Cook Pro
About
With 30 years of hospitality experience, including 10 as a Professional Chef working for Michelin 3 star Chefs, Food and Wine Top 20 new chefs and Certified Master Pastry Chefs; I'm able to help people that are intimidated by food and cooking, either for themselves or their family by making it easy, interactive and fun.
i specialize in spontaneous cooking with fresh ingredients. Beginning with how to select and source fresh products, basic knife skills, planning and preparing meals in advance to save time and "bringing it all together" while it is hot!
I will teach you the necessary fundamentals to be independent, confident and consistent.
-"if you give a man a fish you feed for him a day; if you teach a man to cook, you feed him for life"
I love to teach and I love to cook.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I begin with identifying the students goals and assessing current proficiency (knowledge of food, food handling, knife skills and culinary basics)
The process will begin with shopping for ingredients and understanding how to assess quality and freshness of ingredients. Followed by planning a meal, preparing ingredients and final production.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am a 1989 graduate of Johnson and Wales University-Providence with a Bachelor's Degree in Hotel/Restaurant-Institutional Management, 30 years of industry experience in hotels, Fortune 500 corporate dining and private clubs.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I charge by the hour, $75 per hour.
It typically takes about 3-1 hour lessons to bring a total novice to the point where they could prepare a simple, fresh meal for 2 people in less than an hour.
How did you get started teaching?
As a Chef, Director of Food and Beverage and General Manager, I have been teaching for almost 30 years.
i realized I could help people who knew nothing about food and relied on take out when I married my wife, who had no real cooking skills, and turned her into a cooking machine.
What types of students have you worked with?
I can teach anyone who wants to learn. I can make it as simple, or as complicated as the student desires.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
My joy for cooking was recently renewed during the shutdown due to Covid-19. I was home every night and assumed the role of menu planning and cooking for my family of 6. Enjoying some music, having a glass of wine and creating a fresh and healthy meal for my wife and children. The reward is in the appreciation they have for the meal and the time spent together.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
If they start handing you recipes, they aren't teaching you to cook.
I haven't used a recipe to cook in 25 years. If you have fresh products, knowledge of basic cooking techniques and reasonably active taste buds, you don't need a recipe. You may need a list of ingredients, but you shouldn't need a recipe.
In my opinion, recipes are for baking because baking is science.
Cooking is about spontaneity, flexibility and creativity. I like to teach how to understand the ingredients, mastery of the techniques and the confidence to go with the flow.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What their goals are and how much time they are willing to invest to achieve them.