Ok first off it's no wonder she's highly rated and tops yelp for "cooking classes for couples" - my…read morewife had asked about doing a cooking class for a date night so I did a little research. We had already attended the frys on shea baking night making scones where we just helped the chef... It was more an informational class to sit across the bar because I suppose their insurance doesn't allow you to really get involved there. Other courses in the valley are larger scale classrooms with more students where you won't get as involved and you may as well watch a video online for free. I have to say when I talked to Maggie about how the structure was and if we cooked or helped, I was happy to hear that her response was "oh, I give you an intro and sample how to make things but you're doing the prep and the cooking." She gave an intro that is great for beginners and culinary experts alike. Pay attention during her review of recipes though, because the rest of the class will be sharing your dish when you are done preparing it. The kitchen environment allowed for plenty of room for six people in our class to both cook and move around safely as well as plenty of preparation knives, cutting boards, measuring and mixing bowls, A beautiful set of all clad cookware and a gorgeous Viking 6 top gas grill. If you're concerned that it needs to be a professional kitchen for classes I'd say she and her husband setup the kitchen in a professional manner. My wife and I absolutely loved our date night, the prep work together and with the other classmates, and the food to top it off was awesome! My advice to this : Be hungry- there will be a ton of food to enjoy! Bring wine :) Take notes so you can make the dishes again at home. Thank you Maggie!

What a great experience!! My 13 year old daughter and I took a cooking class for Not So Traditional…read moreThanksgiving Side dishes. Maggie has such great life experience in the food industry. She taught us not just how to cook, but how to prep, basic knife handling, and an interesting way to prepare garlic. The first part of the class we all sat with our recipes and watched Maggie in the kitchen while she explained everything. Then we split into groups of 2 and tackled one recipe for each group. When we were done, our reward was the amazing food we cooked! Every dish complimented the others spectacularly. I cannot wait to make these again at home. Thank you Maggie for a lovely evening!

I tried making macarons at home once and it fell flat... literally. It's one of those amazing…read morebaked goods that requires a class to learn how to do it right, and Mix Cooking School provides the best instruction for it! My husband and I had such a wonderful time! Marcy taught us that process and oven temps are everything for macarons to come out perfect. She gave us useful baking tips I never would have thought of (and I bake a lot) and made us feel as though we were naturals at the process. There were a variety of colors and flavors to choose from and each of us walked away with our own dozen macarons to enjoy at home. It was the best two hours we could have spent yesterday evening and we can't wait to sign up for more of her classes!

Loved our cooking decorating class - perfect time for Christmas cookie decorating!…read more Learned lots of great tips for making and storing the dough, baking the cookies, making the icing, and decorating the cookies. I would have loved to see the whole process of making the icing, but I appreciated the extra time decorating since that is what we were there for. Such cute Christmas cookie designs and Jenaye was a great teacher during the decorating! We made two different wreaths, reindeers, and Christmas trees. So much fun! We did stay a little past two hours so plan accordingly!

Everyone should experience Arizona Culinary Institute's professionalism, great service, quality…read morefood preparation and presentation. I'll return and bring my friends every chance I get. Thank You for a very pleasant experience.

The Institute is in an office complex. The buildings are numbered. The Culinary Institute on your…read moreright on the protruding right side of the building as you face the building. When you exit from Shea Boulevard, it will be the very first left you can make on 114th St. From there on in you will be in the office complex. Just follow the numbers to where the institute is. The complex may be new and the maps have not changed. You may get proper directions when you. Just keep this in mind. Have a safe trip. The institute is a school, and you will be served food by students prepared by students. At the end of the meal you will get a short form asking your opinion of the meal and service. The school has its own way of doing things. Please be patient with them, they are students. For example they will not seat incomplete parties. You can be less patient with established restaurants that do the same things. The service is fine the students personable. Despite our group ordering almost one of everything, the execution was timely. No one complained that any of it was bad. We were served, without choice a seared Tuna appetizer. Some in our party did not care for anything close to raw, and were unhappy. Soup followed, of which the Gazpacho, (a cold soup) was excellent. They served a Pasta dish of bucatini: with heavy cream and panchetta. It was done to perfection, with the pasta being almost aldente and the pancetta lightly browned on one side. Other selections were chicken, short ribs and salmon. Prices varied but not very much. Expect to pay $30 plus tip and drink. Some items were a little less. The meal included a dessert of German Chocolate cake, which was thick and dark, permeated by coconut and abounded with a thick frosting. Coffee is served on request. What's served is what I call "ingredients food": it's flavor come from the ingredients themselves. Little technique is required. although technique was required for the Gazpacho. Salmon or Short ribs need steady cooking, and they had no adornments. You must know how to cook them. The how is simple, because baking is the one method. This is a really good place to go. Aside from having a very good meal you help others. Life as a Guinie Pig is not so bad at the Arizona Culinary Institute. Lunch anyone?

Fantastic doesn't seem like enough of a compliment for Chef Lori! She had clear and quick…read morecommunication from the start. Her food was all amazing. She catered to what we wanted for our wedding and everyone raved about the variety and taste. She prepares your specific food, cleans up and puts all leftovers together. No need to worry about anything because Lori thought of it. Highly recommend. Very professional and reasonably priced. Thank you Chef for making our special day perfect!

