Dawn_MO, you are not alone. I will be teaching my first-ever cooking class on Jan. 23.

J

joe

Well-known member
It's in a small cooking store, very casual, 10 people maximum, but I'm a nervous wreck.

Intellectually I know it will go fine, and that the audience will be friendly, and I'm demonstrating dishes I've done a thousand times, yadda yadda, but I'll need Xanax to sleep between now and then.

I've set up four classes and I'm fretting over all of them simultaneously, LOL. They want me to set up more but I need to get through the first few first.

Here is the link if anyone is curious. My classes are mixed in with the others.

http://kitchenoutfitters.net/cookingclasses.html

 
Just remember, Murphy is alive and well...

If something can go wrong it will. When you expect it, it's much easier to deal with when it does happens. Just take a page out of Julia's book and don't try to hide it; use it as a teaching tool like you've planned it all along.

 
How exciting!! You will do a wonderful job! Your menus sound wonderful! How long are the classes?

Can you bring in some items that were started/prepped at home?

You will do a great job!

Keep us posted!

 
They're 2 to 2-1/2 hours. I'll have to have some things made ahead--ie have a tart in the oven

while I demonstrate the pastry. Otherwise, we'd never eat.

 
That is so true. I'll try to channel Julia's positive approach. (I'm already stealing her recipes.)

 
Question about the sorrel tart ...

Does the sorrel turn grey when it cooks? It always does this for me, and looks most unappetizing.

Totally yummy menus, BTW! I'm salivating, even though I just finished a big lunch.

 
Thanks, Shaun. Yes, it turns olive drab. It scared the heck out of me the first time I cooked it.

But once it's all the same color and there is no raw green for contrast, and when you mix it with the cream, it becomes appetizing again.

 
Joe, that is GOOD that you are having butterflies. This is POSITIVE stress which will guarantee U

will do a super job.

I've taught a few cooking classes (as well as other topics down through the years), and w/ culinary classes my bugbear is always the 2-hour time limit so be sure and make a timeline U can glance at so you don't start running behind schedule.

I also learned to never just talk without keeping my hands busy when teaching cooking classes so during the Intro topic background/presentation, I am chopping or greasing & flouring or doing some other necessary class task.

If you are exceptionally nervous, try giving a dry run in front of a realtive or friend. That always helped me bach when I was in college and learning to be a teacher.

Also I will tell U that whenever I've been a student in a cooking class, the ones I learned the most from were the ones that did NOT go perfectly! Watching experienced chefs trouble-shoot has been invaluable to me so don't fret if things don't run perfectly. Just do what you'd do at home and compensate.

Anoter hint--make sure you know how to operate the stove on site, oven, food preocessor, any convection feature, etc., etc. One place that gave me fits had water faucets that were so upbeat and modern, I could NOT for the life of me figure out how to turn on the tap water at the sink and had to go find an employee to demo that. I'd gone in earlier to double check the appliance controls, but never gave the tap water operation a thought until I couldn't get even one drip to come out of the faucet!

And of course, remember to make out a packing list. Wink, wink . . .!!!

Good luck, Joe. Wish I could be there. Wigs

 
Thanks for these tips, wigs. Actually the store owner would let me do a trial run on site

with friends if there is no class is session. He says he likes to have cooking taking place in the shop because he sells more stuff, even if it's not a proper class. I don't know if I'll have time to pull that together, but it would help.

 
Ancient dog that a kennel would probably finish off but still too fierce to let anyone...

else in the house when I'm not home...No vacation time-little money...but sure sounds fun.

 
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