Over the weekend, Ryan and I headed to Atherton Market for a cooking class!
(Outfit info for those who asked via Instagram –> Dress: Thara Day Dress via White Plum; Faux-Leather Vest: Kut from the Kloth via Stitch Fix)
Ryan and I have taken a small handful of cooking classes together in the past and love the experience of preparing new-to-us recipes and enjoying a more interactive date night!
Typically, we’ve found that cooking classes divide participants up into groups with each group tackling one part of a larger meal. In Chef Alyssa’s cooking class, we were divided up into groups and were involved with the prep work surrounding every course of a delicious three-course meal.
I loved walking away from the class feeling like I could easily recreate everything on the menu at home!
Chef Alyssa is the culinary mastermind behind the classes presented by Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen.
Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen focuses on healthy and sustainable cooking and offers weekly cooking classes for up to 22 people at Atherton Market in South End Charlotte. (They will also host private parties, corporate events, girls’ nights, etc.) After Chef Alyssa kindly invited me to attend a class, Ryan and I signed up for the Paleo cooking class since we don’t cook Paleo at home and wanted to try something new!
If you are a local reader, you can see a full list of Chef Alyssa’s upcoming classes here. I think the French Cuisine Date Night and Quick and Healthy Weeknight Meals classes sound like so much fun!
I’m so glad we selected the class we did because everything was fantastic! When we arrived, we were treated to a small Paleo appetizer of ginger pork that was so flavorful!
Right off the bat, we knew we were in for a delicious night ahead!
Ryan and I joined another couple at table one where the four of us quickly hit it off and chatted away while waiting for the class to begin.
Chef Alyssa and her team greeted everyone and explained the logistics of the evening to us. Chef Alyssa demonstrated the prep work involved for each of the three courses on our menu before turning the class loose and allowing us to work on everything in our small groups.
Someone from the Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen team was always walking around just in case we had any questions or needed anything, but they had all the supplies we needed available at our table and recipe booklets were provided to each of us with detailed instructions as well.
As Chef Alyssa demonstrated everything, she rattled off some helpful cooking tips, many of which I’d never heard before. For example, she suggested sticking bacon in the freezer before dicing it up to make it much easier to slice. And she recommended tossing chocolate chips or fresh berries in tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder or cornstarch) before folding them into muffins, as this will help prevent them from “bleeding” all over the batter and will keep them in place in a muffin rather than having everything sink to the bottom.
So what did we make during our Paleo cooking class?
Our first course included a cabbage and winter greens salad with warm bacon-mustard vinaigrette and a poached egg.
The entrée of the evening was my favorite and featured the flakiest coconut butter salmon served with creamy tri-color sweet potato noodles.
Dessert was a simple chocolate orange muffin that was, without a doubt, one of the best orange muffins I’ve had in my life! Our whole table commented on the fragrant orange smell and authentic citrus flavor of the muffins. When I’ve tried Paleo-friendly muffins in the past, I’ve found that they can be quite dense, but these muffins were light and fluffy and so, so good.
I had no trouble polishing off two of them and think they would also make a great grab-and-go breakfast option.
Thank you to the Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen team for such a fun and delicious date night. We had a blast!
Questions of the Morning
- Have you ever taken a cooking class?
- If you could taking a cooking class that focused on a special cuisine or dish, what kind of cooking class would you like to take?
I’d love to take a cooking class that focused on making fantastic sushi rolls! YUM.
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Ooh, I love that you had your own station! We had a lot going on at the one we went to (there were like 6 very involved dishes) so I feel like the ones I didn’t create myself, I forgot!
The food looks amazing – especially those muffins! I like that you had your own station. When I went to a cooking class last year it was one large kitchen in the front of the room so I felt like the set up was a little lacking. I am with you on learning the sushi rolls though! Have a great Monday.
I took a cooking class with my boyfriend a few years ago at EPCOT in part with the Food and Wine Festival. It was an awesome experience and I am really hoping we can take another class in the future.
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival is so much fun! I bet that was a blast!
I’ve only taken one cooking class, but I would love to take more! Any chance you can share the recipes from your class? They look amazing!
I sent them an email to ask over the weekend — still waiting to hear back but I am hopeful!!
this looks like SUCH a fun time! I want those muffins!!!
What an awesome date night idea! I wish we had something like that around here! The salmon looks heavenly! Hope you have a great week 🙂
I’ve never taken a cooking class, seems like a really great date night idea. I will have to look into some local options.
That looks like so much fun! I would love to take a cooking class, especially since one of my resolutions is to cook better! Those dishes look amazing
Kim
http://trendkeeper.me .. Talking monday motivation today!
It looks like you guys had a great time and EVERYTHING looks so tasty.
I’ve never taken a cooking class before, but it’s definitely on my list of things to do. There are far too many cuisines and dishes I would like to learn how to make, so I can’t pick just one. However, I would gladly welcome a sushi class as my sushi roll attempts often end up as sushi burritos. 😉
The salmon and sweet potato noodles look heavenly! I’ve always wanted to attend a cooking class (it’s on my 30 before 30 list to attend one in a different country). I do not think I am near coordinated to roll my own sushi.
I’ve always wanted to do this! I would really love to take a cake decorating class even though I think I’d be terrible at it.
So fun!! I’d love to do something like that with my hubby on a date night. I need to look and see if anything like that is offered locally. I did know the “toss berries/chocolate chips in flour trick,” but will definitely try the “bacon in the freezer” trick soon!
I love this idea for a date night! I took a sushi making class with girlfriend once. There was no cooking involved but it was a lot of fun!
