I was thoroughly impressed by AJ's Kitchen Drawer. Everything was exceptional--the instruction,…read morefood, people, and ambiance. I attended a work event where we were fortunate to have Chef Keith Simpkins. It's evident that Chef Keith is passionate about his work, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Chef Keith taught us how to make tiramisu, pasta, and pesto, which are all among my favorite dishes. I'm pleased to say that I left the dinner with improved cooking skills.

The absolute best experience ever. Third time here and it just keeps getting better! Came for the…read moreValentine Date Night and it was incredible. Chef is a great teacher, helpful and funny. Food is delicious and plentiful!! Perfect night out. Will be back again soon!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to volunteer at The Kitchen House & my experience was such a…read moredelight. At first I felt excited and nervous, just because it's a new experience for me.However, Nicole, Blake, Megan & even Ms. Ivann made me feel so welcome! I joined in on a culinary class based on sauces, stocks and soups and the guests did an amazing job. The concept of the volunteer is to guide the guests & just be a kind person in their culinary journey This venue is breathtaking, the kitchen is awesome and the knowledge you gain is so worth the experience. I will definitely be back to volunteer again! The guests made: mac and cheese, green bean casserole, kale soup & an awesome salad with the veggies sourced from their own garden Please take a class! I know i definitely want to!

The Kitchen House is a not-for-profit garden and cooking school that focuses on teaching healthy…read moreplant-forward recipes to adults and children. Ever since Publix Aprons Cooking School closed, I've been looking for a cooking school that has fun adult classes. The Kitchen House has just started a monthly "book club" called Plot to Plate where they feature a book that relates to or includes recipes. This month was Lessons in Chemistry so my friends and I decided to attend. We bought our tickets in advance as classes can sell out. The classes are different prices depending on what the class is. The house is in a residential neighborhood in College Park and does not have a dedicated parking lot so I would suggest getting there early as you have to find a spot along the street. When we arrived, we were greeted and given a welcome drink, in this case Cardamom Decaf Coffee because it was cold out. One of the instructors said that normally we would walk the garden at the beginning of class and also eat outdoors but since it was cold, we were going to skip the garden and eat inside. Once everyone arrived (cooking classes can have up to 20 people), we met in the lobby to start talking about different themes of the book. Then it was time to wash up and go to the kitchen. All the ingredients were set out for us and we picked the Veggie Pot Pie table with other attendees. The instructor gave us some knife skills lessons and then we all started cooking, using the recipes at our station. Each station makes one recipe so you don't get to make everything. And, the instructors and volunteers don't show you how to make everything first (like Publix Aprons used to do). But, if you just dig in and start going, it is a lot of fun. We had some questions along the way, like is there a spatula we can use? Or, is this the flour or the cornstarch? The volunteers were great and answered everything in a friendly way. As it said you could do in the welcome email we received before the class, some folks brought their own wine and the Kitchen House provided glasses and would pour for you. I think if we go back, we would definitely bring our own wine. My friends and I made the drop biscuits for the Veggie Pot Pie, which were surprisingly easy to make. We were finished early so we also make the Brownies for dessert that used olive oil and maple syrup instead of butter and sugar. When everyone was done cooking, we gathered in the lobby again while the volunteers cleaned and set up the table for dinner. Then, it was time to eat! Dinner was served buffet style and the Kitchen House split our food for people who had different dietary restrictions. For example, some of the recipes used non-dairy alternatives as some people in the class were lactose intolerant and one person had a mushroom allergy so they got a small spinach gallette instead of the mushroom Gallette for everyone else. As we sat down to eat, we discussed the book more in depth. Everything tasted great and we had a wonderful time. We received all the recipes in an email after the class so we could make the foods at home. I will definitely be looking at other adult classes here.

I took the make your own sushi class with Chef Ricky in Carrollwood…read more This class was so much fun and Chef Ricky is the best! It is in the chef's house, so don't be alarmed when the maps takes you to a neighborhood. I got this for my boyfriend for a birthday gift and he loved it. There were 6 people in the class, he has a beautiful home with so much space. The spots are nicely setup with everything you need. He teaches you to make sushi from scratch and helps you every step of the way. He is very detailed and will answer any questions you have as well as make sure you are doing everything correctly so no one gets frustrated. You can bring your own drinks, he provides wine glasses and water. The price is absolutely worth it, you make so many rolls of sushi that you eat while you cook and also get to take so much home with you, you will have sushi for days! You can find his Instagram @tampachefricky

Our experience with Chef Danh was incredible! He started the lesson with some delicious ahi tuna…read morenachos that he made for the entire group and some flavor sake. Then, he taught us how to do two rolls, one hand roll and one oniguiri. To finish we had green tea ice cream and he offered sushi kits to make at home. During the entire class he kindly explained everything with a lot of detail and was very funny. We highly recommend chef Danh and will come back for more sushi classes.

