They Say “Don’t Try This At Home”…

…So I’m Coming Over To Your House To Try It!

I am LAZY with a capital L. Don’t get me wrong, writing a food blog and managing an online store single-handedly takes a whole lotta time, energy and hard work, but when it gets to the evenings and weekends, a walk to Starbucks for a morning cup of Joe and a short stroll out for dinner is about as arduous as it gets. Yes, my name is Sonia and I am a social sloth.

However, in a rare moment of inspiration, I decided it was time to get my butt off the couch and try something new. As our old pal Albert says…

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

…and who am I to argue with a genius?

So I opened up my laptop and booked myself on a cookery class, a Home Made Hot Dog Class at the Hot Stove Society, a cookery school owned by local celeb chef Tom Douglas.

Having been on the course, I am so glad I went. What did I learn from my experience? Well, I’m definitely not a natural born sausage maker, that’s for sure! But I did spend a really enjoyable evening developing my cooking skills, chatting to lots of lovely people, and I “sampled” lots of sausage and frozen margaritas in the process – not bad for a Tuesday night!

If that’s not enough to convince you to take the plunge and book yourself on a cooking class, here are 10 reasons why I think you should…

Reason #1: Cooking Classes Are Fun

So you think classes + learning = boring? I couldn’t disagree more. There is nothing as funny on the TV as there was being in a group of total strangers trying to acquaint themselves with a commercial sausage machine, a box of disposable gloves, and a jar full of slippery sausage skins. Let laughs, mayhem and inevitable hot dog disaster ensue!

Reason #2: You’ll Meet New People

Friends are like shoes, you can never have too many and while you might not leave having made new life long friends, you will have spent the evening with new people, of different ages and different backgrounds, but who have the same interest as you. I guarantee that you will buddy up with someone in no time and will soon be laughing and ooh-ing in unison over your feats and faux pas.

Reason #3: You’ll Learn Something New

There’s nothing like the hands-on experience of a class room. Not only will you learn how to cook a new dish, but you’ll pick up a wealth of tips and tricks along the way – I had no idea that the temperature of the meat was so important when making sausages. Working under the supervision of a professional means that you get to ask questions as they crop up, as well as having someone to tell you where you are going wrong and guide you to improve your overall ability.

Reason #4: You Can Try New Recipes Without Investing In Expensive Equipment

Ever wanted to try your hand at cooking something from scratch, but don’t have the equipment to make it? Lets face it, no one has a kitchen large enough to cope with the plethora of gadgets that would be needed to create every recipe that takes your fancy. Use a cooking class to trial that home made dish before investing in new machines and cooking gadgets. For me, buying a sausage maker would have been an epic mistake!

Reason #5: To Learn A New Signature Dish

Let’s face it. Socialising is fun, but it’s also hard work, especially when it’s your turn to host. In order to escape groundhog events, serving up that tried, tested, and oh-so tired, go-to dish, take a class and wow your guests with something new and fabulous.

Reason #6: Learn How To Cook Like A Pro

Are you terrible at chopping? Petrified of poaching? Unable to flambé without losing your eyebrows? The right course will show you how to right your wrongs and exorcise those kitchen demons.

Reason #7: Cooking Without The Clean Up

Your work space will be all laid out with the necessary ingredients and equipment when you arrive, you get to make as much mess as you like, eat as much as you can, and then hot foot it outta there, leaving the dirty work to someone else – hip, hip, hooray!

Reason #8: To Try New Foods

I figured a Hot Dog class would be pretty standard and I’d be completely familiar with all of the ingredients – enter Fat Back and Tajin. No, they’re not famous rap artists, but ingredients we used in a Link Sausage and Elote Dog. So give your taste buds a treat and let them explore something new.

Reason #9: Spending Quality Time With Friends, Family Members Or Your Partner

Team work isn’t only beneficial in the workplace. Cooking is a great way to spend quality time with friends and loved ones. If you’re looking to add a little spice into your relationship, a hot class in the kitchen can make for a hot date night and give you great insight into each other!

Reason #10: Get To Know Yourself Better

Without getting too deep and spiritual, taking a class can teach you a lot about yourself. I learnt that I can have fun and feel confident when put to the test in front of a group of strangers, that I should pay more attention to the demo’s, and that I should never, ever – under any circumstances whatsoever! – buy a sausage making machine

I attended the Homemade Hot Dogs Class with Chef Chris Schwarz at the Hot Stove Society in Seattle.

You can also visit my online cook store, Arugula & Rocket, to find the very best kitchen tools and gadgets to help make you a better cook!

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