Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a chef instructor at The Chopping Block? I've got a video that documents that for you! The footage was taken in February, on a day that allows me to showcase both a private event and a special Valentine's Day class. My filming abilities are slightly below my video editing abilities which are both much below my ability to teach a cooking class, but I hope this gives some perspective into the behind-the-scenes of what goes into making a cooking class at TCB so special.
The morning starts 100% of the time with coffee in one form or another, sometimes cold brew but more often than not with a black iced Americano. I head into our kitchens, switch into my kitchen shoes and wait to meet with the other chefs to go over the game plan for our class. We all rotate evenly between leading and assisting our different classes, whoever is leading is running point and doing most of the talking, and those who assist are ensuring the class is running smoothly and on time, all while providing a wonderful guest experience and ensuring each group makes a successful meal. We then split up, with some chefs setting up the kitchen, getting platters and dinnerware ready alongside napkins, aprons and getting our kitchen stations set up. While that happens the other chefs will be working on getting our “mise en place”, this is the French term for having “everything in its place.” This involves pulling and prepping all ingredients and tools the guests might need to succeed in making their meal, and any other bits of prep that need to be done. Another chef might be working on some of our many appetizer options or setting up a bar/coffee and tea station.
We then meet to go over the menu to ensure we’re all on the same page and then the class begins! During the class it is the chef instructor's job to lead the guests through the menu in an engaging and entertaining manner, and maybe teaching everyone a thing or two along the way. The assistants maintain order in the kitchen and are able to provide extra one-on-one attention to anyone who needs it. The whole crew works together to transform the working kitchen into a dining room and makes sure everyone has what they need to enjoy their meal.
On a busy day, we all work together to deep-clean the kitchen as efficiently as possible, so it can be ready for the next class. This is typically when I will also imbibe my second round of caffeine (usually another Americano) and in this case had to get ready to teach the next class. We then rinse and repeat, setting up the kitchen for our next class and getting more “mis en place” ready. This particular class was a Valentine’s Day class that came with some snacks at the beginning and a special bubbly toast to kick things off.
There are plenty other styles of classes and days that can be had working at The Chopping Block, but I hope this video shines a bit of light into what makes our classes work. If you want to experience firsthand all of the work that goes into one of our classes head to our calendar here!
