There is a lovely place just outside town offering delightful views and opportunities to explore a tree-shaded farm setting. The owners are a charming couple who encourage folks to stay and enjoy fabulous luncheons prepared and served right on the premises.
The cost for lunching in that bucolic setting is only about $15 per person. Who could resist? So, one unforgettable summer my friend and I signed up for lunch. “Let’s get away,” we said, “to enjoy the countryside and discover new tastes and textures in a meal prepared by the experts.” Yes, I know this post is about summer and we are in winter now and the snow flakes are falling across my blog. Can’t help it. I’m in the mood to tell this exciting story!
And the menu was enticing.
Roasted Vegetable Frittata
Classic Homemade Dinner Rolls
Mediterranean Salad
French Peach Tart
LET’S TAKE A COOKING CLASS TOO!
Yes, we signed up for lunch, but then we read the brochure a little further and discovered we might also attend a cooking class. The class would occur an hour or so prior to the luncheon. “What fun!” we said. “Let’s sign up for that too! We might learn something.” The cost was just an additional $30 each.
It was a warm summer day and off we went to a country adventure in haute cuisine. I had never attended a cooking class before but having seen a few like Julia Child on television, I expected we would be watching an expert chef ‘s fascinating demonstration.
THE GATHERING OF THE CHEFS
Upon arrival, we joined eight other would-be chefs in a very small kitchen. Each of us was awarded an apron and given the freedom to choose knives from a stack on the table. Even then, I was still blissfully ignorant of the real intent. Next we were provided a recipe sheet to share and follow. If anything in the recipes called for vegetables, we were told we could fetch them from the garden!
And then?
And then the leader of the class promptly left.
WHAAAT?
Yes, all of us eager cooks awaiting a demonstration were left to our own devices! And you don’t need too many devices for peeling and chopping things (which is what was required in the recipes).
“X&%*x##!!!!!! I can do this in my own kitchen,” I thought. “Why am I peeling and chopping here too?” My friend seemed to be enjoying herself though, chatting on with the neighboring laborers.
“Am I seeing things?” I asked myself. “Is she thinking this chopping and peeling session is actually fun?
“O.K. – Relax. Breathe. Follow her lead. Enjoy. Help is bound to come.”
About that time, the handle fell off my knife so I had to search through drawers and around people to find another. Nothing else being available, I continued chopping with a handle-less knife.
YOU HAVE YOUR ORDERS!
And help did not come until all the chopping was over. Then someone in charge assigned us to posts.
“You fry these – stand here.
Two people frying please!
You over there with the broken knife – beat the eggs and have ’em ready here.
You begin peeling the peaches.
And you are in charge of the rolls.”
And so, the cooking class droned on. There was no air-conditioning so the small kitchen grew unbearably hot and I had to go outside to breathe. I went in and out with my broken knife and wounded ego. The eggs were beaten and ready though. I do obey orders.
But finally, everything was cooked. I was surprised that it all looked and smelled wonderful too.
SIGH – LUNCHEON IS SERVED!
O.K. – I’m ready for lunch!
Not yet?!!
Now what?
And you won’t believe this!
Us Reluctant Chefs were now THE WAIT STAFF! We were expected to SERVE the eleven folks sitting blissfully under shady trees. They were the Lucky Eleven who had only ordered lunch! Mind you, they paid $15 each, whereas my friend and I paid $45 each for the privilege of:
– Working in a hot kitchen (which we could do at home)
– Harvesting the vegetables in the hot sun (which we could do at home or enlist husbands)
– Chopping and peeling things (which we could do at home)
– Frying vegetables (which we could do at home)
– Serving ungrateful diners (which we could do at home)
– Finally sitting down to taste our own cooking (which we could do at home)
And by the time we did sit down to eat, our portions were cold! Delicious I might add – but cold.
And after lunch I seem to recall we had to clear all the dishes too! I could be wrong on this, but I’m sure I was blinded at the time by barely repressed rage.
I complained and babbled all the way home. My friend, on the other hand, just snickered. “I had a lovely time,” she said , “and I didn’t mind all that cooking and serving at all”.
DID I LEARN ANYTHING IN THE COOKING CLASS?
Well, I learned never to sign up for the cooking class again – only the luncheon! It’s a far better buy!
I did also learn about SILPATS. Ever hear of those rubbery sheets made in France? They are fairly expensive (about $25 each), but wonderful if you are baking sticky things. Nothing adheres to them and you can line cookie sheets and avoid a mess! Then wash ‘em off and store for next time.
I suppose that might be worth $45 for lunch and the class, plus $25 for a Silpat. What do you think?
I think I would have asked for my money back!!!
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I think you got suckered. I would have been pretty upset to sign up for a class and then be on my own to fix and serve the food. I’ve been to a number of cooking classes and that’s not how they’re done.
Nancy
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Silpat. Good to know.
What a surprise cooking class! Your friend sounds extremely good natured! I’d have been grumbling, I think.
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😀 They call that a cooking class. I’d have expected something completely different. They made you slaves and then made you pay for the experience. Well, I guess they can catch you once but you’ll not be falling for it again.
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What an experience! Thanks for sharing. Sounds as if your friend enjoyed it a little more than you did!
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Dor, you never fail to bring a smile to my face :). I love to eat, so I don’t mind paying for that, but paying to prepare it – no way!! That’s what I have my husband for LOL!!! Just kidding :).
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I was playing the happy, smiley role and couldn’t back down! 🙂
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Yep – it seemed like a dirty deal, so I never went back.
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Thanks Lori and yes, my friend is very calm and good natured. Opposites attract. 🙂
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Correct you are! They’ve lost an enthusiastic customer.
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Yes, it was an unforgettable experiment never to be repeated. I don’t think my friend has ever gone back either, although she seemed so mellow during the slave labor episode. 🙂
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Love it that you get the humor in this odd episode! Eating is my favorite thing too (even before blogging). But now I know I need to make sure I’m “being served” and not being enslaved. 🙂
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I think I’ll hold a “cooking class” for Christmas. I could use the help and a little extra money. 😉
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I would have expected a paycheck at the end plus tips from the diner! You was robbed!
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Oh how funny! Life just offers us the craziest “opportunities” sometimes and we just have to try them. I think the Universe wanted to hear the funny story you would create after attending this. You wrote this really well, and described perfectly how some of our egos might be responding.
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Good thinking! 🙂
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Right! I’m not a quick study. 🙂
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Thanks Kathy!
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Ha! Remind me never to sign up for a cooking class! 😉
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Happy to hear my message was clear! 🙂
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I think you learned the hard way but at least the food was tasty. Maybe you can offer classes in your kitchen and feast on the labor of others. 🙂
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You are always thinking Bella. Now, if I loved working in a kitchen (any kitchen), your idea would have definite merit. Since the opposite is true, I will forgo making my millions from offering cooking classes even if I could enjoy slave labor.
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[…] Gourmet Cooking – With Class! […]
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