Fun cooking experience!!! Judy was so much fun and got us all helping to make a delicious dinner! I'd try it again, great hidden dinner in her home with fun people! read more

I have learned so much over the years from Judy Harris and her wonderful cooking school. I can't tell you how many of her great recipes I make over and over again, many at the request of friends and family who have sampled them over the years. She is very organized and I still use skills I learned there years ago. She is an excellent cook and knows the history etc about the special dishes she teaches her students to prepare. I has always been a fun evening for us no matter how big a group we go with. I highly recommend this very special cooking school, fun for a date night or getting together with a few friends. read more

My husband and I had a WONDERFUL time! Judy is delightful and a very talented chef! We learned so much and made new friends. Thank you, Judy! read more

We loved learning how to use a wok as a smoker (for chicken, fish, or meats) at one of Judy Harris's wonderful cooking class/dinner parties. I had no idea that a wok was so versatile, but now I know how to use it as a smoker, a steamer or a deep fryer, as well as for stir frying. What's great about Judy Harris cooking classes is that in one evening you learn the techniques and secrets of making a fabulous meal, then eat the delicious dinner you helped prepare. If you come alone, as I did for the first class I took, you'll team up with others to prepare various parts of the recipes for each dish. Three other friends joined me for the second class I took ...it's a fun thing to do for a Girls Night Out (or Boys Night Out) or as couples. There was also a mother and son having fun cooking together at one of the classes. Judy's teaching style is very clear, friendly and effective, whether you are a beginner or very advanced in the kitchen. Classes are small, so you get very personalized attention. It's like going to a good restaurant and the chef actually teaches you how to cook the meal, sits down and eats dinner with you to discuss the yummy results, and sends you home with all the recipes. Next I want to try one of the French, Italian or Spanish cooking technique classes. read more

We received a cooking class gift certificate for Judy Harris Cooking School, I thought this would just be a cooking class but it was also a dinner party to enjoy what we made in the class. Overall it was a wonderful experience and Judy was a great instructor. I highly recommend Judy Harris Cooking Class to learn and explore different recipes but mostly for the fun conversations with the other participants. read more

When I recently visited the DC area from New Mexico, three of us had a memorable evening with Judy Harris and several other students. We learned how to put together a menu, techniques and numerous skills to make cooking at home much more enjoyable.   I love the idea of having classes in Judy's beautiful and spacious kitchen. Organizing such an event requires planning and coordination that she and her assistant executed beautifully. It was professional and we learned from a master chef.       I have chefs in my family who regularly appear on Martha Stewart's show. Our cooking class was not a taped TV show. It was fun to be in a real live cooking class. We learned the ins and outs of bringing a quality dinner to the table.   I will make sure my next visit to DC also includes another class (or maybe two). read more

Wow. Just wow. I thought it would be nice to sign up for one of Judy Harris' classes for a birthday gift for my husband. First off, we show up and it's at her HOUSE. I was expecting a commercial building of some sort so it was a bit odd to start out with. Upon arriving, there were signs pointing towards the kitchen and we walked in and received no greeting from anyone. Judy was doing prep work and she had an assistant with her. They were busy buzzing around the kitchen and when we received no instruction or greeting, we sat down and waited. FINALLY Judy came up to us and introduced herself. She seemed nice enough but a little awkward. No biggie, right? When everyone finally arrived for the class (there were probably 15 people in the class), we got started and the class consisted of her discussing 4 separate recipes. She explained them individually but when anyone had a question she seemed very annoyed that she had to answer-very curt. Whoa. I mean why are you teaching then? She even fussed at a couple for suggesting a great tool for cutting up herbs. Anyways, we broke into teams of 4 and each group tackled one of the 4 recipes she talked about. I was very disappointed since I thought it was going to be hands on with ALL the recipes (not just one). The kitchen was PACKED and there were wayyyyy too many people in the class. I added an ingredient to my recipe that I wasn't supposed to until AFTER it had been on the stove for a little while. I just completely forgot and realized it after I had put the ingredient in. Judy and the assistant were running around frantically and weren't there to help us anyways. When I finally flagged Judy down she sighed very loudly and was obviously angry that I had messed it up. "Well, did you look at the recipe? That's NOT what I said earlier. I guess you'll just have to do it again," she said angrily. Wow, I mean really? THEN I asked the assistant for some help with the rosemary and how to use it in the recipe. The assistant told me to break it up and put it in the sauce--minutes later (after I followed her directions), Judy came up and fussed at me speaking down to me saying, "Remember what I told you? You just stick the whole thing in." She talked to me like I was an idiot and at that point I just had to smile because teaching is CLEARLY not her gift. Thank goodness we were paired with a fun couple and we all just laughed about it. Each group had to serve everyone else their recipe they had made. The class started at 7 and by this time it was around 10pm. We were all starved and ready to pig out. ha. What a joke. We all got very small portions and I was still hungry at the end. Some of the recipes were pretty good and some not the best (they weren't bad, but I would never make them). The entire time it seemed like Judy was about the boil over from frustration for some unapparent reason. She even snapped at her assistant at one point because she didn't dry the cutting board and give it to her fast enough. If you want to enter an alternate universe (I would equate it to The Office-style cooking show, if you can imagine that), then please, by all means, sign up. Overall, I wouldn't waste the money on this. $80 per person and I could have taken my husband to a nice restaurant where we would have been treated nicely. I thought it was a waste of time and to be scolded twice after spending the money to go and LEARN was rediculous. You can get the same instruction from youtube videos. Beware. Save your $. read more

