Consider a Cooking Class

I love my co-op. I love that it is an independent store--when you walk into the downtown Iowa City store, you will not mistake it for a corporate entity, and to me, that is a good thing. I love the availability of local items, especially once the Farmer's Market is closed--the co-op becomes a place to extend the local luxuries, even thought hte temperature has dipped well below where it would be comfortable to sell them in the open air.
The aspect of the co-op that I have under-appreciated is their classes. I offered to pay the tuition for their pizza making class for my college aged boys, and one of them took me up on it. He then offered to make dinner the night before Thanksgiving for us, to show off his newly gained skills. The results were fantastic. His pizza crusts were wonderful--great flavor, texture, and the consistency of the dough allowed for it to be stretched thin yest still maintain it's spring, resulting in a great chewiness to the pizza. The sauce had a wonderful flavor--and was uncomplicated to make in large quantities and freeze. The cheeses were recommended in the class, as well as different combinations that might work. In other words, the class was comprehensive. The lecture allowed for a conveyance of important factors in pizza making and my student came out with an enthusiasm for the pizza they tried in the class, as well as the additional pizzas that he was given recipes for.
The results? It was the best homemade pizza I have ever had. We did have the oven on for over an hour with the pizza stone in it at the hottest temperature possible--which definitely helped, but we have done that many times before without these results.
The detail oriented approach to a good cooking class cannot be overstated. Especially for the inexperienced cook, but even for someone with years of experience. Pizza is a perennial favorite, and the ability to make it well can lead to confidence in other areas of cooking. Learning what the attention to a few important details can gain you as cook is priceless.
I have linked to the New Pioneer's 2011 Cooking Class Calendar in the title of this blog--check them out!