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| The
100 Best Restaurants in Portland |
School's In--Eat
Up! BY ROBIN ROSENBERG Ours is the town that spawned both American culinary pioneer James Beard and his polar opposite, Peg Bracken, author of The I Hate to Cook Cookbook. Portlanders evidently have conflicting tastes. There are those who, given $300 to spend on food, would promptly book a table for two at one of our finer establishments, order for four, pair wines with every course and imbibe until immobile. There are also those who would spend it on dietary supplements and instant soups in order to eliminate the pesky process of eating altogether. And then there are those who could easily spend that $300, plus more from their own pockets, to prepare an at-home feast that would tip the scales of decency and moderation. Because we have more leisure time and we now have the world's pantry in our various markets, Americans are enjoying cooking like never before. In the bountiful Northwest this is especially true. Once relegated to the ranks of chore, preparing food has risen swiftly into the realm of passion. "Loves to cook" is a viable and popular description in singles ads (finally, a replacement for "Loves long walks on the beach"). More people eat out than ever before, polls indicate, and high-end prepared meals are on the rise--but so are sales of All-Clad cookware and J.A. Henckles knives. Which brings us to the growing field of culinary education: not your high-school home-ec class, nor a rigid degree program, but the entertaining and personable delivery of food knowledge and culinary prowess by professionals to avid amateurs. The Food Network (still sadly absent from Portland's cable packages) tracks food trends, creates celebrities in the form of master chefs, and brings the viewer tableside to the world's great restaurants. Locally, a variety of classes and programs offer an interactive alternative. From makeshift kitchens in school classrooms to makeshift classrooms in professional kitchens, cooking classes are not only well-attended, they're overbooked. There are three basic categories of instruction: regional cuisines, health and skills. Regional classes might focus on a genre--curries, for example--or one dish in particular. Held at such venues as Nature's (635-8950), Pastaworks (232-1010) and Sheridan Fruit Co. (236-2113), they generally appeal to adept home cooks looking to improve their repertoire, meet like-minded foodies and, of course, eat. People with specific dietary needs or those cooking for them can gain a lot from classes designed for diabetic or other restrictive diets. Check local listings in WW's Dish column for what the week has to offer. Classes devoted to specific skills, such as baking or sauces, are geared to cooks of various levels. In Good Taste (248-2015), a cooking school and retail store opened just this summer, offers Cooking 101, a class in three installments. Designed for late beginners, this class goes several steps beyond the rudimentary skill of boiling water to arrive at real engagement with the basic principles of cooking. For those needing a challenge, try the five-hour basic cold cuisine class at the Western Culinary Institute (223-2245) and learn the art of garde manger (and the skills to make impossibly cute garnishes). All of this education comes at a price, of course. Classes range from
$15 to $200 and include food for you to cook, eat and sometimes take
home. The tricks, trucks and shortcuts--as well as the noshing, kibitzing
and klatching--are all priceless. - - - - - - - - - - - -
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