Kaberi C.
Yelp
I should preface this review by saying two things:
1. After attending the class, I realize that I qualify as an 'experienced' cook
2. It's great that so many people on Yelp have enjoyed Diane's class but it's important that I add a reality check to the reviews for those who are expecting to learn technique and get value for their money
My friend and I choose the 'Chicken 4 Ways' class expecting to learn how to break down a whole chicken and use all its parts. The following pros and cons of our experience will give you a sense for how the lesson turned out:
Pros:
1. Diane's confidence, small class size, well appointed kitchen and excellent location put us at ease
2. She was sweet to prepare an appetizer and dessert (a delicious peach crumble!) and share wine with the meal we prepared
3. She taught us several nifty tips and tricks (rubbing your hands on stainless steel to remove the smell of garlic, for example) which reflected her years of experience
4. She patiently answered all our questions, many of them were from me (about knives, pots and pans, reality cooking shows)
Cons:
1. We were about 2 people to a chicken, which meant that we only got to do half the cutting (I learn by doing so I am not sure I will remember how to cut the parts I didn't get to cut). We were all on the same side of the table as Diane so often, when others crowded around her, it was hard to see what she was doing (I'm 5'5"). There is also only one stove top which means that everyone crowds around the stove when the food is cooking
2. I was under the impression that we would learn how to use all the parts but Dianne put away more than 50% of the chicken to use in stock and for other purposes later. We only used the chicken tenders and the wings and thighs
3. Diane unilaterally decided to make the Chicken 4 Ways class a Chicken 3 Ways class as she was running out of time. This is probably my biggest grievance as the onus of managing time effectively is on the instructor, particularly if she boasts of 8 years of experience teaching. At $85 a class, I don't think its fair to make a impromptu decision without checking with the students in the class. I was particularly annoyed that she told us she'd send us the recipe as if it was adequate compensation for not giving us what we paid for - a cooking lesson
4. For EVERY SINGLE ingredient used, Diane shared the source - some farm, some market, some eccentric guy in Italy who makes amazing salt! Frankly, it was excessive. As a marketing professional, I am not opposed to product placements but I would have much preferred if she had sent us an email with a list of ingredients and where she got them. It would much better serve her purpose to promote the sales of her partners as well. And saying 'taste that! Isn't that great?' for everything made her lose some of her credibility for me (I'm surprised that only one other person on Yelp feels the same way)
5. Her Thai red curry recipe was a complete scam! Using ready made paste if you're doing it in the privacy of your home is one thing but in a 5 star rated cooking class is another?! Mixing paste with coconut milk, a few vegetables and some chicken tenders is not worthy of being taught in a moderately expensive cooking class in Seattle, even if you're teaching beginners!
6. As we were leaving, Diane began spooning the leftovers into small bowls saying that this was her lunch for the next day. Since she had neither cooked the 4th dish (the chicken pot pie - the only recipe that required some technique) and she had stashed away the bulk of the chickens we cut, it was a reminder that our cooking class fee didn't go very far
Overall justification for the rating: I feel a bit bad about giving 2 stars because I liked Diane but 'I have experienced better' (which is the sentiment attached to the Yelp 2 star rating) and as a rational consumer, I believe should provide an objective view of what value you can expect for your money. I would call it less a cooking class and more an 'informal, play it by ear, quasi cooking and food experience'. If it's technique and skill you're looking to learn, this is the wrong place. Bottom line, should you go for Diane's Chicken 4 Ways class? Yes, only if you know very little about cooking (like many of the people on Yelp who have given the class a 5 star rating), have trouble following written recipes or videos yourself and can take an omission of a whole dish in a planned cooking class in your stride.