I always enjoy an evening learning and eating at The Judy Harris Cooking School. Set in a lovely setting in her own home with a large kitchen surrounded by floor to ceiling windows giving views to nature. Her explanations are clear and precise so even a novice feels comfortable. My first visits were 30+ years ago continuing today and I have seen her evolve over time. Her greatest joy is sharing her excitement of food to others. Bon appétit! read more

What a fun experience! We had a chance to meet new people and learn new ways to prepare a surf and turf meal, really incredible! Highly recommend! Looking forward to future classes! read more

I agree 100% with other reviewers. Judy was short tempered, seemed annoyed by questions and then commented that we did not leave her more food (we took many of the leftovers with us) -- as if we paid $85 to make dinner for her. She would demonstrate something and then when we went to do it she would just jump in and do it herself. The fun we had was rooted in our collective disbelief of how rigid the evening was. We had 8 ppl and only two bottles of wine for the whole 3+hour class. Would not recommend. I believe she knows her stuff, but that alone does not a good teacher make. read more

I give Judy a 3 because this is a fun alternative to a date night or evening with friends, especially if you love food. A friend generously treated me and my fiance to a night of "French Bistro" cooking and we did have a very good time. If I weren't already a fairly experienced home cook, however, I would have been frustrated by the lack of actual instruction and the rushed, "you're not doing it right" feel we got in the kitchen. First, some positives. Judy taught us how to flambe, which is something I've never seen done in person before. She also taught us how to "fan out" chicken breast on the plate as a pretty entree presentation, and a Bosc pear for the dessert course. One other trick she taught was how to make a decorative swirl with yogurt on top of soup. These tips and techniques were interesting and fun. Now for the misses. Like another reviewer, I felt as if Judy weren't open to questions about technique or ingredients, which she should welcome since she's teaching a class. During the cooking portion, she got agitated with one or two of the groups who did not execute the recipe "just so" even though there wasn't really enough time to read the recipe and ask questions before starting to prep. The event is too long. We arrived right on time at 7 p.m., and did not leave until after 10:30. We did not eat until around 10. Perhaps trimming out one course or side dish would make the time more manageable. I was unimpressed with some of her own cooking techniques. A few times, she chopped vegetables and herbs with a paring knife. Other times, her rough chopping did not give me confidence in her own basic skills in the kitchen, despite her resume. What could be a really fun, learning environment was overshadowed by our unmet expectations. In my opinion, Judy should either work on her instruction skills, or call the event something other than "cooking school." read more

Very disappointing. While well-intentioned, Ms. Harris was not attentive to her students at all. This is a class - but during cooking activities she regularly failed to answer questions, instead saying things to the effect of "I can't answer you right now, I'm busy doing _______." Heard it several times and so did other students. We got there for the start of class at about 7pm but didn't eat until after 10pm. This place is not recommended. read more

My family and friends and I want to thank Judy Harris and Mary for making our Italian dinner cooking experience so fantastic. We were all wowed by Judy's cooking and teaching skills. It was fun from start to finish, and we made memories to last. Plus, the food was exceptional. Judy even included a tour of her beautiful, verdant garden, complete with smells and tastes of the growing herbs we would be using. We are looking forward to future splendid evenings with Judy. We want to try the Thai cooking experience, as well. Mary, Judy's culinary arts-trained assistant, also knocked herself out with preparing our food, toools and stations, and keeping the whole event rolling smoothly. What a treasure we have in the Judy Harris Cooking School right here in Alexandria! Thank you to Judy for making our experience so incredibly special. read more

I had such a great time at Judy Harris Cooking School that I decided to post a review. After a brief overview of the menu, we got into teams to cook together under Judy's supervision. We of course asked many questions during the cooking and Judy answered all of them with a lot of patience and always with a smile. She is very knowledgeable and has a lot of tricks to teach us. The food we prepared was superb; everyone was very excited and got along very well with each other. The best part was the sit down diner where we got to taste all of the dishes that we prepared ourselves. We had time to talk to each other and make new friends. I took many of Judy's classes and each time it was a success. I truly recommend Judy's classes if you want to have good time and learn great diners and cooking techniques. Lisa read more

What an excellent time! Judy and Mary were great teachers, and they were both so sweet! The experience was very enjoyable. Our group learned a lot, and the food was great. Would highly recommend! From others in our group that had Sur La Table to compare it with they said Judy's class was definitely better. They mentioned that at Judy's school, she encourages the students to do it themselves, whereas at Sur La Table they do it for you most of the time and rush you out of the kitchen to get the next customer in. I felt Judy's class was a more personal experience. She got to know every one of us, and at the end we all sat down to eat our meal with Mary and Judy and it just felt like one big happy family meal! I also enjoyed the fact that her class is taught in her home versus a big business' kitchen like Sur La Table. Thank you for everything Judy, and we will be back! read more

