Business & Tech

Photo Gallery: Romantic Rendezvous at a Sicilian Cooking Class

Take it from a non-cook, to partake and enjoy No cooking experience is necessary.

The Date

If you’re looking for a romantic rendezvous, try a cooking class.

Sandy Springs was the romantic destination for two married couples, on Saturday. Instead of a typical double date at a restaurant, Jamie and Sam drove from Dallas, Ga., and Amy and Adam traveled from Covington to Hal’s Kitchen, where they prepared their own Sicilian dinner, with the help of Chef Jessica Ray.

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It wasn’t all work over a hot stove. There was wine and bread and a good deal of food sampling as the meal was being prepared.

“What a fantastic day this is turning into," said Amy. “We were just looking for something fun to do online and this came up…This is better than having somebody cook for you.”

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On the Menu

Arancine – Ricotta-rissoto fritters prepared with shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesean cheese and diced Prosciutto.

Cannellini bean, sausage and tomato soup. Homemade chicken stock and grated Pamigiano-Reggiano cheese were among the several ingredients.

Spaghetti with clams

Veal Marsala

Sicilian Cannoli

Inside Hal’s Kitchen

Take it from a non-cook, to partake and enjoy No cooking experience is necessary. Chef Jessica creates a fun, easygoing setting and takes care to involve everyone in the cooking experience.

“It’s something that you can do as little or as much as you want,” said owner Cyndi Sterne, on taking part in the cooking activity.

She opened Hal’s Kitchen only a few weeks ago. Classes fall under a variety of categories; there’s a boot camp for novices, cooking for kids, “Chocolate Lover’s Dream,” pasta, seafood and the list goes on.

The Dunwoody resident is the former youth and family program director for the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. She was originally interested in bringing her cooking classes to MJCCA, but when it didn’t come to fruition, her father encouraged her to pursue her dream at another location. He died last October.

“We talked about it everyday up until he died. I couldn’t think of a name and a friend sent me a text message the day after he died that said, ‘Hal’s Kitchen,’ and that was it,” Sterne said.


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