Cooking class city

Baton Rouge is chock-full of capable, inspired home cooks, many of whom hone their skills by attending a growing number of one-day culinary classes. These are great ways to hang out with fellow foodies or to just get a creative shot-in-the-arm. No matter how intense your skills, fresh ideas in the kitchen can occasionally run dry. Upcoming Whole Foods Market classes, held in the community room upstairs, will feature beer and cheese pairings, healthy dips and one of their most popular events, cheese 101. The ever-growing Louisiana Culinary Institute announced its substantial summer and fall line-up recently, which includes basic sausage preparation, choux pastry, gluten free cooking, chicken 101 and 102, holiday fare and more. Longtime cooking class instructor and cookbook author Kay Ewing, who many remember from the now-closed culinary store, the Panhandler, still teaches cooking class at the Royal Standard’s 16016 Perkins Road location. The Sharp Cook now features cooking classes above Sweet Wishes cupcake shop on Perkins Road. The Red Stick Spice Company, where Sharp Cook used to hold classes, will once again feature sessions on using spices and spice blends from their venerable collection. LSU Leisure Classes remain a steadfast source of food and beverage know-how, including wine tutorials with wine master Steve Staples and culinary classes in topics like decorating cupcakes and sushi making. The Young Chef’s Academy is great way to show children how to cook through their week-long kids’ cooking classes. Finally, the Atlas Foundation on Goodwood Boulevard is an amazing source for learning how to cook Turkish cuisine.