SAVOR ENCORE
Cooking Up Fun
Local classes offer new culinary opportunities
Courtesy
File photo
At left, Chef John Korycki discusses techniques with participants in a class at Zazios. Below, Bravo! head chef Shawn Hagen advises students on their preparation.
L
ooking for a new hobby, an outlet to flex your culinary prowess or something different for dates, corporate events or outings with friends? Take a cooking class. Many culinary class options exist in Kalamazoo, from learning cooking techniques or favorite recipes of local chefs to niche cooking classes at local grocers or group courses taught by chefs in a variety of areas. Who are cooking classes for? Anyone, says Shawn Hagen, head chef and owner of Bravo! Restaurant and Café, 5402 Portage Road. “We get all different demographics, from young and old,” Hagen says. “Some people want to come and learn the recipes to reproduce verbatim, some want to get creative ideas, and some just want to come for entertainment and don’t even take the copy of the recipes home with them.” Cooking classes are a good place to have icebreaker events or get to know new friends or love interests, Hagen says.
16 | ENCORE JUNE 2015
“We’ve even had people meet at our classes, get to know each other, and come back together again but this time married,” he says. Want to get a little culinary education yourself? Check out some of these local options:
Bravo! Cook with Hagen in hands-on classes meant for anyone from novice to expert. Bravo! offers five types of classes a year, and each class runs for two sessions. At the end of each class, participants receive a recipe packet so they are able to replicate the dishes at home. Bravo!’s next available class is Cooking with Wine and Spirits on Sept. 15 and 16. Participants will learn to pair wines with food and bring a depth of flavor to dishes. For a detailed schedule of classes, visit BravoKalamazoo.com. Classes run from 7–9 p.m. and cost $65 per person. Register by phone at 344-7700.
Food Dance Food Dance, at 401 E. Michigan Ave., offers classes from creative cupcake making to a Fire and Sky Grilling Class. The one-evening grilling class is set for 6:30–8:30 p.m. June 9, 10 and 11 on the rooftop of the Food Dance building, although the June 11 session is sold out. During this class, items are cooked over a wood-fired grill while Food Dance chefs demonstrate charcoal- and wood-grilling techniques. “I would say our classes target a wide range of guests,” says Michelle Miller, marketing and events coordinator at Food Dance. “A lot of our corporate customers have large groups that attend classes or have private ones, and we also have many of our regular guests that attend — people who are interested in food, in cooking and even just doing something fun with a friend for an evening out.” Check upcoming class schedules at FoodDance.net/events-classes. The cost for a class averages about $75; online registration is available, or call 382-1888.