# Want to learn and want a vacation too



## Larry Lewis (Jul 18, 2020)

I am a 63 year old guy who loves to cook at home. I am no chef but I have a few things I do well. I would love to spend a week at a culinary school learning Italian, French or Mexican cuisine. I don't plan to be a cook or chef anywhere, jut want to elevate my understanding, skills, learn paring and spices, etc. I just want to have fun, meet folks and get away from El Paso with my wife for a week. Any ideas folks?

Larry


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## Larry Lewis (Jul 18, 2020)

I have another post. I have recently started making my own pasta a home. AMAZING!! but the only concern I have is that the resulting spaghetti is very fragile. Not necessarily the fresh pasta, but once it dries. It can break into small pieces very easily. One has to use a bit of force to break store bought paste in half. I am using Caputo Tipo 00 ground flour and Semola. Ratio 2 parts Caputo flour and 1 part Semola plus eggs and a pinch of salt. My egg to flour ratio is 1 large egg to 100 gms of flour. After blending in my mixer for 4 to 5 min. I continue to kneed for about 3 minutes after, then I wrap in cling wrap for about 30 to 45 min. Anything I am doing wrong?


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## Innocuous Lemon (Apr 29, 2019)

There are always cookery courses one can find outside of academia, maybe thats more for you? I mean i dont really think a few days will provide much insight, but you could take a several week long private course, or if you have the funds just put yourself in college for a half year intensive course. the qualification is bunk but if its a good college youll learn a lot of fundamentals. A side-note: one of the things culinary schools really teach you, as oppose to self-taught, or "cookery courses" is how to manage *yourself*, your mind and the space around you, as a chef. Its the main body of the unnoficial curriculum. To produce effective and on-point chefs for the kitchen environments

also id suggest harder kneading/trying non-00 flour for your pasta thing. In fact isnt semolina-blended flours mostly used in small pasta such as Orechiette? i may be wrong but i think something like spaghetti usually just straight up flour and egg


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## Seoul Food (Sep 17, 2018)

Not sure about where you live but there are continuing education programs around here for culinary and you just sign up for the courses you want. Also one of the restaurants I use to work for would do themed cooking classes open to the public so maybe see if any local restaurants do the same for you?

As far as the pasta, you are either not developing the gluten long enough or not adding enough wet ingredients. Pasta should be pliable not crumbling apart and I suspect it would be one of those issues, so try kneading longer and adding splashes of water to the dough as you go until you reach the right consistency.

Also could you explain what you mean by when it drys? Are you trying to dry it like a store bought pasta? When making fresh pasta I would either cook it right away or put it in a freezer on a floured sheet tray until I needed it. I never just let it sit out and dry out.


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## L'uovo vulcanico (Nov 9, 2020)

Actually what you're proposing isn't all that unusual - We spent a week in Sorrento at a B&B (Sorrento Flats) on vacation (because we always wanted to see the Amalfi coast and had never been, imagine that!!), and the day after we got there found out they do weekend to 2 week residential cooking classes. Had we only known ahead of time... There are NUMEROUS schools all throughout Italy (and remember, as many styles of cooking!!) so If I can give you 3 words of advice? GO FOR IT!!!!


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

With covid restrictions getting tighter again, finding a brick and mortar class will probably be hard. You could utilize the internet and watch instructional videos. There are literally thousands of them to choose from. You could go to YouTube and search for what you want to learn. The only drawback is that you would have to sift through the videos like the $5 bin at WalMart. But, you will find some very good information. Then, all you have to do is try out the recipes and techniques. Repeat them until you get good at them. Then, move on to the next one. Remember to have fun.


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## mgm0 (Nov 27, 2012)

Looking into those cooking masterclasses might be worth it as well. Get an Air BnB somewhere that tickles your fancy, do a week learning and cooking. At least that would be a great getaway for me. Specially if there's fishing involved.


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## mgm0 (Nov 27, 2012)

I've been meaning to see em for the longest time. Hopefully they are as good as people make em out to be over here.


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## RobiN0963 (Dec 18, 2020)

You can take some cooking classes from professional chefs. There are plenty of them now


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