Judy's cooking school is just that... a real cooking school with an experienced chef. If you want some tame cooking school where they want to just sell you stuff go to sur la table, but if you want to really learn some authentic dishes from various regions of the world, have a fantastic sit down dinner with new friends, and take home fail-proof recipes that you'll use over and over... Judy's is the place. I attended culinary school for a year and a half and learned more in one night with Judy. I learned so much that I decided to volunteer to be one of her assistants. While Judy can be a bit of a perfectionist, her intentions are pure... She wants everyone to have a good time and eat delicious food! read more

We had a private class of 16, The kitchen is in Judy's home, she should have no more than 9 in that kitchen. First she proceeded to go over the menu with us. She was uptight, over tired and snapped at one of the gals. She then split us up into several groups, each group making one of the items on the menu. Whatever you do DON'T ask a question! It is a "cooking school" that is not allowed to ask questions! I like to grill and I offered to put some chicken on the grill since she was stressed and a bit overwhelmed. I put on half of the chicken that needed to be cooked on the grill. I set my wine glass (my one and only glass of wine for the evening) on the side table of the grill away from the heat. Judy came out and promptly chastised me for having my wine glass on the side table and I was told to move it. I held my tongue. I mentioned to her that I thought that the gas may be low since the thermometer was only registering 200 degrees and the tank felt a bit light. Judy then opened the grill only to yell at me that I didn't put enough chicken on the grill at one time. I then told her that perhaps she should consider treating people like she would like to be treated and it was NOT okay to treat PAYING guest and her assistant the way see does.(Vanessa, go get another job where you will be appreciated) I then handed her the tongs and told her to cook the chicken herself and walked back into the house. She did apologize after she came back into the house, stating she was concerned about timing of the meal, when I felt she should be concerned that her guest were having a good time (NOT). We sat down to eat our meal only to have the chicken under cooked, 101 grilling, NEVER over crowd your grill Judy and this is why! The sweet potato fries never made it to the dinner plate. Over all, I was ready to leave before we sat down. Judy can obviously cook, but what she cannot do is teach. She does not have the patience's, personality, and "fun factor" that is important to be successful in this kind of business. read more

Judy's lovely teaching kitchen is a perfect setting for enjoying new food, learning new skills and meeting other cooking enthusiasts. Surrounded by large picture windows looking out on a wooded area, we gathered and introduced ourselves as Judy took us step by step through the dishes we would cook that evening. Then we divided into small groups and began to prepare the dishes, as she came around giving tips and encouragement. When all was finished, we sat down to a beautiful and sumptuous dinner at the table, and toasted our success. I highly recommend this experience. read more

My teenage daughters and I just attended Judy's Thai cooking class and loved every minute. Her teaching, clear and thorough, her recipes--perfection. Thoroughly enjoyed the diverse variety of students she attracts too as it makes for delightful dinner conversation as you share the meal you've collectively prepared. The beautiful environment of the kitchen with the verdant garden views surrounding the food preparations really adds to your experience. We've already planned a dinner party using the recipes we prepared that night for friends and family and can't wait to enjoy that spectacular cuisine again! Counting the days until I get to attend another class with Judy! read more

As a food-lover and perpetual cooking class student, I wanted to post a few words about the pleasure I've gotten from taking classes with Judy Harris - from seafood to Thai to tapas, and much more. I've taken many classes at various places in the Washington area, but when I consider quality, expertise, variety, and comfort and intimacy, I find that Judy's classes exceed all, whether you are a novice or skilled cook. In an age of dwindling standards, hers is simply a class act! Judy has taught cooking for over 25 years and she is just an excellent teacher. What I really like is that her recipes turn out just right and you always learn useful techniques. I don't cook or entertain much but I just love attending her classes, especially for the convivial fellowship at the end of each class where we sit around a dining table, make a toast and eat the foods we made, including dessert. I cannot think of a better way to spend my time or money! read more

If you want a fun experience at a cooking class and actually coming out of it feeling like "I can do this at home" then Judy Harris Cooking School is your first choice!! I have taken a class at Sur La Table that only had 4 students and I thought that would work to my benefit as it would allow for more personal attention from the chefs. That was not the case. Total disappoint especially after having it to compare to Judy's class. Judy is so warm and welcoming from the time you walk in her home. She (and her assistant chef Mary) greeted us with appetizers and wine as we all mingled for a little while. I think Judy's ability to first walk everyone through the menu/recipes gave you an idea of where to begin as well as some cultural information on the cuisines. We broke into teams and each team was responsible for a dish. She offered helpful advice along the way and showed us new techniques in the kitchen that I know many in the group will use again. Her meals were simple enough to duplicate at home on your own but also delicious and exceptional. We all sat and enjoyed the meal we created together and chatted and laughed that you tend to forget you're at a "cooking school". Judy's sweet personality combined with her cooking skills and creative menus are definitely worth trying. I look forward to bringing a new group of friends to one of her classes in the very near future. Thank you Judy and Mary for such a wonderful experience! read more