You don't have to be an elitist to love good food and wine,
just human.
Our classes and events are fun, informative, you meet some of this area's
best chefs, other nice people, and enjoy some great food and wine, too!
Bill Lavery, Founder
NEW CLASSES ARE ADDED WEEKLY AT ALL CLASS LOCATIONS
Comfort Soups to Warm You Up! with John Zydowicz, Pastry Chef, Upper Crust Bakery & Catering, Downers Grove and Lisle, to be held at Topaz Cafe, our Southwest Suburban Class Location, in Burr Ridge, IL, (I-55 & County Farm Rd.) on Tuesday, February 23, 7-9 .m.,
Soups to be taught, included: Oxtail Soup, a hearty beef soup with barley; Three Bean Chili with Red, Black, and Navy Beans and Turkey; Lobster Bisque with crumbled bacon and scallions; and Homemade Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon. Register and pay for this class by 01/20/09. After 01/20/09 registration increases $10.00. Register today! (Limited seating)
TO BE TAUGHT AT OUR WEST SUBURBAN CLASS LOCATION:
HANDS-ON CLASS: ACCELERATED ARTISNAL BREADS
To be held Saturday, March 6, 11 a.m.- 3p.m., and taught by John Zydowicz, Pastry Chef, Upper Crust Bakery & Catering, Downers Grove and Lisle: Learn how to make Sourdough starter from scratch and receive starter ready to go to make a Sourdough Loaf and sourdough garlic-onion dinner rolls. Also Braided Jewish Challah Yeast bread. Also French Brioche Loaf, a rich light yeast bread with butter and eggs, and also Stuffed Brioche Muffins with brie and apples. We’ll also make four international breads, including Irish Soda Bread, Traditional French Baguette, Crusty Italian Loaf, and German Christmas Stollen with dried fruit and sugar icing. Register and pay for this class by 02/26/10. After 02/26/10 registration increases $10.00 if seats are available. This hands-On class is limited to 14 persons. $100 per non-member; $80 per member. A list of cookware and supplies will be emailed to all registrants upon registration. REGISTER on the West Suburban Class Page.
Mushrooms in Love!
Order Your Valentine's Day Gift Certificate for Your Loved Ones!
Check out our Gift Certificate Page on the blue menu for a variety of offers or customize your own! Your gift certificates can be mailed to you flat for wrapping, or can be sent to your office to insure your surprise, or sent directly to the receiver. We can also gift wrap for a small fee and include a set of wooden spoons criss-crossed on top of the gift certificate!
We are pleased to announce our new Southwest Class Location. Classes will be held alternate Tuesday evenings, and weekends, at Topaz Cafe, in The Village Center, the new downtown of Burr Ridge. For more details, click on the Southwest Suburban Class Location webpage. Classes are being scheduled now the this new location. Watch for additional Chicago and suburban class locations!
We've moved recently to Schaumburg.
New January, February, and March classes
are being added daily for the winter season.
We're also planning our Spring season, which
will include classes for April, May and June.
Cooking with the Best Chefs
1322 Forestdale Ct., Schaumburg, IL 60193-1234
Tel: 224.353.3300 Email: chef@BestChefs.com
Cooking with the Best Chefs
no longer accepts payment via PalPal.
1. Registration is required to be made on our website.
2. Payment can be made by mail 7 days or more prior to any class or event. Call 224.353.3300 for assistance 7 days a week.
See our Terms of Operation for details and our mailing address.
2 0 1 0 D A T E S A V A I L A B L E
Private Cooking Classes and Fundraising Events from 6 - 600
at your location or beautiful venue's throughout Chicagoland.
Contact Bill Lavery at 224.353.3300
Classes for January through March
are being added as they are scheduled. New classes
will be posted on each regional class page
located on the menu at the left.
Watch for additional classes and events to be
posted soon, as well as additional class locations.
If you are a member, you will automatically receive
Ennouncements with class and event updates
and member-only invitations.
Members can go to their profile and select which group
events they wish to receive additional info about.
See Special Interest Groups on our menu.
If you are not a member and wish to receive Ennouncements
about classes and events, email chef@BestChefs.com
and request to be placed on our Friends Email List for the Chicago area,
Rockford area, or both. Please include your name, address and email address.
Watch for our Ethnic Day Trips, Spring Morel Hunts and Festivals,
Wine Dinners, and Restaurant Tours!
In addition to our current class locations,
we will announce additional class locations
in the North and South burbs, and
Chicago North and Chicago South, as they are secured.
It's Easy to Register for our classes
1. You'll notice class locations near the top of the blue menu at the left. On the first page of each class location is information about the location...its address, parking, other info, and a Google(TM) link for map and directions.
