Some professional culinary schools offer one-time courses to the public. These types of classes are usually taught by an instructor from the school. For example, in addition to its certificate and associate's degree programs, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts offers a Chef's Series Non-Professional Cooking Class program at locations across the U.S. As of February 2011, course offerings include such diverse topics as artisan breads, French cuisine, Spanish tapas, cake decorating and Cajun cooking.
If you'd like to learn how to cook a specific culture's cuisine, going on a culinary vacation may be for you. Travel to the country of your choice and attend classes at a local cooking school that operates tourist programs. For example, Cocina Pacifica in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico offers hotel accommodations and cooking classes onsite. Chefs from local restaurants teach how to make their favorite recipes in the evenings, and you're free to do as you please during the daytime.
Many community centers and coops offer cooking classes year-round, and some operate casual cooking schools. Check with your city's recreation department to see if classes are being offered. For example, the Sacramento Natural Foods Coop in California offers a complete cooking school. Classes listed on the coop's website in February 2011 include topics such as how to cook dumplings, cooking with olive oil, the art of risotto, quiches and savory tarts, canning, and noodle soups.
Many grocery stores offer year-round cooking school courses for interested shoppers. Whole Foods Market hosts cooking classes and workshops at its stores during which customers can learn to use products available in the market. Local restaurateurs, cookbook authors and nutritionists lead cooking classes to help you prepare tasty, healthy meals. ShopRite markets also offers a cooking class program run by a professional chef. Its winter 2010-2011 course offerings include roasted apple, biscotti walnut crunch and mascarpone parfait; pot pies; holiday desserts; and lasagna.