After watching "What the Health" on Netflix, I just about gagged and had no stomach for anything in…read moremy fridge. I can't keep track of the numerous times I have told myself, "Next week, no more junk food, I am only eating veggies, tomorrow I'll eat better..." And so on... I never made that complete sacrifice of going on a "diet" Yuck the "D" word!! Who has time to eat better? Is my family going to eat it? I don't want to spend more hours in the kitchen then I already do... Well Last night, completely unplanned I attended a dinner hosted by Cambria showroom in Palm Desert, featuring Chef Anthony Cruz. I was out of my comfort zone but had an amazing time. Met a great group of friends and together we watched in awe how "Stupid Easy" it is to make a rich flavored and fulfilling Meal in matter of minutes!! In Minutes, (as if he had a magic wand) Chef Anthony Cruz was able to feed a room of 20+ people. Jaw dropping easy, I've cooked with veggies all my life but never used them as he showed us yesterday. Everything was delicious, simple and colorful. The Best PART! My carnivorous Husband enjoyed it at first bite. We wanted more, He wanted more!  Chef Anthony Cruz presented a delightful dinner for all. He engaged the audience to participate and showed us how easy it was to make a Healthy Meal. His wealth of knowledge and dedicated Passion gives you motivation to empower you in eating a Healthy Lifestyle. Well Done Chef Anthony Cruz! I look forward to your future events and secretly thrilled to plan a dinner of my own.

Chef Cruz was very communicative and committed to providing a wonderful experience for my husbands…read more75th birthday. His helper Cathy was superb in helping setting the mood with simple party decor and service. The food was excellent and Chef Cruz was budget conscious as well as providing the best quality ingredients. If we are ever back here we would definitely hire Chef Cruz again!

love this place! Belinda the manager is super professional kind and so good with the kids! my son…read morehas been attending a few camps and enjoys it immensely. camps are around 9-12pm and everything is so well organized and they know how to keep kids engaged!

I took a cooking class here focused on Spanish paella, and it was such a fun experience! The…read moreinstructor and assistants were clearly knowledgeable, attentive, and made the evening really enjoyable. I went with friends and we had a great time cooking together. The portion sizes were super generous; we made tons of baked chorizo croquetas, devoured our entire paella, and still had plenty of lemon ricotta cheesecake left over to take home. Just a heads-up: the class ran from 7:30 to 9:30, so dinner ends up being on the later side. That said, it's totally in line with Spanish dining culture, so no complaints there, just something to keep in mind if you're coming hungry!

There are many ways to prepare fresh oysters. You can prepare oysters in other ways than just raw…read morewith some drizzled lemon juice. Place open-shell oysters on a baking sheet and put some cream on top of them. Sprinkle parmesan and pepper on top, and broil the oysters until they start bubbling. Sauteing your oysters is another great idea. Coat oysters with some seasoned flour and saute in warm butter for a couple of minutes, until they are golden. Oysters can be baked while still in their shells. Put the oysters in a dish, add some butter and crumbs of bread to each oyster, then cook at it 425 degrees. After five minutes, remove it from the oven. As soon as the juices and butter start to bubble, they are ready to be served with a simple toasted baguette. Losing weight and eating healthy can feel difficult, but you can easily lessen the amount of oil you use in your cooking. These include fatty substances like oils and butter. A nonstick cooking spray will suffice and is not as unhealthy.

From the owner: Hands-on cooking classes emphasizing fresh, creative, high quality cuisine. Most classes are 3…read morecourses followed by a sit-down dinner with wine. Classes are limited to 6 people. We offer special wine-maker dinners where each course is paired with a wine and the winemaker joins us at the table. All levels of expertise are welcome.

We had the opportunity to cook with Valerie as a fun Fathers Day gift. It was a intimate setting as…read moreour own private session. She was fabulous including Dad who wanted to learn to cook fish better and involving the kids. It was a gourmet experience with a custom meal and two types of fish, marinated grilled artichokes and a delicious puff pastry appetizer. We now have new cooking and knife skills that will last us all a lifetime! She was very flexible, patient and thorough. Her time is worth every penny.

