Comments on: A little write-in help, please

By: admin

admin — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:57:29 +0000

Thank you all so much. I also got a couple of email responses, and every response has helped. I think by tomorrow we’ll have a somewhat altered format with more structure than before.

Seasonality of course must stay since it is key to this cuisine, a future necessity as transport gets more costly and because classes start in the market on market days.

By: mentalmosaic

mentalmosaic — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:54:22 +0000

Travelers might like knowing that, for instance, \’Fridays are vegetarian night,\’ simply because that kind of routine can build word-of-mouth momentum for your school.

Also, having that bit of structure could help people who are feeling intimidated or overwhelmed by too many choices, or choices that are too vague to make up their minds. I say this, because I sometimes get intimidated and overwhelmed when planning a trip by looking up info on the net!

Of course, you can then be as flexible as you want within the context of whatever structure you come up with. Good luck! Your school looks and sounds like a blast to me. :)

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:22:08 +0000

I like the idea of the student being given the chance to choose what to prepare, but I can see how someone with little experience may not know where to begin. So, maybe like Meg said, giving a list of some of the recent classes you’ve done might give the prospective student some ideas and get the ball rolling.

By: Jke

Jke — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:12:55 +0000

I think there are some compromises possible. One is what I experienced in Thailand, where i went to a one day cooking class. It had a number of fixed dishes, but there aas one course/dish where one could choose one of two or three options. I was on holiday, I felt lazy and I was happy not to have too much thinking and deciding to do. I figured watching techniques (heat, cooking times, chopping skills) wouls be the most valuable anyway. And that was possible with any number of recipes. The dayy started at the market. That was great fun, I oit to ask questions about all the strange foods I had seen around – such as ant eggs…

Another options would be to offer, say, 3 fixed courses/programs, let the customer choose from those and thus have a somtehing from both worlds. In that case, it is still possible to offer room for negotiation/customizing (if none of the fixed programs are 100% right). But you then the customer will not feel overwhelmed by the endless possibilities that there are in cooking. And still feel they are getting exactly what they want.

So, that’s some suggetsions.Maybe acutal customers vcan give you some feedback on them.

By: Beatriz\'s Suitcase Contents

Beatriz\'s Suitcase Contents — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:32:17 +0000

As a general rule I am attracted to a class by its particularity. Cooks are creative, and I would think having a set class with open options would attract a lot of people. You can try it and if it doesn’t work, then you can go back to your previous system of leaving all the choices to the student.

By: amanda

amanda — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:54:12 +0000

This is quite tricky because if you run classes with set dishes, then someone who for some reason doesn\’t fancy those particular things might not sign up and you risk losing students.

We have been talking about the same kind of thing with the wording on our website for art classes, we were thinking of running 2 or 3 different courses with different subject matter but realised we would be better off pushing all the would be students towards one more generic course and then finding out their particular interests.

Maybe you could have a list of possible menus and then discuss it with the students according to season etc.

PS I totally agree that one of the keys to good cooking is good shopping and that is an art in itself. From a possible future student :)

By: Meg

Meg — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:01:45 +0000

Overall, I would prefer to choose. BUT, if I were eyeballing your classes, it would help to read what classes you’ve offered recently, to have examples that give a feel for your style, as well as the possibilities of the local cuisine. Does that make sense? As far as stuff I’d want to learn? How to make a really good torta al testo.

By: gianna

gianna — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:21:25 +0000

I\’m an Italian Teacher of English. Italians hate to learn Foreigner languages because often they feel themselves unable. Teaching means give information to make the others know and learn. The way and means are free. You have to propose your subjects and make the students understand that you are an American teacher of Italian seasonal cooking…It\’s useless otherwise.
Do what you like it\’s the better advice.

By: jessica

jessica — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:52:53 +0000

i just wrote a huge LONG comment and your id generator ate it. i hate your id generator by the way. I can NEVER read it the first time and it always makes me do it two or three times and then i lose part of my comment. I shall write it all out again. damn, it was long.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:28:07 +0000

I\’d prefer that the instructor (you!) choose the subject, based on what\’s in season. I wouldn\’t mind being offered a few options, for example I personally don\’t need to know how to make egg pasta. Others may enjoy a lesson. I owuldn\’t mine learning how to make (form) tortelloni, but for me that might take more than one class.

I can\’t imagine anyone who\’s interested in taking a cooking class losing interest because you\’ve chosen the menu.