COOKING SAVY with Diane

Cooking Classes continue this month at HeART Gallery led by one of Toledo’s favorite chef-caterer-entrepreneurs, Diane Rogers. Diane, in her entertaining, casual style, will offer a series of cooking classes where guests will experience an array of seasonal recipes and have a great time doing it. Classes will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, downtown Toledo in their commercial kitchen, and typically last two-three hours. Guests conclude the lesson by eating, and leave armed with recipes and the confidence to recreate the meal in their own kitchens.

Sprinkled throughout Diane’s lessons are a wealth of stories from her long-time experience in the restaurant business in the Toledo area, as well as tips and tricks for the home cook. Her tips often include ways to save money when buying ingredients, sources for kitchen gadgets, and shortcuts that leave you shaking your head, “Why didn’t I think of that?”. Diane was promoting the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients from local famers well before the “Farm to Table” movement began. Raised in the culinary world, Diane’s parents were Westhampton Inn owners, a historic year-round inn in the Hamptons. By age twenty she was studying in European kitchens, which shaped her 60 year love affair with food. “Use a few simple, but high-quality seasonal ingredients to produce the most flavorful food. That’s what cooking should be about.”

For more information and to register: www.sydanddianes.com

Classes are held at HeART Gallery, located in St. Pauls Lutheran Church, 428 N. Erie Street, downtown Toledo with free parking adjacent to the church.