We had a very fun and productive evening with Valarie. She managed six adults and two children with…read moreease and grace. We learned new recipes, including four sauces. Thank you Valerie for making it a memorable evening for our family.

We had a nice afternoon class learning the basics of Indian cooking from Chef Parsati. She is…read moreextremely knowledgeable and was able to guide us through making a delicious meal. Chef Parsati made us feel welcome and tailored the experience to our preference. Would recommend to anyone interested in a fun cooking and learning experience.

I booked The Art of Homemade Tamales with Chef Karen for my daughter's birthday. She accepted and…read morethen just before the event she sent a message that she had "overlooked our booking" and that she wasn't available. Without consulting us, she switched the confirmed reservation to another date. We had invited guests and it was impossible to find anyone else at that point. I will never use their service again.

My husband and I really enjoyed our Thai is Fun experience. Goi is a great teacher and the two…read moredishes she made for us were absolutely delicious. We also learned a lot about Thai cuisine. Give this a try.. you won't be disappointed

we just had a wonderful class on Thai cooking with Thai Is Fun chef extraordinaire Goi Yujaroen…read more The class was very informative and enjoyable, and we were able to successfully recreate the two dishes she demonstrated for us (Tom Yum soup and Stir Fry chicken and basil). I recommend her classes 110%!!!

This past Sunday, we attended a cooking class with Mangiare Monterey. Sarah and Reggie, our hosts…read morefor the evening, were inspired by a class they attended on a recent trip to Spain. They were looking for something similar in the Monterey area and because it did not seem to exist, decided to create their own based on Sarah's Italian family recipes. The classes are done in the Comanche Cellars tasting room at 412 Alvarado St in Monterey. As we arrived, we were offered a glass of Comanche's Pet Gnat, a sparkling rose of Pinot Noir. For this class, the focus was on sauces. The cooking stations were set up with each couple preparing a different sauce; a meat sauce, spicy sauce and vegetable sauce (each tomato based). We had a small charcuterie to snack on as we cooked as well. I loved that all the prep had been done - no chopping vegetables. Everything was ready to go so after introductions we jumped right in with Sarah guiding the group through the process. Nicole, Comanche's resident sommelier, was on hand to offer pours of different wines which would pair with our foods. After we had prepared the sauces, we were treated to a family style meal which featured a homemade focaccia with a delicious ricotta, a fresh salad and of course pasta with the opportunity to try each of the three sauces. Which sauce was the best, I can't say. Although if I had to choose, I was somewhat partial to the vegetable. We were offered more splashes of wine while we ate. We finished it all off with some key lime cookies and a bit of Sarah's family's homemade Limoncello. It was such an enjoyable evening and something really different we had not had an opportunity to experience before. I think this would be so much fun for a special date night or just an opportunity to get together with a friend for a fun evening out. The next class will be held on February 23. For tickets and more info: https://www.mangiaremonterey.com/ Check them out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mangiare_monterey?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

I attended their cooking experience and it was such a great time. Loved the sauces that were made…read moreand the homemade pasta was delicious. The wine pairings were also a hit! Perfect pairings! The recipes were accessible and didn't take a lot of time so I look forward to making it home. I highly recommend attending!

Great class and experience! I booked a cooking class as a team building night and it was such a fun…read moreway to work together in a new way. We made three different types of empanadas and all were delicious! As a novice cook myself I feel much more confident in the kitchen with the skills I learned at the class and I can't wait to book another one! Thank you Chef!!

From the owner: Welcome to Chef Prep Kitchens! We are a cooking school and event planning service dedicated to…read moresharing culinary knowledge. With over 10 years of experience in professional kitchens, we are a brand led by a Culinary Institute of America graduate and proud member of the American Culinary Federation. Join us for hands-on cooking classes or let us help plan your next event. Together, we can make your culinary dreams come true!