Tasting Life in Other Places: Cooking School Vacations

Cooking school getaways—no experience needed.

By: Wendy Paris | Source: NRTA Live & Learn | February 17, 2006

THE CURRENT CRAZE for all things culinary has led to a smorgasbord of cooking-based getaways. Whether your knowledge of the kitchen begins and ends with locating the "defrost" button on the microwave, or you're planning your audition tape for the TV Food Network, there's a cooking course to help you improve your way with food—and immerse yourself in a different culture. If you relish delving beneath the surface of the places you visit, you don't have to go on an archaeological dig. A cooking school vacation takes you right to the heart of day-to-day life in a new place. Many courses include not just instruction in the regional cuisine, but also guided tours of area farms or local markets.

Sharpening your cooking skills on vacation can also improve life back home. Studies show that people who cook and dine together tend to eat healthier foods. "Cooking is not just about serving the children any longer," says Liz Young, the program manager of the recreational division at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York. "It's a way to entertain, to be with your family and to be with your friends. I think the pendulum has swung back, and it's in vogue now to know about the kitchen and be in the kitchen." Here are four cooking schools to get you started.

New York, NY
Institute of Culinary Education, "Global Adventure"
You may not get a reservation at that hot Manhattan restaurant you've dreamed of trying, but if you sign up for a cooking class at the ICE, you just might find yourself studying with the chef. New York's position as the culinary capital of the world means that famous chefs, cookbook authors, and international culinary stars are local residents, and many of them teach courses at the ICE. (ICE is a professional cooking school with a year-round calendar of recreational classes as well.) The five-day "Global Adventure" course lets you tap into the city's multicultural life. You'll get hands-on experience cooking Chinese, French, Italian, Latin, and American cuisine—and visit restaurants and ethnic markets that local chefs frequent. A different expert teaches each day, arranging the menu and the outings. "It gives you a real behind-the-scenes look so you get to know not just the places but the people," says Carolyn Galsterer, a retired dental hygienist and French teacher who traveled from Frankenmuth, MI. "We went to hideaways in Harlem and Little Italy where these professional cooks have built up relationships. Meeting the people makes it that much more profound." After this course, your friends will be asking you for advice on where to shop and eat in the Big Apple. Institute of Culinary Education; 212-847-0700.

Florence, Italy
Villa San Michele School of Cookery
If you dream of whipping up perfect pasta under the Tuscan sun, head to the Villa San Michele School of Cookery between April and October. The two-, three-, and six-night courses let you uncover some of the secrets of Tuscan cooking with a villa chef or an expert flown in for the week. Courses, such as the gastronomy of the Florentine aristocracy and "a symphony of pasta," all focus on the oils, seasonal vegetables, meats, fish, and desserts that make Tuscany famous. Recipes are simple enough to master easily and recreate at home.

Because of the Villa's reputation—and location—celebrity chefs and food-world bigwigs flock here to teach courses each year. In 2005, New York City chef Sara Jenkins and her cookbook author mother, Nancy Jenkins, taught a Mother's Day course; master French chef Jun Tanaka shared his skills and secrets; and master chef/cookbook author Giuliano Hazan demonstrated easy-to-prepare Italian favorites. Some weeks include excursions to nearby vineyards, restaurants, and villas. There are also one-day classes on Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by lunch.

The villa, a five-star hotel, has 24 suites in a 15th-century monastery on a gardened hillside, in Fiesole, a small town outside Florence. They overlook rolling hills of cypress trees and the Arno Valley. Villa San Michele; (39) 055 567 8200.

Bangkok, Thailand
Thai Cooking School at the Oriental, Bangkok
The sweet taste of fresh coconut milk. The bright green leaves of cilantro sprigs. The spicy scent of grated ginger. When it comes to Thai food, the ingredients alone can make your mouth water. At the cooking school at the Oriental hotel in Bangkok you'll learn how to transform these alluring raw materials into delicious staples—and lesser-known specialties—of Thai cuisine, such as green curry with prawn and coconut meat and sweet potatoes in ginger syrup.

The hands-on classes are held in an airy, indoor-outdoor building across the Chao Phya river from the main hotel. You'll learn how to make ground pastes, chop, slice, stir-fry, and deep-fry noodles, vegetables, and meat, identify various peppers and vegetables, and pronounce their Thai names. Each day has a different focus—snacks and salads on Monday, curries and condiments on Wednesday. Sign up for a specific day or stay for the entire week. Instructor Sansern Gajaseni, a Thai native, has been with the Thai Cooking School for nearly a dozen years.

The Oriental has been known as Bangkok's most luxurious hotel for more than a century and is home to one of the best spas in Asia. It's the kind of place where uniformed elevator operators bow to you each morning and fresh fruit sits on your bureau each evening. Mandarin Oriental, Bankok; 66 (2) 659-9000.

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe School of Cooking
After touring the pueblos, art galleries, and massive red rock country of the Southwest, stop by the Santa Fe School of Cooking to get the inside scoop on the distinctive cuisine of the region. A local chef will prepare seven recipes, discuss the area's history and culinary traditions, and end by serving lunch—perhaps a lime-marinated salmon. A huge mirror hung from the ceiling gives you a birds-eye view of the action. Unlike most cooking schools, the instruction is not hands-on, an approach some cooking enthusiasts prefer. "I think people get more out of being entertained and having a chef tell stories as he works," says Rich Lindblad, 57, who has taken the three-hour drive from his home in Pagosa Springs, CO, to the cooking school more than 20 times. "When you leave, you've seen everything made, asked questions, and written lots of notes."

If you'd rather do the chopping yourself, sign up for one of the salsa or chili intensives (1 1/2-hour, hands-on classes)—new additions to this 16-year-old school's regular roster of Southwestern, New Mexican, and Mexican cuisine demonstrations. All chefs are Santa Fe locals who see educating people about the region as part of their mission. Santa Fe School of Cooking; 505-983-4511.

Wendy Paris has contributed essays to NPR's Savvy Traveler and Splendid Table shows. This article was published in NRTA Live & Learn, Winter 2006.