Pasta! Pasta! My First Cooking Class

The class was so much fun!!!  Joe (who was the camera guy for the night) and I launched our first cooking class in California called, Pasta! Pasta! I started out feeling really nervous, and I was completely flustered as people started trickling in, but when I received feedback at the end of the class, many people commented that I seemed at ease and natural… wow, really?  I owe that to my former job working at Whole Foods as a demonstration chef!  The class overall went pretty much how I thought it would, but I didn’t think I had the ability to entertain the crowd as much as I did!  I even got in a few laughs.  One thing I knew that I’d do was teach them much more than they thought they’d initially walk in to learn.  Some people came up to me at the end and told me they had many “aha” moments aside from learning the recipes.  That’s always so great to hear!

I decided to treat them to an appetizer and some punch (both homemade of course) as they walked in to take their seats.

Training as a food stylist for a few TV cooking shows, inspired me to set up the kitchen as a show too!

Wow the students are really intense!  I must be saying something good.

Everyone commented on my cute little ceramic chef’s knife.  Yes, it does look like a toy, but don’t let it fool you.  It WILL cut you.

Haha… this is Susan’s I love sun-dried tomatoes face.  Everyone had a good laugh.

Volunteers had a lot of fun, being involved and getting their hands dirty.

When I told the guys to make golf ball sized meatballs, they turned more into softball sized.

Oohs and ahhs filled the room as I started plating one of the final dishes.

Please, please, no applause…ok maybe just a little.

Looks like Agnes definitely approves!

A very special thanks to my first class for making it such a memorable and pleasant experience.

Testimonies from the class:
Chef Julie made cooking look so fun and easy!  I had a wonderful time learning new recipes.  The food was verrrry delicious!  Yum!  It makes me want to come back. -Esther C.

Chef Julie is def. a pro!  Her recipes are easy and straightforward but taste gourmet, made with hours of TLC!  I Can’t wait for the next class! -Janice K.

You did an amazing job Julie!  The food was delicious and I had a lot of fun.  Thank you for giving me a lot of “aha” moments. -Candice T.

I never cook, but I am going to attempt to do this on my own!  Chef Julie was a great teacher.  I loved the visual learning. -Susan C.

Hi Chef Julie!  Thanks so much for making cooking more approachable and fun!  I especially enjoyed it when you asked for volunteers.  This made it more interactive.  We definitely want to come again to the next one! – Kathy H.