COOKING CLASSES

If you’re looking for the Rolls Royce of cooking classes, Brennan’s is certainly a standout. For a cool $1,450, guests can join the Chef for a Day program that starts with the issuing of a personalized chef’s uniform and wraps up with a six-course dinner (which you prepare) for five of your best friends. During the day, attendees will receive one-on-one training with the chef in the kitchen and at the bar, a food and beverage tasting and even a small surprise gift from the chef.

Regardless of age or expertise, Central Market’s Cooking School offers a laundry list of options that appeal to chefs of all ages. The Highland Village-area store is popular among local foodies, thanks in part to its extensive produce and well-equipped, upper level classrooms. Learn time-saving tips from cookbook authors, restaurant owners, chefs and Central Market instructors on a variety of themes like southern food, happy hour bites, sushi and sautéing. CM also offers classes for couples, kids and private events. Prices and class times vary.

Well Done Cooking Classes gives guests a 100% hands-on cooking experience. Well Done offers public classes for a wide range of skill levels and taste buds including cooking technique, regionally-themed, date night and even kid-friendly classes. You also have the option of participating in public classes or a private cooking class for you (and your friends, family, or coworkers in your kitchen or space).

Dreamed of attending culinary school? Test drive your talent at Houston’s Culinary Institute LeNôtre. Each weekend, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the school offers Saturday Leisure Classes for non-students. Get hands-on instruction, along with a glass of French wine, recipes, chef hat and a to-go serving of your dish. Class themes run the gamut from classic beef bourguignon to southwestern green chili corn chowder. Classes are $70 each, but discounts are offered for purchasing multiple sessions.

Chefs Lawrence Fogarty and Jenny Wilkerson invite students (of all experience levels) to get hands-on in the kitchen. The Main Course Cooking School, located along I-45 in north Houston, offers classes of all themes ranging from Asian and Italian to barbecue and brunch. Surprise your significant other with one of Main Course’s Date Night sessions. Classes are offered Tuesday through Sunday.

After years operating Houston's successful Recipe for Success organization—a program that helps combat childhood obesity through education—Gracie Cavnar has expanded her culinary efforts with a cooking and gardening school. At RecipeHouse, a hands-on venue set in the Museum District, guests will find a space for cooking classes, seminars, team building and special events for up to 25. Be sure to check out the program's special celebrity chef series, offered on the first Monday of each month. Classes are $99, per person, and proceeds benefit Recipe for Success.

In addition to offering an assortment of kitchen equipment, Sur la Table also boasts a much-loved mix of cooking classes at its three Houston-area stores. Each of it’s classes, which are held throughout the week, pair expert instruction with popular focuses like artisan bread making, comfort desserts and knife skill essentials. Visit Sur la Table’s website for locations and class schedules in your area.

It’s been more than a decade since Sylvia Casares launched her popular Tex-Mex Cooking Classes. Today, the chef and owner of Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen teaches monthly courses at her Eldridge-set restaurant. Learn the art of grilling fajitas, tamale making and soups in one of the two-hour classes, which include a full meal, dessert and beverages.