How many good things can I condense into one review about Chef Alisa and her husband, Alex? I…read morereached out to Alisa by simply searching for a 'private/personal chef' on Google. She was one of the first few chefs in the Houston area that popped up on my screen and I decided to do some more "research;" and by "research," I mean I searched for her on social media platforms to see pictures of her dishes before contacting her...Come on, we're all guilty of it. lol To my pleasant surprise, Chef Alisa was one of the winners on The Food Network's "Supermarket Stakeout" which I thought was a pretty cool thing to have on her resume. :) So of course, naturally, I contacted her to check out her prices and menu. Now, by no means am I accustomed to having a personal chef in our home, but to celebrate a special occasion, I thought it would be a fun experience and a great "date night" for my husband and I. My review is strictly based off of my first experience having a chef come to my home to cook for me and the communication between Chef Alisa and I throughout the whole process. From the very beginning of getting into contact with Chef Alisa, she was extremely prompt in her e-mail responses and very transparent about her rate and any additional costs. After reviewing other chefs in Houston, I decided that I wanted Chef Alisa as our private chef to celebrate a special occasion with my husband, and after that, she sent me a menu with several delicious selections for each course (i.e., appetizer, salad, main dishes, desserts). I think choosing just one option from each course was the hardest part about this whole process, I wanted to try them all. During the selection process, I e-mailed Alisa back and forth a few times asking if I could make small changes here and there (e.g., sub an appetizer, or add a protein), and each time I heard back from her, she was timely in her responses and tactfully offered her professional recommendations. What I liked about Chef Alisa was that she was helpful and respected any accommodations or changes I wanted to make to the final menu. To give you an idea of some of the changes, I asked for, Chef Alisa recommended an appetizer, a salad, main dish and dessert; whereas, my husband doesn't like salad, so I asked if we could have two hot appetizers instead. Chef Alisa was accommodating and made two hot appetizers for us to replace the salad and added a protein to one of the dishes she normally serves as a main entree. While at the store, she even accommodated when I wanted her to change one of the proteins (last minute). Her ability to be flexible and accommodate her clients made her really pleasant to work with. After making my selections, I had to pay 50% of the total cost to Alisa to secure the date and then on the day of, I would pay the rest as well as any additional costs (e.g., groceries). Additionally, Alisa asked for a picture of my kitchen so that she could work her way around the kitchen with ease on the day of her arrival. On the day of, Alisa and her husband Alex (her "sous chef") came over about 3 hours before I wanted our meal served (appetizers by 6:15pm), and she started to cook up a storm as if my kitchen was her kitchen all along. I got to know them as a couple while she was cooking and Alex was prepping and it really felt like I was just chatting with friends. They're a really sociable couple and Alisa's food turned out amazing. The entire meal was served perfectly well-timed, and they were attentive to our needs. The icing on the cake was that there were no dishes for me to do at the end of the night! They left our kitchen cleaner than it was before they came over. :) If you're looking for a fun date night or even a get-together with friends, hiring Chef Alisa for a special occasion will be a treat.

Alisa G. and her team helped me host a wonderful 12-person birthday dinner celebration for my wife…read more She made my first private chef experience fantastic and, because of that, it will not be my last. She presented, at our request, a Mediterranean-themed dinner with appetizer, entree with side, and desert. Every dish she served was delicious and her team took exceptional care of us and our guests. It was all very much appreciated. I highly recommend Alisa G and look forward to using her services the next time an opportunity arises.

