I definitely like to watch (with a glass of wine preferably). The reason being, I don’t really think a cooking teacher can divide his or her attention equally when going from station to station checking out people’s efforts, giving advice etc. Also, I’m a visual learner. I like to watch how it’s done-I just remember it better that way, then I’ll have a go in my own time without the pressure of someone looking over my shoulder.
Of course, just like school, people have different ways of taking in information. I have to admit too, that I have a short attention span. I need recipes to be quick, easy and give great results; being a single mum for ten years; there was no choice in my household and today I still have little tolerance for long winded recipes. Don’t get me wrong, I want to cook from scratch and I do, but the best cooking classes for me are based on practical, down to earth advice. If you can make it quicker, better, easier and tell me something I don’t already know (as the recent few programmes of Heston have) then I’m happy.
So how about you dear blog readers? Do you like to get your hands in when you do a class or just observe? And what’s the best cooking class you’ve ever done?
April 20, 2012 at 11:50 am
Hmm.. I like to watch first, briefly, to get a good understanding, but then have a go myself.
I realised lately – a lot of the recipes I use are really involved.. Trying to use good ingredients and just remember simple flavours!
May 4, 2012 at 8:13 am
I like to get my hands dirty and get in and make some food. I tend to switch off if I’m passive for too long in a learning environment. Best class? Tony Chiodo’s wholefood cooking class (a long, long time ago) which began with a demonstration on how to sharpen your knife, then doing it.Next how to chop and cut up veg in different way. Then using the techniques he demonstrated to cook an amazing macrobiotic meal together.
In equal first – being taken to a local market in the north of Bali to buy the food for a cooking class, then cooking it back in a local restaurant with the chef.
Worst class – watching Gordon Ramsay slag off about a certain female tv presenter while he cooked at one of those big expos. Can’t remember what he cooked, but definitely remember how he degraded women.