The Loretta Paganini School of Cooking

I think I was expecting this location to be more commercial; instead, it’s in a cute home that was converted for business use. There is access to their parking lot from Mayfield and the side road. Go up the green steps and use the side entrance. I’m only mentioning this because I wasn’t sure where to go.
My daughter attended the hands-​on Mardi Gras teen class. There were about five teens total and tasks were divided up among them. They made beef empanadas, gumbo, jambalaya, French bread with herb butter and crepes. When I arrived, they were wrapping up their meal. The chefs allowed us to taste the leftovers. I tasted the gumbo and it was delicious. I sampled a bite of my daughter’s bananas foster crepes and went back for another bite.
The chefs treated them with such professionalism. I was so glad my daughter had the opportunity to attend her first class here. This particular class was $ 45 which I thought was reasonable. We will be back– I can guarantee that!

Modern, well-​equiped and very professionally staffed.

I’ve taken multiple vegan cooking classes at this cooking school and always feel like I learn so much each and every time I’m there. The nice thing is that there are all kinds of different classes offered — hands on, hands off, kids classes, couples classes, singles classes. Plus, they have classes to accommodate every kind of diet — from vegan to meat-​a-​tarian. (I hear the pasta making and cheese making classes are super fun)
I’ve only attended demonstration classes, but those are great, too. Basically, you get to watch someone make your dinner, and you learn some new skills along the way. (Pro tip — if you bring beer or wine with you, you can enjoy it during the class.) You also leave with a packet of recipes to try out on your own once you get home.
If you’re looking to improve your cooking skills, want to have a fun date night out, or are looking for a way to entertain your kids, check out a cooking class. (If you’d like to give the gift of cooking, gift certificates are available, too.)

A friend had told me about this cooking school so I decided to look it up and was really excited when I found out they teach classes on how to make French Macarons! I absolutely love these things!
I think the price is $ 55 a class and there were about 12 of us split into 4 groups with each group making one of the following flavors: Raspberry with Chocolate Filling, Tiramisu-​Chocolate Mocha with Marsala Mascarpone Filling, Lemon with White Chocolate Buttercream Filling, and Strawberry with Lemon Buttercream. The instructor and her helper had made a fresh batch of Macaroons (not the same thing) for us to nibble on while we were baking and they were really tasty!
I didn’t realize it was so hard to make French Macarons, but the effort paid off! Each of us got to try one of each flavor and they were about 3 times the size you would buy at a pastry shop. They gave us the recipes and I am looking forward to attempting to make these delicious goodies again someday.
I would definitely take another cooking class! They instructors were great and the fellow students friendly.

I started attending the recreational classes in January and got addicted! I love the format of the classes, the options of classes you can take, and the fact that they really try to make you comfortable with the recipes and how to execute them. Chef Tim and Chef Loretta are both incredible teachers! I love the anecdotes and jokes they make throughout the classes– it makes them casual and fun. I really appreciate how kind everyone is and how they make me feel at home despite coming by myself. Not to mention the fact that they’ve really awakened my love for cooking! I attend a class a week, am planning on going on Chef Loretta’s tour of Italy, and am seriously considering going to the professional school. These classes are great for groups, couples, singles, and even kids! I highly recommend them!

I am not sure where I should start!!! My friend and I attended a Cooking with Herbs class on a recent Wednesday night, taught by Ms. Paganini! There were 20+ attendees, seated at long tables, set with dishes, glasses, flatware, pitchers of iced tea flavored with fresh lemon balm, and water. Participants are also allowed to BYOB, wine glasses are provided. Our experience started with fresh Rosemary Focaccia bread and and arugula and tomato salad tossed with basil oil. We then proceeded to dine on homemade pasta tossed with fresh pesto and parmesan/​reggiano. Oh, and it gets better, we move on to fresh roasted fingerling potatoes tossed with shrimp, accompanied by flank steak and roasted asparagus. The grand finale was homemade crème brûlée, with Chambord macerated raspberries and topped with homemade whipped cream. Loretta and her assistant Kate demoed the entire meal, which participants happily ate. We were given the recipes, along with a number of helpful hints and tips. We were also allowed to walk thru Loretta’s herb garden. This was such a GREAT experience. I left full and happy. I can’t WAIT to go back.

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent. I wanted to improve my cooking skills, took Loretta’s Sweet Dreams class on a Saturday. 4 hours later, and very stuffed, I had a nice basic understanding of baking pastry. 10 + classes later, I’m getting a really solid foundation in cooking. Not only is Loretta a very talented chef with a great sense of humor, her staff of chefs are also great. I’ve taken a fish class from Chef Brad who also runs a fish charter, I’m taking a series of cooking foundation classes from Chef Christian, who is down to earth and just plain damn good. I’m looking forward to taking as many classes as possible. Check it out, you won’t be sorry. BTW, round trip drive time for me is 2.5 hours.
Jay Cohen
PS. feel free to email questions.

Best cooking school ever! Loretta Paganini is fun and informative, and the food is great. She specializes in her native Italian cuisine, but the other instructors also cover a wide variety of food. I happily drive an hour for classes there.