My husband and I had the most incredible date night at the Epicurean Theatre! We attended the…read more"Dinner with a Master Chef" class on Friday, July 18th 2014. Our instructor was celebrity chef, Whitney Miller, winner of Master Chef (season 1). The Epicurean Theatre is a gorgeous and very modern culinary classroom in the Epicurean Hotel in South Tampa. The culinary classroom has a kitchen in the front of the theatre for the instructor/ chef and stadium-style seating for the students. (If you want a seat near the front of the class arrive early!) Flat screen televisions are located in the front corners of the classroom to display close-ups of the food as it is being prepared. The layout of the classroom allows participants to eat and drink while watching a cooking presentation. After the chef completes each course of the meal the Epicurean's wait staff serves the dish. Whitney Miller was so charming and entertaining throughout our class. I loved her stories about growing up in Mississippi and being a contestant on the Master Chef. Her menu in our class included some of her favorite Southern dishes: First Course: Arugula Salad with Grilled Figs, Homemade Buttermilk Ricotta Cheese, Crispy Prosciutto and a Citrus Vinaigrette (Wine Pairing: Schiopetto Pinot Grigio) Second Course: BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits (Wine Pairing: Black Bird Rose) Third Course: White Chocolate Bread Pudding (Wine Pairing: Rosa Regale) Everything was so delicious and I cannot wait to make these dishes at my home! Confession: I probably won't make my own ricotta cheese for the arugula salad because who has time for that?! We received so many great cooking tips from the class and I plan on purchasing Whitney's cookbook so I can introduce my husband to more Southern cooking. If you are interested in taking a class at the Epicurean Theatre I highly recommend it! They offer a variety of classes from cupcakes to cooking to wine or even speaking a foreign language. They even offer brew bus tours! The classes range from $45-$125. Our Master Chef class cost $65 per person which wasn't a bad deal in my opinion considering we received a two hour demonstration from a celebrity chef, a three course meal, and three wine tastings. Can't wait to take my next class at the Epicurean Theatre!

I went to a great event here called Cupcakes and Cocktails held by Chef Beth Lukens, who owns and…read moreoperates the local company Cloud 9 Confections. Everything about this event was fun. Just like you see on cooking shows, Beth stood in front of the 3-tiered seating area, with a camera on her, and a camera overhead showing inside the pot she was cooking in. Beth is an experienced baker, and I loved that in addition to demonstrating how to make the Bourbon Chocolate Pecan cupcake, she also gave us helpful tips for substitutions and shortcuts. In addition to cupcakes, the event included 3 cocktails, specially designed to compliment the cupcakes we would be taking home. Pumpkin Prosecco - made of champagne and pureed pumpkin, Hard Apple Cider - made with gin, cider, and fresh crushed grapes, and a Bourbon Cocktail - but after the first two drinks, I have no recollection of what went into this last one. It was great, though! :-) Roger, the bartender from the hotel restaurant Élevage, came in each time to explain his concoction, which was really a nice personal touch. After Beth demonstrated how to make the first cupcake, all the participants went down to group stations where we got to frost our own cupcakes. She had all the different cupcakes lined up for us, as well as the different bags of frosting. First we did our own Bourbon Chocolate Pecan cupcake - by scooping out the inside to fill it with pecan filling, then frosting it with a thick bourbon chocolate buttercream, and sprinkling roasted pecans on top. Next was the Hard Apple Cider cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream. And finally we did the Pumpkin Spice cupcake, with a sweet cream cheese frosting. I have to admit, there was a LOT of taste-testing the frosting, even after the cupcakes were all frosted. Beth even provided plastic cupcake containers, so our 6 masterpieces (2 of each flavor) could travel in safety and comfort. I would definitely do another event here - it was very well organized, and in addition to the promised take home cupcakes, we were also provided with recipes on how to make the different cupcakes and frosting. The only thing that wasn't cool, and wasn't mentioned ahead of time, is that you had to pay $5 for valet, which also meant tipping too. I think the Epicurean Hotel needs to include this in the cost of the class, or let people self-park in the spots they have available for the wine store or bakery. Other than the parking, an A+ event from start to finish. Support local small businesses and go check out Beth's webpage, too - yum!

Three friends and I took a macaron baking class with Muriel at her gorgeous Bellevue home and it…read moretotally changed my idea of macarons. I am not a fancy baker (I do uncomplicated cookies, pies, simple breads, etc.) and have never understood the macaron craze that's still going strong. In this class, I learned that they are quite challenging to make and are mouthwateringly delicious when correctly and precisely made--I think I just never tried ones so good as these! The fun in baking them is how challenging they are and imagining all the possible color and flavor combinations. It was a great experience for me and my girlfriends and Muriel was an excellent teacher. First, she made a batch of strawberry macarons and explained very clearly what she was doing every step of the way, including how to gauge if you've done it correctly. Next, we paired up and made a different flavor on our own (coffee and black olive in this case). Muriel helped us every step of the way and sent recipes and videos afterwards. I can't wait to try to make them again without Muriel's help! (Fingers crossed). Word to the wise: if you go on a weeknight, eat dinner first! There's a small snack of crackers, cheese, and prosciutto provided.

