The Heat is On at COOK

Where does someone go to learn basic or advanced cooking skills, how to make dinner on a budget or how to have fun in the kitchen? Ashburn’s may be just the place.

After working for a homebuilder for 19 years, it may seem surprising that Lucy Ritter now owns a cooking school. But, growing up in a home where cooking was learned as a practical necessity – she came from a big family – she developed an early interest in cooking, and many of her siblings gravitated toward culinary and hospitality careers.

Then, during recreational cooking classes in DC, Ritter learned how little the average person knows about cooking. 

“It got me thinking. Where does a person who knows nothing about cooking go?” Ritter said.

Ritter saw an opportunity, and with the support of her family and friends she made COOK her summer project in 2010. The facility opened its doors in January of this year.

“I actually thank the Food Network in part because it has piqued peoples' interests in cooking and has made this a prestigious career,” Ritter said.

COOK is not your average culinary school. In fact it’s not a culinary school at all; it’s a recreational cooking school with an emphasis on fun. 

Each of COOK’s seven instructors posses a passion for cooking and their diverse talents offer a range of options for students. One, a nutritionist, uses her background to bring a health-oriented component to the table. There’s also a pastry maker, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate and an instructor who’s passion is pizza.

What you won’t find at cook is a lengthy commitment or intimidation of having the standard chef-instructor.

“I designed the school to be more like the home environment,” Ritter said. “We want this to be a transferable experience.”

The classes are offered as single sessions and incorporate different themes. Examples include: party foods, couples can cook, the art of sautéing, nothing but chocolate, baking for beginners, the art of roasting and many others.

Great for couples, girls’ nights out, families, teens, college students and various types of groups, COOK offers opportunities for everyone to get involved in the kitchen. 

Each class runs for 2½ hours and costs $45, which includes supplies, instruction, a take-home recipe packet and, of course, the finished product.

But, Ritter says, “What I really want people to walk away with is solid knowledge.”

More information can be found on COOK’s Web site.