Chef John Bogan ain't new to this, he true to this. And by this, I mean cooking and teaching the…read moreart of cooking. He has been cooking professionally since the 1970s, and now he owns the Lake Geneva School of Cooking, and teaches hands-on classes for groups and corporate events.
I visited with a group of nine people, and we all had a great time. Chef John and his assistants greeted us with a mimosa, and then explained what we'd be doing: help to create a three-course lunch for everyone. Our lunch consisted of a mushroom soup, a beet salad and a baked cinnamon apple topped with ice cream for dessert. Chef John is very much a believer in cooking with the seasons, so the menu will change depending on when you visit. He gets a lot of his produce from the local Lake Geneva farmers market, and other food items from local merchants.
Our group split up and tackled one aspect of the meal. I was with the mushroom soup group, and for the most part, the soup was prepared, we just had to put the finishing touches on it and make some cheese croutons to go on top. I would have loved to do a little more of the prep work and cooking, to be honest. But not everyone in my group was as comfortable with cooking as I was. That's the thing with these classes, though: Whether you have a lot of experience with cooking or a little, the classes are informative and approachable, and focus on fun and food.
The kitchen that we worked in was well equipped and clean, with lots of room to move around. The kitchen assistants were college kids who were culinary students, which was cool.
After we prepared our meal, we all sat down and enjoyed it in the big dining room. Each course was paired with wine. And the best part: The food was delicious! Yay, us! And yay for Chef John, who conducted a wonderful class that ended with a fabulous meal.