Nuggets No More

Ho hum: If that’s how you feel about what you’re putting on the table lately, it’s time to get your groove back—and a fun way to do that is to take a cooking class.
Get a like-minded friend (or several) to come along, or arrange for a sitter and take your hubby. You’ll go home with new techniques, fresh ideas and inspiration.

At the most plebeian (read: economic) level, sign up for a variety of City of Ottawa culinary courses, from Thai to Indian to Japanese and vegetarian. Or learn how to make a particular food, such as sushi, Indian bread, chocolate, or even—you guessed it (or maybe you didn’t)—Ukrainian Easter eggs.

If your taste buds incline sharply towards crêpes, tarte tatin, cassoulet and pot-au-feu, head to C’est Bon Cooking, where you can learn how to create a seasonal feast or a signature dish, or master a particular technique, such as preserve-making. C’est Bon welcomes groups and will also come to your home. Course offerings change regularly and there’s always something new to learn.

Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa is probably better known as a destination for would-be professional chefs, so you might not know that it also offers short-term courses and workshops for dabblers—“no skill or experience required!”. The list goes on and on, with pastry workshops, French regional cuisine, international fare, charcuterie and chocolate techniques.