2. On the second page, you'll see all the CLASSES scheduled for that location. You can read the details about each class and register one through four persons. If you have a group, call for assistance.
3. Register online on BestChefs.com. Mail a check for your payment. Details at on our Terms of Operation page, at the top of the menu on this homepage. If you need help, call 224.353.3300 7 days a week.
4. Some class locations have a third page, a Photo page. Soon all of our locations will feature a photo page showing pics of various weeknight and weekend classes.
Gift Certificate Information
Click on the Gift Certificates tab on the menu to see our latest discount packages. Call Bill for assistance: 224.353.3300.
Don't forget to volunteer and give year 'round!
The Greater Chicago Food Depository helps
the needy in Chicago and many suburbs.
www.ChicagoFoodBank.org
Don't forget to volunteer and give year 'round!
The Northern IL Food Bank gives assistance
throughout Northern Illinois, including Rockford.
www.NorthernIlFoodBank.org
Lost your job or got laid off ? We know how difficult it is for some individuals and families in these rough economic times. If you enjoy coming to our baking and cooking classes but have lost your job or are laid off, like many throughout Northern Illinois, we'd like to help. Email chef@BestChefs.com and provide your name, address, phone, and email address, and say how long you've been laid off or out of work and we'll be happy to help you out. We'll discretely delay class and membership fees until you're employed again. No matter how long it takes. And we'll email simple instructions to keep it private.
A Quick Overview...
Welcome to our website!
Cooking with the Best ChefsSM began 17 years ago and has produced nearly 8,600 cooking and baking classes. We provide public and private cooking classes and culinary and wine events for home cooks and foodies throughout Northern Illinois. We also sponsor day trips to food growers and manufacturers, and ethnic markets, and soon, overnight trips to American food and wine festivals.
Our classes are taught by some of the best professional chefs in the greater Chicago area, and while most of our chefs don't have their own TV show or cookbook, each has a passion for teaching and talking about food. Our chefs represent varied ethnic, cooking and baking styles.
Classes are held year 'round and every three months a new season of classes and events are offered to our members and the public. We have four seasons each year.
Whether you're new to cooking or just want to learn some new dishes, we want everyone to feel welcome. Each of our chefs has their own professional and life experiences which make for interesting classes! Attend as many as you can.
We've had some interest in daytime classes. If you're interested in daytime classes, let us know by emailing chef@BestChefs.com and say A.M. or P.M.
Take a look at our classes listed on the locations that interest you, although you're welcome to attend classes at any location. Check out our Special Interest Groups page!
If you choose to register online you'll receive an e-mail reminder 5-7 days prior to each class or event. Call 224.353.3300 or e-mail chef@BestChefs.com for assistance, 7 days a week.
If you're new to Cooking with the Best Chefs, please take a few minutes to read our Terms of Operation so you become familiar with how we operate. If you come to your first class as a nonmember and find that you enjoy our style of classes and wish to join, we'll discount the difference between the nonmember and member rate!
You've noticed the ad for Chicago's famous Paulina Meat Market, our oldest sponsor, and many others throughout our web pages. Some are local family-owned companies and others are national businesses offering excellent quality and service. When you do business with them, mention Cooking with the Best Chefs...some even have discounts available! If you're interested in advertising, give Bill Lavery, Founder, a call at 224.353.3300.
About the Email Box at the top right of our Home Page...
You do not have to provide your email address to browse our website. If you'd like to be placed on our Chicago Area or Rockford Area Friends Email List, or either our KIds or Teens list, or a combination) and receive our E-nnouncements, then email chef@BestChefs.com with your name, address, phone and email address -- and which list(s) you'd like to be placed. Also check out our Special Interest Groups, in the menu at the left, which includes Chicago Area Singles or Rockford Area Singles, or Kids, and other groups. Members can log on to enjoy savings for each class and event registration. Members also receive discounts at area restaurants, retail and entertainment venues, as well as member-only invitations. A membership application is available at the left menu. Members have access to and can update their own contact information on their profile 24/7. Each membership application provides for email regisration to any special interest group.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
If you know of an association, club, organization, group, nonprofit, church, or small business, who needs a website, have their director or owner call Bill Lavery, for assistance: 224.353.3300. We provide full service with copywriting, layout and design, and even domain aquisition, hosting, and email -- for a reasonable cost. We work with copy and page design drafts so you have full control over your own website. With minimal instruction, you'll be able to go onto your new site and make immediate changes to headlines, copy and photo's. Let's create a professional marketing tool for you to be more successful in 2010!