Love and food are in the "Aer"

We all know the clichés: Cooking is a labor of love. The best way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach. Yada, yada, yada.

No matter how you put it, the message is the same: knowing your way around a kitchen will get you far in life, especially with the opposite sex. But if you’re like most males, the necessary skills don’t come easily - at least without proper instruction. That’s where CulinAerie comes in.

CulinAerie is the brainchild of celebrated local chefs Susan Holt (formerly of Georgetown’s 1789) and Susan Watterson (formerly of Café Bethesda). The duo opened their Downtown D.C. cooking school this November after years at Bethesda’s L'Academie de Cuisine. With over 20 instructors, including former 'Top Chef' contestant Carla Hall, CulinAerie offers classes in just about every type of cuisine. In a single week, you can learn to press pasta, prepare authentic Indian and Middle Eastern dishes, hone your knife skills, and even sit in on a demonstration on wine pairings and mixology. Most classes run two to three hours and cost $75-85 per seat.

To CulinAerie's owners, the power of cooking goes far beyond its aphrodisiac effects. “Food is such an integral part of people’s lives,” Watterson said while whipping up a batch of roasted tomato sauce. “Food has shaped who we are. What we eat really reflects our society.” (Let's hope that's not true. What is there to say about a guy who walks into a Saturday morning “Pasta Primer” class with a 24-oz can of Diet Rockstar and a half-eaten bag of peanut butter pretzels?)

CulinAerie's Thomas Circle space includes two instruction rooms, each with a full professional kitchen. Large flat-screen monitors are strategically placed above the instructor, giving students a bird’s eye view of each step of the process.

A typical course begins with a detailed demonstration of a few dishes, during which the instructor discusses proper cooking techniques, cultural and historical context of the recipe, and possible ingredient improvisations – with a few one-liners and plugs for Kitchen Aid appliances peppered in. After the sample dishes are plated, wine starts flowing while the class breaks out into pairs to try their hands at the same recipes.

Let's recap. Good wine? Gourmet food? Playful banter while cooking in a pairs? That's a healthy dose of romance, especially for an educational setting. Perhaps I should have paid a little more attention during Home Ec in high school...

In addition to couples, CulinAerie organizes specialized classes for corporate events, bachelorette parties and holiday gatherings. The school also hosts a weekly $45 “Lunchtime Lecture” series, ideal for busybody professionals looking for a fun and informative midday break.

http://dc.metromix.com/restaurants/article/love-and-food-are/952507/content