergerault, who, with his brother, François, is the founder of the cooking school.
Mr. Bergerault, former marketing director for Nestle, has always been passionate about cooking. He wanted to create courses that differed from other cooking schools in Paris, which can be intimidating, he says, and not always handy for the working man and woman.
"We wanted to cater to 25- to 45-year-olds who have never learned to cook, who work, and don't have the time to attend cooking classes at the traditional times," he explains.
"I wouldn't usually go to cooking classes, but this is simple, and it doesn't take too long," says Alexis Thuaux, who works for a consulting company and has brought along a friend. It's their first visit. "Lunchtime is great, as it doesn't take up too much time, and you learn something," he says. "Even better, you get to eat what you make."
Students are taught to cook only one dish in each class. The recipes are deliberately simple but with a touch of sophistication so that people can reproduce them at home and impress their families and friends, says Bergerault.
Jax
PARIS – For years I had thought of taking a cooking class. I love food, enjoy entertaining, and most of all, live in the world's gourmet capital, Paris. But the idea always appeared a little daunting. Courses seemed expensive, time-consuming, and - most of all - too complex.
That is, until cooking school L'Atelier des Chefs opened its doors last summer, offering 30-minute classes at lunchtime, not to mention a table on which to eat your meal afterward in the company of fellow students. All that for about $20, the price of lunch in an average Paris brasserie.L'Atelier des Chefs is located in an open space with a large kitchen in the center, partitioned off by glass walls. On one side, there's a large wooden table, surrounded by racks of wine and fine grocery products. On the other, rows of colorful cookbooks and shiny cooking utensils line the walls.
As I pushed open the front door in time for my class, two young men, dressed in suits and carrying briefcases, followed me in. Those who had arrived before us - mostly in their late 20s to early 30s - browsed through the cookbooks, chatting and laughing as they waited for the class to begin.
There was nothing intimidating about this place. It felt as though I were in someone's home.
"When we came up with the idea of a cooking school, our main aim was make this place accessible," says Nicolas Bergerault, who, with his brother, François, is the founder of the cooking school.
Mr. Bergerault, former marketing director for Nestle, has always been passionate about cooking. He wanted to create courses that differed from other cooking schools in Paris, which can be intimidating, he says, and not always handy for the working man and woman.
"We wanted to cater to 25- to 45-year-olds who have never learned to cook, who work, and don't have the time to attend cooking classes at the traditional times," he explains.
"I wouldn't usually go to cooking classes, but this is simple, and it doesn't take too long," says Alexis Thuaux, who works for a consulting company and has brought along a friend. It's their first visit. "Lunchtime is great, as it doesn't take up too much time, and you learn something," he says. "Even better, you get to eat what you make."
Students are taught to cook only one dish in each class. The recipes are deliberately simple but with a touch of sophistication so that people can reproduce them at home and impress their families and friends, says Bergerault.
