Cook LA heralds in Valentine’s Day with a five-day fest of gastronomic delight intended to stir up more than a bit of affection. The Studio City cooking school’s founder Liz Alexanian still believes in the old adage that the way to a man’s heart—or a woman’s heart—can be through his (or her) stomach. So Alexanian will be doing her best to teach people how to hone their culinary know-how.
Beginning on Friday, February 10th, it’s time to indulge in amore with “Italian Love Affair”, during which class participants will enjoy making and eating a menu rich with Italian ingredients. Saturday, February 11th features “Spanish TAPAS”; Sunday includes a Valentine’s Brunch earlier in the day, plus “Cuban Love Story” in the evening; Monday, it’s off to the Aegean Sea with the “Great Greek Feast”. The special holiday program culminates with “Romancing the Kitchen” on Valentine’s Day itself.
All menus will be tied into the romantic theme and will include food items that cleverly match Valentine’s Day color scheme. Alexanian developed the series of classes after she saw the success of her Valentine’s Day class last year, and had to turn away a few disappointed patrons because of limited space.
Ingenuity and enthusiasm, two valuable traits for any businessperson, seem to come naturally to Alexanian. It was about a year and a half ago that Chef Liz (Alexanian) opened Cook LA, however, she’d been around the food business all her life. Both her parents were gourmet chefs and ran a family bakery in Florida for 35 years. It was there that Alexanian first fell in love with the culinary arts, years later becoming a bonafide chef after training at NYC’s Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.
Alexanian said that in the spirit of the holiday, naturally, couples will find any of the Valentine’s classes very appetizing. However, everyone is welcome to attend. She noted, last year, several single people attended the Valentine’s class with their friends. As well, throughout the year, Sunday brunches are consistently popular among families, especially those with teen-agers.
Expect to have a good time when you come to Cook LA, Alexanian added. She’s found that the act of cooking itself creates a certain camaraderie among participants. People may be strangers when they start a class together, but by the end of the class, the mood shifts. Often people find themselves exchanging business cards or phone numbers. Everyone leaves on a positive note.
While taking classes at Cook LA, a country-specific ambiance is created to enhance the cultural experience. Attendees start off all together chopping and dicing what they’ll need to prepare their meals; then, smaller groups move to separate stations. The step-by-step instructions, along with the use of an array of culinary tools, result in the creation of a multi-course meal. What follows is a dinner party enjoyed by all.
Adults can pair their dinners with drinks that compliment the cuisine, including various wines, Sangria (Spanish wine punch), Mojito (Cuban highball), and Ouzo (Greek anise-flavored apéritif). As well, attendees are welcome to bring in a bottle of their own favorite wine.
As for aphrodisiacs? Alexanian said that chocolate is a sure thing. However, most any food can have that pleasurable effect when it’s prepared and presented with care and affection, she said.
So too, food is often an integral part of the courting process.
“In the beginning of a relationship, a person may worry: What if they don’t like my cooking?” she noted.
That’s one concern that Alexanian can help a person put to rest. Because besides simply creating delicious fare, she encourages her patrons to re-create the recipes at home and continue to practice what they’ve learned at Cook LA. This way, they’ll be able to prepare-- and share--the delicious meals over and over again.
Now that’s amore!
(Cook LA is located at 10938 Ventura Blvd., Studio City 91604. Chef Liz, along with her colleague Chef Adam Brooks, offer a variety of classes, as well as special programs, including birthday parties and corporate events. To register online click here. For additional information call: (818) 760-5157.)
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