Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Drop-In Cooking Class

Locations in this article:  Brooklyn, NY New Orleans, LA

It’s easy to convince food lovers to take a culinary vacation. But for those of you who don’t want to dedicate an entire trip to food, there are some options that are much shorter—and that are just as sweet.

The Culinary Institute of America in Napa is known for its weeklong cooking and wine classes. But there’s also a tasting bar where you can pay just $10 or $15 for a quick lesson—-from tasting olive oil to learning about chocolate from bean to bar.

In food-obsessed New Orleans, there are culinary schools all over the city. But one cool concept is at Langlois Culinary Crossroads, where the chefs will show you the ropes, but the focus is really on tasting and learning about Cajun and Creole dishes.

Seasons of My Heart cooking school in Oaxaca, Mexico, has week-long courses, but even those with a passing interest can participate in a half-day class or market tour.

And if you really want to learn from experts, the Brooklyn Kitchen has 2-hour classes led by chefs from a local pizzeria, brewmasters and even a New York pickle maker. You can’t make this stuff up.

For more information, visit the Culinary Travel archives.

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