✨ Ready to take your cooking skills from casual to culinary confidence? This immersive 5-class series is designed for adults who want to not just follow recipes, but truly understand the techniques chefs use to create incredible meals. Step by step, you’ll build a solid foundation—starting with knife skills and moving through heat control, sauces, doughs, and advanced plating. By the end, you’ll have the skills to cook like a chef at home, impress guests with gourmet dinners, and enjoy the creativity and joy that comes from mastering the art of cooking.
Each class combines hands-on practice, professional chef instruction, and plenty of delicious food to taste and enjoy. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills for everyday meals or create elegant dinner parties, this series will transform the way you cook! 🍷🔥
🍳 Spring 2026 Schedule
Thursdays | 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
📅 Jan 29 – Class 1
📅 Feb 5 – Class 2
📅 Feb 19 – Class 3
📅 Feb 26 – Class 4
📅 Mar 5 – Class 5
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Class 1 – Foundations & Knife Skills 🔪🥕
Focus: Build confidence with the most important tool in the kitchen—the knife! Learn proper grip, motion, and cutting techniques while also covering kitchen setup, mise en place, and heat control basics.
Skills Learned: Knife cuts (dice, mince, chiffonade, julienne), stock making, basic sautéing, seasoning.
Menu:
Classic Mirepoix Chicken Soup (knife skills in action)
Pan-Seared Chicken with Pan Jus
Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Berry Compote
Class 2 – Heat & Proteins: Searing, Roasting & Pan Sauces 🥩🔥
Focus: Understand how to use heat to create flavor. Learn the science behind searing, roasting, and resting proteins, plus how to make silky pan sauces.
Skills Learned: Maillard reaction, deglazing, pan sauces, resting and slicing meat.
Menu:
Pan-Seared Steak with Creamy Caper Sauce
Roast Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce
Creamy Boursin Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans Almondine
Class 3 – Soups, Stocks & Sauces 🍲🍷
Focus: Dive deeper into the backbone of great cooking—stocks, soups, and sauces. Learn how to layer flavor, balance acidity, and finish sauces with professional finesse.
Skills Learned: Stock building, emulsions, cream vs. reduction sauces, thickening techniques.
Menu:
Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque with Croutons
Chicken Velouté Sauce (served with chicken cutlets)
Risotto Milanese (mastering gradual liquid absorption)
Crème Brûlée with Torched Sugar
Class 4 – Doughs, Pasta & Baking Essentials 🍝🥖
Focus: Master dough-making techniques—both pasta and bread—while learning gluten development, kneading, and rolling. Explore the magic of fresh, handmade comfort foods.
Skills Learned: Dough hydration, rolling & cutting pasta, yeast fermentation, proofing, and baking.
Menu:
Handmade Egg Rigatoni with Fresh Alfredo Sauce
Cheese Ravioli with Pomodoro Sauce
Rustic Artisan Dutch Oven Bread With Dipping Oil
Orange Cardomom Olive Oil Cake
Class 5 – The Elegant Dinner Party Team Finale🎉🍾
Focus: We will break up into teams to bring all your new skills together into a beautifully plated, restaurant-worthy meal. Learn timing, plating, and presentation so you can impress at home.
Skills Learned: Menu timing, plating, garnishing, finishing touches.
Menu:
Pan-Seared Scallops with Citrus Beurre Blanc
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Jus
Parmesan Risotto with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and parmesan
Chocolate Soufflé with Whipped Cream
💡 Series Flow:
Classes 1–2 = Core skills (knife work + heat control/proteins)
Class 3 = Depth of flavor (sauces, soups, layering)
Class 4 = Dough mastery (pasta & breadmaking)
Class 5 = Capstone celebration (full chef-style dinner)
👨🍳 Instructor: Chef John Alunni
🎓 Format: Demonstration & Hands-On
You may also like the following events from The Cutting Edge Classroom:
Also check out other
Workshops in Knoxville,
Food & Drink events in Knoxville,
Parties in Knoxville.
