Cooking's popularity grows in Cache Valley -- take a class, shine up your kitchen skills

By Angeline Olschewski

March 21, 2008 | Rachael Ray seems to be running the world. Well, the culinary world anyway. She premiered on the Food Network in 2001 with 30-Minute Meals, and within four short years had three additional shows on the same network. Along with those four, she is currently hosting the second season of her own daytime talk show, The Rachael Ray Show.

Likewise, Giada De Laurentiis hosts three shows on the Food Network and is a frequent guest on the Today Show. Lately, one can't walk into Borders bookstore without passing a wall of cookbooks lining the entrance. It seems safe to say that cooking is becoming more and more popular, and with 143,000,000 Web sites listed after a Google request for "recipe," it's easier than ever to be a gourmet chef, sort of.

If cooking does not come easily to you, here in Logan, you have several options for cooking training, whether you want to learn to cook specific types of food, to handle knives, or to decorate a cake. Previously you could have pursued a culinary arts degree at USU, but the program was cancelled in 2005. Bridgerland Applied Technology College offers one of only two accredited culinary arts programs in the state.

And for those just looking to shake things up a little, individual classes are offered free at Macey's grocery store, and at Kitchen Kneads for a nominal fee. Kitchen Kneads co-owner Chris Beykirch suggested that these classes are for anyone. He has taught college students, newlyweds, moms who just want to try something different, and retired people.

Besides being fun, Beykirch said all the classes are educational. His main goal is to "have people learn about good tools and good techniques. There is a difference between a $100 pan and a $9 pan," he said.

"One thing we do here is [the classes] are all 'buy one get one free.' So come to two or bring a friend," Beykirch said. The classes offered are viewable on their Web site.

April Olsen teaches the cake decorating classes at Kitchen Kneads. She, too, said the classes are for anyone with any skill level.

"Cake decorating is a skill that adds a little oomph to anything," Olsen said, "cupcakes, cookies or cakes." She believes the techniques she teaches make a cake more appealing and argued that a cake with a simple border would get eaten before one without.

As the saying goes, she's not just one of the teachers, she's also a client. "I really like one chef's, Kristin Trevino's, classes," Olsen admitted. "She's like an easy gourmet. She uses unique ingredients, a lot of herbs and fresh vegetables, but it's still simple. I watched Emeril on the Food Network. He used a lot of unique ingredients, but it would take me two hours to replicate."

On the other end of the valley, Macey's grocery store hosts free food demonstrations in its Little Theater. Belinda Fanjul-Olsen taught several classes there, including crockpot cooking, desserts, ethnic foods and rare produce.

"My favorite thing when I was teaching cooking classes was helping people get over their fear of trying new things," she said, "whether its new ingredients or new recipes." Though she no longer teaches there, Fanjul-Olsen insists that the "best classes are taught by the owner of Great Harvest, Lisa Clawson."

Lisa Clawson loves to cook because that's where she's "creative." "When it comes to food, I love everything about it, the smells, colors, tastes," she said. "I love recreating what I've tried." And just in case you think it came easily to her, she admited, "I was horrible at first. My family is the guinea pig most of the time." Now a crowd favorite, she's clearly figured out how to get results. The class schedule is posted on Macey's Web site.

Participation in classes offered at both stores requires a reservation. Chris Beykirch suggested, "If you see one you like, register then because they fill up really quick."

There are several other simple things you can do to shake up your cooking, including trying a new recipe. Many recipe Web sites make it easy to search by ethnicity, ingredient, recipe, chef or cookbook. The following sites always make the top five returns: All Recipes, Food Network, and Recipe Zaar. You might also consider joining a discussion group. These groups not only swap recipes, but many offer sound advice on the best brands of tools, proper care for your products, and substitutions for hard to find or expensive ingredients. One such group is the Google Rec.Food.Recipes group.

Cooking can be fun, with the right tools, the right training, and even without the right result. Clawson said the classes are always fun. "The food doesn't always turn out, but it's fun," she laughed. "Food makes everybody happy," she added. "If you take a beautiful cake to a friend, there's nothing that makes them smile more. And if it tastes good, that's even better!"

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