Food lab is a recreational cooking school located in Boulder, CO. The founder, Casey describes the space as a community culinary hub, which means that food lab doesn’t have any professional chef programs - they are focused on bringing food classes to everyday cooks like you and me.
Their motto is gather. learn. cook. eat. and there is an emphasis on fun! Casey really emphasized that home cooks should give themselves a break in the kitchen, which opens up the opportunity to have fun and experiment. To me, this really resonated because even if you aren't taking a class on how to make something special, you can still use this idea of relaxing in the kitchen. It made me realize that food really meets you where you are at - it doesn't have to be fancy to be delicious and good for you!
They even offer kid’s classes which i think is a perfect way to incorporate modern home economics into a child’s education! Some of the offerings include kid's day of school camp classes and an 8-week series of after school classes. In the "basics" series, they go through a lot of basics like knife skills, cleanliness, kitchen rules, and on the last class the kids get to invite 2 attendees to cook dinner for! I think this is a great way to teach kids how to be safe in the kitchen, but also that cooking can be fun!
The adult classes they offer also cover a big spectrum: they cover kitchen essentials like knife skills, and some upcoming classes cover making different things from scratch like papusas, sauerkraut, suflee, ramen, gnocchi, and even a chocolate lavender tart.
Casey also shared a recipe with us! I haven't had a chance to make it yet but it sounds delicious:
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Radicchio Brussel Salad
Recipe by: Food Lab Boulder
1 lb of brussel sprouts
1/2 cup radicchio, sliced thin
Few leaves basil, chopped
Handful olives for garnish
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp oregano
Salt
Cracked pepper
1. The prep of the brussel sprouts takes the longest, but is so worth it. Cut off the very bottom, then cut in half lengthwise. Place the flat side down and slice as thin as you can! Repeat with every sprout. Some of the not so good outer leaves will fall off when you cut the bottom off, that's fine.
2. Slice up some radicchio, mix basil in with brussels in a large bowl.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Pour some over the salad, mix and see how much more you need, saving some dressing for another use.
Now you have an awesome salad! Top with olives and some pieces of roasted chicken for a great lunch on the go.
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Have you ever attended a recreational cooking school? Let me know in the comments below!