Had a fun day making macarons from this beautiful home. Teacher was helpful and kind. Very…read moreknowledgeable. End product was delicious and I hope to take another class soon

A small, family owned business, The Young Chef's Academy is a hidden gem nestled between Land o…read moreLakes and Wesley Chapel. The friendly, organized and professional husband and wife team, have created a unique environment for families to bond with each other. My 12 year old daughter and I, attended a pasta making event today. The class was full, but everyone still received the right amount of individualized attention. We left the two hour workshop knowing we could recreate the meals at home. The session is perfectly timed, and at the end, we were able to test out our hard work. I wish they had more adult classes and more couples' events because I would love to do this again without children. Overall, this is a fun experience. The classes are taught at a level children can easily understand.

Adorable! The kids have had a few classes here. They are so friendly and fun. They hand out…read morerecipes pages at the end of each lesson so you can keep and use them later. Highly impressed!

This was an outstanding experience. I booked Chef Kathy to come to Jon's home on a Saturday night…read more The idea behind CozyMeal is that you all cook together, and then you eat everything you prepared. The price is by the person, and you can do it with as few as two people or as many as six. She showed up on time, with six full bags of cooking gear, so she had every pot, pan, utensil, and food item that could possibly be needed. After breaking out the champagne we provided, we got right to work making the lemon almond cake for dessert. I love that paper copies of all recipes were provided first thing, so we could go step by step together. You can participate as much, or as little, as you would like. We also got to borrow cute aprons, which turned out to be a huge necessity for me. Cake was super easy, and after some fine lemon zesting on my part, was in the oven in no time. Next came pasta making. I think of this as such a hard thing to do, but under Chef Kathy's tutelage it came out perfect. We added cuttlefish ink to the flour/egg mixture to turn the pasta black. Next we rolled it out in the machine she brought, and finally ground it into pasta noodles. In between pasta making, I was hard at work on the mandoline, slicing zucchini for the Carpaccio Di Zucchini salad. I also utilized the mandoline to make the sliced potatoes that were to be pickled and then used with the charred octopus appetizer. Not to boast, but I'm pretty much a slicing expert now. Then I switched over to make the scorched tomatoes that were going to be part of the sauce for our dinner entree of black pasta with seafood. Everything came together perfectly, and Chef Kathy did the final cooking and food plating while Jon and I sat down to eat. Our entire meal was so delicious, with the pièce de résistance easily being the amazing seafood pasta. Chef Kathy trained in Italy under local chefs, and it was very apparent in the amazing flavors of everything we ate. While this definitely cost more than a seafood dinner for two at a restaurant, keep in mind that this is really a one-on-one cooking class, where you are going to learn numerous cooking skills and tricks that you will be able to use in the future. I highly recommend CozyMeal and especially Chef Kathy to have a fun, memorable, and incredibly delicious evening.

This was my first time using CozyMeal. What a great idea for date night or even team building…read more The idea of having a certified chef guiding you through cooking a fancy meal is great. Chef Kathy was a delight, she was a pleasure to work with. The event can be at the chef's home or you can invite them to your home. When we arrived she had everything ready to begin. Starting off with a glass of Prosseco, I got to work on the ricotta cheese. This is were collaborating with the chef kicks in. I messed up the recipe and she was super friendly and helped me out. We worked on making black pasta which was super fun since she had legit pasta machines. I scorched some tomatoes and put some grapes in the oven. Then we worked on the shrimp and getting them nice and clean. While all of this was happening she had music and and guided us every step of the way. After we cooked everything she offered to walk over to the beach and watch the sunset. We all looked at each other after cooking this amazing meal like "we are ready to eat!!" We first started with the bruschetta, ricotta, grapes topped with an italian balsamic. These were to die for, i would have just there and eaten these all night. Next was the salad Shaved Fennel with Orange and Candied Almonds. This was a unique surprise since I had never had fennel. It was super tasty and I am definitely adding it to my salads from now on. On to the main dish! The pasta with seafood turned out amazing! Pasta was made to look black with cuttlefish, this did not affect the taste at all. Topping the pasta was a mollusk ragu which was very tasty. To finish off was the Chocolate Panna Cotta, this was a delight since it was just the right amount of sweet. The full package is definitely worth the price and I recommend for anyone looking for a unique experience.