This looks like so much fun!! And I love that shes offers healthy cooking classes. I would most definitely go here if I was close!
that salad has my interest. did the poached egg run when you cut into it? how did that taste? I might have to try that!
What a great idea for a date night. I’d love to do something like this with Dan one evening for something different to do together. Looks like you produced some tasty dishes as well!
I’m booked to do a Tagine cooking course with a friends in Feb. Looking forward to it.
I haven’t taken a cooking class yet, but it looks like a lot of fun! I’m a fan of pretty much anything involving food 🙂
Yum! Everything sounds amazing! I would love to go to a Paleo cooking class!
When I still lived at home after college, my Mom and I used to take the free Williams Sonoma classes on Sundays. They weren’t really hands-on, but if you could get a spot up front, you could pretty much memorize the techniques. I once took a knife skills class, but must have forgotten everything because I would love to brush up on those skills.
Random Q – is Ryan’s sweater from Jos A. Bank? Those are my go-to gifts for the men in my family and it looks familiar 😉
This looks like so much fun! I love that Ryan enjoys going to cooking classes with you too! That salad looks amazing!
What a fun date night idea! I’ve never tried a cooking class before. I’d also love to try a cake decorating class with some girlfriends!
This soudns like such a fun date night. Cooking classes are not very common here but oh day I will live somewhere that has cooking classes!
I’ve always thought that a cooking glass sounded like SUCH a fun date night! I doubt I could get my husband to one, but it would also be such a fun girls night idea!
I have been dabbling in paleo, all these recipes look amazing!
How neat! I live literally right across the lightrail from atherton market and never knew that these classes existed! My bf and I will have to check them out
I wish I could make myself enjoy cooked salmon. I love it raw, but not cooked. Are you able to share some of the recipes? They sound great!
yes! just got approval this afternoon! i’ll share them on the blog soon!
Yay! Thanks Julie! Can’t wait!
Love the idea of the coconut butter on the salmon!!!
This looks AWESOME! I’m about an hour away from Charlotte so I may have to check this out! 🙂
Mhmmm everything looks SO delicious! I’ve been wanting to sign up for a cooking class with my boy friend for a fun night out, but always have felt too guilty about paying money to cook more since I have a food blog haha! This post might have pushed me to look something up on Groupon if I can find it, though! 🙂
I’ve only taken one cooking class, when I studied abroad in Florence Italy, we were able to take a cooking class at an Italian Culinary Institute, and oh my… it was the most wonderful experience! We made pasta and pesto from scratch and several Italian desserts. I’d love to take another cooking class here!
I would love to do a cooking class – looks like so much fun! I’ve actually been looking for a cooking class for my son. He’s only seven but he loves to cook!
So fun! I’ve always wanted to go to a cooking class and this one sounds like perfection. I’d enjoy making sushi, but then again, paleo would be cool too. Great recap! 🙂
Yum! That food looks really good!! Especially those sweet potato noodles!
I haven’t taken a cooking class since high school. Man, those were the BEST blow-off classes. It sounds like a really fun date night though!
i took cooking in junior high and LOVED it! my sister actually STILL makes a pasta casserole recipe she got from a middle school cooking class. it’s really good!!
my boyfriend and i were up in your area yesterday and bummed Atherton Market and Luna’s Living Cafe were closed for the day. looks like a delicious meal!
Ooh, those sweet potato noodles look totally incredible. Would love the recipe if Chef Alyssa would share! Also, love the idea of cooking classes for date night. Have to try that.
That whole meal looks great! Ive never taken one before, but it’s definitely on my list of things to do. It’s a great date night idea as well, youre right about that. Looks like a great time!
These recipes look great!!! I especially love the salad. I <3 Paleo. I never thought of a cooking class for a date night, but it really sounds right up my alley!
Oh I so love this and would love to take a class! I think I would do an asian themed class as I love the cuisine but never cook it at home!
Fun! I’ve been brainstorming date night ideas and I will have to look for something similar to this in WI 🙂
I can’t believe that dress is only $36! Might have to order it, it’s adorable! I’ve never done a cooking class but I’ve wanted to for a long time. That dinner looks fantastic! Sweet potato noodles sound like something fun to try.
What a fun date night! I’d love to do a cooking class with Josh!
This looks like it was such a fun date night! The only one I’ve taken was several years ago with my mother in law and sister in laws — in Branson, of all places, ha! It was fun, but I’m so not a talented chef!
Ahh, love this! This is actually my job, I work at a place just like this in DC and LOVE it. It is so fun to explore new recipes every day and watch others grow in their skills!
How fun! I LOVE cooking classes! I also just tried sweet potato noodles of the first time last night (in a chicken soup at True Food Kitchen), and loved ’em. Apparently they have zero calories, which I can’t seem wrap my brain around as to how haha.
I love doing cooking classes! I’ve tried a lot of different ones, but I’d love to try a Greek or French cooking class sometime.
The salmon looks so delicious!! I love going to cooking classes. I received a Spanish cuisine cooking class for Christmas and it’s coming up in a few weeks. I can’t wait! The class is through the store Sur La Table. They offer a lot of awesome options if you have one by you.
This looks incredibly fun! Everything looks just delicious. I can just imagine the scent of those muffins!
I’ve never taken a cooking class, but I’d absolutely love to one day!
I would love to take a cooking class over healthy breakfast food you can just grab and go. http://www.eatallovertheworld.com
Any chance you can get those recipes? Really interested int he sweet potato noodles and coconut butter salmon!
yes! i got approval yesterday and will share them soon!