No Cost Cooking Classes

If you are looking for some no cost cooking classes check out your local Williams Sonoma store. The store near me offers an in-store demo class every Saturday at 12noon. They do ask you to sign-up in advance, but you can also just show up.

Today's class, Classic French Food, demonstrated how to make French Onion Soup, Basic Crepes and Chicken Provence. I was impressed to hear that the chef doing the demo owned her own local catering company and had worked for Emeril Lagasse.

The store does push some of it's products. The chef used the Williams Sonoma Demi-Glace de Boeuf in the soup, which retails at a steep $29 for a little jar. The upside is they do provide you with a free booklet of the original recipes (without the store products) plus you get the demo and all the chefs tips and short cuts with it.

If you sign-up in advance you are guaranteed a taste of everything. There were sixteen people signed up for the demo I attended, but probably about 30 people total watching. The chef knew many of the people by name so it looks like lots of folks are weekly regulars.

Plan to spend about a full hour at the store. I did spring for the $29 demi-glace. What the hell. It looks like a pretty cool product (works like bouillon but better) and you can add it to almost anything.

Classes are either Saturdays or Sundays. Check your local store for a schedule.