Cooking Class: Mom’s Night Out

Not too long ago, I had a light bulb moment: why not take a cooking class? I’ve been needing some inspiration in the kitchen, especially when it comes to healthy food to make for my family. And I am always up for a night out – “me time” doesn’t really happen for me anymore unless I schedule it. I also knew of the perfect place: Great News Cookware and Cooking School in PB. Have you ever been? If not, run, don’t walk! It is my idea of kitchen and cooking heaven. I’ve taken a few of their cooking classes over the years, so I didn’t hesitate for a second – I called my friend Barbara and we booked a class.

Great News is, well, GREAT. When you walk in, you enter a chef’s paradise. Whether you are just learning how to boil water or you’re an executive chef, you can’t help but fall in love with the place. It is chock full of every possible kitchen tool you can imagine, and some you can’t. Baking, BBQing, cocktailing – you name it, Great News probably carries it. The staff is super helpful and I’ve found that anytime I need a gift for my mom or a girlfriend, I can always find something at Great News. The GREATEST part of the store, however, is in the back, and you could miss it if you weren’t paying attention: in the back of the store is a huge, state-of-the-art cooking classroom!

This is where Barbara and I found ourselves on a Wednesday in early May, taking a class inspired by Mother’s Day with chef Katherine Humphus (executive chef at Bo Beau and 100 Wines). She was – dare I say it – great! She was! She was funny and kept it light while still teaching us so many new things about technique, spices, tools, and more. We learned how to make about 6 different recipes as we watched her cook – the overhead screens gave us a bird’s eye view of the pots, pans, and cutting boards – and she answered our questions as the class progressed.

We got to sample every dish and left the class full! And we even got a 10% discount on any shopping we did while we were there that night (Barbara and I both took advantage). We left feeling inspired and I’ve already whipped up the roasted beets and goat cheese salad at home. It was a great way to spend a night!

Great News now has their own cookbook: everyone who comments on this post will be entered to win a copy! And check out their schedule of classes. Treat yourself! I did and I loved it – can’t wait to do it again.