Chef Lori changed my parents LIFE and made it so I (their daughter who lives 600 miles away) can…read moresleep at night. Chef Lori shops for the ingredients and makes them enough dinner meals for the week, AND delivers them to their front door weekly! My mom is a very picky eater. Everything is either too salty or too spicy. She does not like to try new foods, new methods of cooking, nothing new in the kitchen. Chef Lori is a magician! My mom will try everything she makes and tells me that she actually likes certain NEW foods!! Unbelievable! I never imagined that happening. They rave about how clean she would leave the kitchen when she was cooking in their home. Now, with Covid 19, the meals are made in Chef Loris home. They've developed a beautiful relationship. When it was my Dad's bday, I asked Chef Lori if she could bake his favorite birthday cake. Her response? "I would be honored!" I asked if I could send a banner to hand in front of their home, announcing his bday during this Stay-at-Home situation and she excitedly said: I look forward to making your Dad's birthday one he'll remember!" That just shows her level of commitment, her passion for food, and her beautiful character. If you need any type of food service. this is your GO TO GAL!

I've taken multiple classes at Classic Cooking Academy over the years, and they never disappoint…read more Most recently, I completed their Asian cooking series--a six-week dive into the flavors of Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Every class was hands-on, delicious, and incredibly well-organized. Chef Andrew and Chef Jenny were fantastic--knowledgeable, fun, and great at breaking things down in a way that made everything approachable, no matter your skill level. The recipes were thoughtfully chosen, the ingredients were high quality, and the end result? Always something I was proud (and excited) to eat. It's the perfect mix of learning and fun. Whether you're looking for a night out with friends, a date night, or just something new to try, I can't recommend this place enough. I'll definitely be back--again and again.

Please note that this review is based solely on our experience with the Handmade Dumplings Class. I…read morecannot comment on the quality of any of the other classes or courses offered. Very disappointing experience. The class did not match the description at all. The fillings were pre-prepared, we didn't make the dough, and we didn't prepare any sauces. Bao buns, which were listed, were not included at all. Our only hands-on activity was filling dumplings, and even those were cooked by the staff while we were already seated. Several participants asked about dough making and Bao buns, and the chef seemed unaware they were supposed to be part of the class. For $85 per person, this was not a true cooking class and we didn't learn anything new.

I just started taking the 7 week course and so far it's been fantastic! The owners are very…read moreknowledgeable and really break down the cooking process. I can't wait to see what all I'll learn once the course is complete.

Mardi and Bob are fantastic educators and are extremely personable and knowledgeable. Finding their…read moreschool has been the highlight of our move to Oro Valley! A++++ classes!

My family of four had a great experience! Thank you and highly recommend for those families looking…read morefor a fun learning activity!

I'm so impressed by this summer camp! My two boys, ages 10 and 12, absolutely loved cooking and…read morelearning new recipes. They even created the cutest croissant restaurant! Every dish they made from scratch was delicious. It was amazing to see my picky eaters try new foods and flavors with so much excitement. Thank you for creating such a fun, educational, and memorable experience for them--we can't wait to come back!

OTFM was a zoo today (in a good way). I've never seen it so packed with people, but it's…read morerefreshing to see that so many people are looking to buy local lately! I was lucky enough to get one of ten seats for the kick-off of The Farm Sessions... what a treat. For those that don't know, The Farm Sessions will take place each week at the Farmers Market from now through the end of the season (May 29, 2010). Each Saturday, a local chef will demonstrate (to a group of ten people), as they shop the farmers market and prepare a dish using fresh ingredients. Viking is the main sponsor, and I believe the space itself is there thanks to the Chef's Loft as well. But The Farm Sessions' concept is thanks to Joe Garcia, who brought his vision to fruition - kudos for that! Today's session was led by Chef James Porter of Petite Maision. He did an incredible job, keeping the session fun and interactive. I learned a ton and I scored one of the eco-friendly totes as well. Chef James made it look easy to create a gourmet meal of pork chop with salad and goat cheese and a fresh melon drizzled with honey and goat cheese for dessert. Our group of foodies followed James around the market and found the ingredients from the following vendors: -Made By Bees -Triple V Farm -Rhiba Farms -On the Vine -Seacat Gardens -Queen Creek Olive Mill -Pork on a Fork While today was free since it was the first one, going forward, the cost will be $40 per ticket and participants will receive enough ingredients to prepare the same dish at home for two, a recipe card, shopping/resource list and a market shopping tote. I am excited to see the line-up of chefs that are participating for future sessions - I am sure this will sell out each week, so plan on purchasing your tickets early! (You can do so on their website).

Through our friends staying at the Valley Ho (tee hee!) we had the pleasure of getting a cooking…read moredemo/tip sesh with Sean Currid (chef at Valley Ho). Not only was Sean incredibly friendly and helpful but the food was (DUH) phenomenal. We had a moz and tomato salad (perfect starter) followed by a kale with white bean side accompanied by some awesome pan made croutons. Using some ingredients straight from the stands at the market was a cool way to incorporate local goods (woot buy local!) This was a great way to start day two of our trip.... a definite must check out local or tourist alike! Only criticism: We had reservations but by the time we got there non reservation folks had taken our bags/seats... flipside of that is that the guy who was hosting the event went out of his way to get chairs and ensure we were taken care of...