Dinner is Served at Stillwater's Chef's Gallery

Whether it’s a bona fide foodie searching for inspiration, a novice looking to kick homemade meals up a notch or a couple of friends indulging in a four-course meal paired with a glass of wine, The Chef’s Gallery has a class to feed the need.

“We dabble in a little bit of everything,” said Stephanie Jameson, the cooking school’s director. “It’s about feeding a passion. We hope we feed the fire and keep people excited about great new culinary techniques.”

Barbara McConaughey and Colette Howard have had their passions fed at The Chef’s Gallery once a month for the last decade. The duo has taken more than 100 classes from notable chefs of Greek, Italian, Mexican and Asian cuisine.

“The first one we took was a fondue class by Chef Marge Porter,” McConaughey said. “We were so impressed with the interaction and the opportunity to ask questions that we were hooked.

“I always thought I was a good cook,” she continued. “ has made me a really, really good cook. They took me so far out of the box it was unbelievable.”

That’s just what Jameson likes to hear.

The hope is that people take away knowledge and a bit of entertainment by interacting one-on-one with the chefs, Jameson said. The goal—whether it’s a student taking a participation class or sitting back to watch a demo—is that there’s always the opportunity to see what’s going on, talk with the chef and ask plenty of questions.

Students will more than likely walk away with a full belly and some great recipes, too, McConaughey said. “I have gotten countless menus from the classes,” she said. “You get the recipes and you know how to cook them.”

The classes are about teaching basic technique and foundation to make students feel comfortable enough to take what they learn in class home with them, said Porter, an 11-year instructor at the school and graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. The intimate classes allow students to use all of their senses while learning, and witness a few mistakes along the way.

“The one thing you get from a live class that you don’t see on TV is the mistakes,” Porter said. “Everyone makes mistakes—people go home and make mistakes—so you feel a comfort level from seeing someone make a mistake and then correct it. That’s magic for some people and that’s edited out of television.”

So how does one choose from a descriptive catalog of mouth-watering classes ranging from grilling to preserving, making salads to baking desserts and creating something special for date night to cooking with the kids?

“When we get the catalog, Colette and I each go through the it with a fine-tooth comb and circle classes that sound interesting,” McConaughey said. “Then we meet at the wine bar for a glass of wine, and if we both circled the same one, that’s more than likely our class.”