Cooking Class

So I finally used my Groupon and went to a cooking class last night!

It was a lot of fun! The group was really small, about 15 people came to the class. The theme was soups and sandwiches aka comfort food. I got a seat right up front and it was a blast. The chef was really enthusiastic, very friendly and funny. It was pretty casual and you could ask questions while he was cooking. 2 of the soups were pre-made since they take a bit longer. We got to try all 4 soups (including a dessert one!) and 3 sandwiches. I came home with a food coma because the portions were HUGE due to the fact that the class size was small! :) There was also a delicious appetizer and the waitstaff gave everyone two glasses of wine and constantly filled up water... better service than at some restaurants! Everything was absolutely fantastic! Here's what we ate:

• Creamy Tomato Bisque with Grilled Cheddar & Bleu Cheese Bacon/Green Apple Sandwich
• Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque with Warm Turkey Wrap
• Spicy Black Bean Soup with Warm Cuban Sandwich
• Raspberry & White Chocolate Soup with Dark Brownie Bites
  

Everyone received a stapled packet of all the recipes and most of us took some notes while the chef was cooking. One of the things I liked best about the class was that none of the soups or sandwiches were difficult to make and all the ingredients are readily available in most pantries and grocery stores! (Actually, a lot of the chef's ingredients came from Costco!) All in all, the just-over-2-hour class was really neat. I learned some new tricks (like how to make parmesan crisps! that creme fraiche & basil oil are amazingly simple!) and that I should invest in an immersion blender if I want to make delicious soups. ;)

It was completely worth the $25 I spent via Groupon! :) Maybe I'll find a deal for one of their hands-on cooking classes in the future!

Have you ever taken a cooking class? Did you like it?