It’s time to turn up the heat! For many people, cooking is not always a piece of cake, but from the guidance and expertise of these New Jersey cooking schools you’ll be well on your way to starring in “MasterChef” — and, if not, at least you’ll know how to prepare a few delicious meals at home.
Montclair Culinary Academy is designed for average home cooks who are eager and interested in learning something new. Photo courtesy of Montclair Culinary Academy
Montclair Culinary Academy
550 Valley Road, Montclair, N.J. 07043
Do not be intimidated by the name “academy,” this Essex County cooking school is designed for average home cooks who are eager and interested in learning something new.
Before jumping into sauces and seasonings, the first thing you’ll be introduced to at a class taught by Chef Karan Fischer, is basic knife skills. “Essentials first: everyone learns what job each knife does and the proper way to hold it.”
Fischer’s personal interest in farm-to-table cooking has furthered her focus on health food awareness because she believes it’s a key factor to sustaining optimum well-being. “Knowing what ingredients are in your food gives you the power of choice.”
There’s a way to approach food in an informative and user-friendly way, and that’s what you get with an MCA class — in fact, you might also learn how to cut an onion without crying.
“My concept is communal, in both cooking and eating,” Fischer said. “I want to reach the college-bound roommates, the newlyweds, the parent-child duos and the corporate team members. When people cook and eat together, it transforms their relationship.”
Guests are often shy at the beginning of class, but in between courses, as they sit to eat with each other and enjoy what they’ve made, there becomes chatter. And chatter soon turns into laughter. By the time dessert is ready to be made, no one wants to leave the table.
“With a little bit of knowledge and technique, you can change the way somebody eats, but more importantly change the way they think about food.”
With the emphasis on teaching real kitchen skills, In the Kitchen students get a solid foundation that’s useful in their everyday lives. Photo courtesy of In the Kitchen Cooking School
In the Kitchen Cooking School
10 Mechanic St., Haddonfield, N.J. 08033
Most of the classes at In the Kitchen are geared toward novice to intermediate-skilled cooks. But if you’ve mastered the art of flambé or can make tuna tartare with your eyes closed, the upper-level classes move much quicker — and they often cook “au pif,” with no recipes.
“At In the Kitchen, we take our fun with a side of serious,” said Founder and Executive Chef Kathy Gold. “It’s about having a plan of action but also tapping into your creativity. There’s no need to stress, just pay attention, watch your fingers and don’t burn the house down!”
With the emphasis on teaching real kitchen skills, as opposed to a particular style or cuisine, students get a solid foundation that’s useful in their everyday lives. “I will teach you how to cook, not how to cook a dish,” Gold said. “Once you know the fundamentals of heat transfer and the secret to cooking vegetables that retain their flavor (hint: roast them), there is almost nothing you can’t do.”
Having previously been in Moorestown, where they could only seat five students at a time, ITK rapidly outgrew the space and moved 10 miles south to Haddonfield. Nearly 70% of In the Kitchen’s students end up taking more than one class, so it’s no wonder the popularity boomed.
Heirloom Kitchen offers quality cooking lessons conveniently in Old Bridge, proving that you don’t need to go to Manhattan for a world-class culinary experience. Photo courtesy of Heirloom Kitchen
Heirloom Kitchen
3853 County Road 516, Old Bridge, N.J. 08857
Come prepared to roll up your sleeves and have a great time while doing it. Heirloom Kitchen offers quality cooking lessons conveniently in central New Jersey, proving that you don’t need to go to Manhattan for a world-class culinary experience.
Heirloom Kitchen is a hybrid concept: from Thursday to Sunday, it’s a restaurant. During the rest of the week, it offers cooking classes taught by an all-star team of talented chefs.
“Our students have the opportunity to interact with chefs who have experience working in restaurant settings, which adds another layer of depth to the kind of learning that happens here,” said Neilly Robinson, founder and general manager of Heirloom Kitchen.
A lot of the time, the takeaways are completely unexpected. If you sign up for a Middle Eastern Brunch class, you could end up learning more about salt composition or how to use spices to add flavor without adding heat.
In New Jersey, everyone loves Italian food, so you might find that Heirloom Kitchen’s Date Night Pasta class is continually sold out. However, there is an incredibly diverse selection of classes to please all palates. “Everybody in our kitchen comes from a different background that enhances the multitude of concepts and themes. From Filipino to Chinese, Portuguese and Israeli, with so many ethnic influences it can be a beautiful way to infuse a dose of culture into cuisine.”
Kendal Lambert is a freelance writer on a mission to scope out all the amazing things about the Garden State. From the best wineries to the most historic of landmarks, Lambert writes about how to live like a local in whichever town you visit.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of Jersey’s Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.
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