Homemade how-to: Cooking classes fill up as economy sends more people back to their kitchens

Detroit Free Press (MCT) - Jeremy Kelch used to eat out at least three to four times a week. Now, with the lousy economy, the video coordinator for the Detroit Tigers is trying to cut back. So he signed up for a cooking class.

"We are cooking more at home and trying to eat out less," says Kelch, 32, of Ferndale, Mich. "That's one of the reasons I took the class _ that and I like cooking."

He is not alone.

Home cooking is expected to be a hot trend in the food world this year, according to food and lifestyle experts.

And the reason is the one most of us would expect: Cooking at home saves money.

"As the recession deepens, dining out will decline and home cooks will sharpen their knives and their repertoires," says Ann Mack, director of trend spotting for JWT, a New York-based advertising agency that recently released its 4th Annual Food Trends list for 2009.

As the home cooking trend grows, cooking-class enrollment is sure to follow, says JWT, whose clients include Kraft and Nestle. And that's good news for businesses that offer cooking classes or demonstrations. Several are reporting an uptick in interest and attendance.

Stacy Sloan, director of culinary education at Holiday Market's Mirepoix (mihr-PWAH) Cooking School, says that because of the dismal economy, she had expected sales for this year's cooking classes to be flat or worse.

But the opposite has happened.

"I was awestruck at the people who were signing up," says Sloan. "My classes are full and it's not all from Christmas gifts. Rather, it's from people signing up for themselves."

The school opened last spring in an expanded Holiday Market in Royal Oak, Mich., and features state-of-the-art cooking equipment and appliances.

People "are going back to the kitchen to learn how to make those foods they are used to eating out," she says.

Cooking classes can save attendees money in the long run by showing them alternative ways to prepare dishes or how to get multiple meals out of certain foods. Costs vary depending on the class; many demonstrations are free.

There is no shortage of class offerings, either. They can range from hands-on sessions, where attendees can participate in the food preparation, to demonstration-style, where they watch. There are beginner classes, advanced classes and even ones for kids.

And the rise in cooking class interest isn't just among women.

"We found that we had a 20 percent increase in the number of men taking classes," says Sherry Zylka , associate dean of continuing education and workforce development at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich.

The college, which had nearly a 10 percent increase in noncredit culinary class enrollment last year, offers culinary classes taught by the school's certified master and certified executive chefs.

At Bonnie's Kitchen and Catering in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., owner and chef Bonnie Fishman has been teaching cooking classes for more than 25 years.

"Seems we were hoping for more of a demand because of the bad economy," says Fishman. "It seems more people took them as entertainment, but I think people are more interested in learning now."

This year, she's more than doubled her course offerings to include a budget-buster meal class with a focus on pinching pennies, classes for 11- to 14-year-olds and a lot more hands-on classes.

For Jim Belding , 63, of Warren, Mich., a hands-on class in knife skills at Mirepoix was just what he needed.

"I had no major knife skills until I took the class, and the amount of food that I got (from knowing how to cut and carve) was much more," he says. "You learn how to make uniform cuts on the vegetable so you are getting more of the vegetable. ... There's no waste."

Belding, vice president with Citi Smith Barney in Southfield, Mich., also took the Well-Stocked Pantry class at Mirepoix because he wanted to get ideas and learn better techniques and organization to improve his cooking.

Having that knowledge, Belding says, saves money, too.

"You can start out with a roast chicken as one meal and make other meals from it," he says.

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SAUSAGE & KALE SOUP

Serves: 12 / Preparation time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

This is hearty soup. Serve with crusty bread and it's a meal.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, peeled, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped

1 can (15-16 ounces) white beans, drained, rinsed

3 quarts fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 piece (3 by 2 inches) Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, optional

Favorite all-purpose seasoning mix or salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 pound sausage sliced crosswise Ľ-inch thick

8 small carrots, peeled, sliced about Ľ-inch thick

1 pound kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onions and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the beans, chicken broth, cheese rind, all-purpose seasoning mix or salt and pepper, the bay leaf and rosemary. Simmer uncovered while browning sausage in batches in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning, about 8 minutes. Drain sausage on paper towels.

Stir the carrots into soup and simmer 15 minutes. Add the sausage. Stir in the kale and cook another 5 minutes until the kale is wilted. Remove the cheese rind and serve.

From Mirepoix Cooking School, Royal Oak.

Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis without the cheese rind.

157 calories (34 percent from fat ), 6 grams fat (2 grams sat. fat ), 16 grams carbohydrates , 11 grams protein , 801 mg sodium , 11 mg cholesterol , 82 mg calcium , 4 grams fiber.

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CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes: About 30 cookies

Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)

Total time: 45 minutes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 Ľ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Ľ cup sugar

1 Ľ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons 2 percent milk

1 ˝ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Add the sugar and brown sugar to the melted butter and cream on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet. For large cookies, place 6 cookies per sheet.

Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Remove from oven and cool 1 minute on the sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

From Mirepoix Cooking School, Royal Oak, Mich.

Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

192 calories (46 percent from fat ), 10 grams fat (6 grams sat. fat ), 25 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 87 mg sodium, 30 mg cholesterol, 17 mg calcium, 1 gram fiber .

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LINGUINE SCAMPI

Serves: 6 (generously) / Preparation time: 15 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Vegetable oil for pasta water

1 ˝ pounds linguine

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons olive oil

9 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

˝ teaspoon black pepper

Seasoning mix or salt and pepper to taste

ľ cup chopped fresh parsley

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (about Ľ cup juice)

Ľ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Drizzle some vegetable oil into a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Add the linguine and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until done.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute; don't let it brown. Add the shrimp, season with black pepper and seasoning mix or salt and pepper and saute until the shrimp just turn pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the parsley, lemon zest and juice, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. When the pasta is done, drain. Toss with the shrimp mixture and transfer to a larger platter to serve.

From Mirepoix Cooking School, Royal Oak, Mich.

Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

772 calories (30 percent from fat ), 26 grams fat (10 grams sat. fat ), 88 grams carbohydrates , 40 grams protein , 459 mg sodium , 255 mg cholesterol , 95 mg calcium , 4 grams fiber .

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SWISS CHARD SUN-DRIED TOMATO FRITTATA

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 15 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Serve frittatas with romaine arugula salad with oranges.

1 tablespoon olive oil

˝ cup finely diced onion

˝ cup packed chopped Swiss chard leaves

6 whole eggs

6 egg whites

10 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped

ľ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

˝ teaspoon salt

Ľ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Brush 6 ramekins (8-ounce size) with a little olive oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place them on a baking sheet and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard; cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

In a medium mixing bowl, scramble the eggs and egg whites until well beaten. Add the onion/Swiss chard mixture, sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Evenly divide the mixture among the ramekins. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and set. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

From Bonnie's Kitchen and Catering, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

166 calories (55 percent from fat ), 10 grams fat (4 grams sat. fat), 4 grams carbohydrates, 15 grams protein, 548 mg sodium, 220 mg cholesterol, 151 mg calcium, 1 gram fiber.

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© 2009, Detroit Free Press.