It depends what you want from the class. Classes which are offered as part of vacations packages, by singles groups and so often tend to be more recipe driven and social then technique driven with a lot of hands on.
There are so many things "basic" to cooking, and very few of them have an obvious relationship to one another. I think the most useful topics for most cooks are barbecue (smoking -- not grilling), grilling, knife skills, and something with a lot of hot pan technique.
You can learn a lot of good technique in classes centered around ethnic cooking, too How to use a wok; folding dim-sum dumplings, the grilling and prep techniques which go with "kebab cuisine; cutting fish for sushi, just to name a few.
Grilling:
You really want to watch it with grilling classes -- especially those marketed to women specifically or as "gourmet" grilling. They're often too recipe and not sufficiently technique oriented.
Hot Pan:
If you ever find a class called "hot pan," let me know. You're looking for a class centered around sautee and/or sear. It won't take more than a few minutes to learn to sear; but throw in "speed basting" and a few other related techniques, and it'll keep you occupied. Plus, you can spend hours developing your tossing skills to the point where you're confident enough to use them instead of a spoon. That is really, really important. (Of course, you can teach yourself tossing on the patio with a skillet, an infinite amount of raw rice and dried beans, a broom, and a dustpan -- but what fun is that?)
Knife Skills:
With a screen name like Miya's Sushi, you might already have unbelievable skills; but in case you don't, or someone else is reading this thread...
How often do you cook a meal and not use a knife? You're looking for a class which will teach you knife handling fundamentals -- like pinch, claw, cut and retreat, etc. -- with lots of personal attention and coaching; the classic sticks and dice; tourne; and, if you're lucky, teach you to sharpen (so important!).
If we're talking an all day class, or one spread over two days -- you should learn basic fish fabrication, and some butchering skills including things like steaking, frenching, deboning, butterflying, and tying as well.
If you're serious about cooking, you might even consider a sharpening seminar.
Q:
With the right teacher, barbecue (smoking) classes are so much fun it's unreal. For your first class, it's best if you can find one that's oriented towards KCBS or MIM competition type cooking (not that you're going to run out and compete). Because it takes so long to cook a lot of cuts, barbecue is an exception to the rule of looking for a lot of "hands on." When you show up to most barbecue class, the bulk of what you'll learn to prep is already finishing up in the teacher's cooker.
That doesn't mean you won't learn a lot. 90% of barbecuing is prep and fire management. Learning to leave the cook-chamber door closed (NO PEEKING) is most of the rest.
In terms of food, the step from backyard barbecuer to good enough for competition is HUGE. And a good class should take you there. \
Competition oriented classes don't involve the trendiest foods or seasonings, and the actual recipes are more about pleasing (boringly conservative) judges, than producing exciting flavor profiles. But once you've learned to execute the competition cuts you can tweak that knowledge to wherever you want to take it. No one says you can't inject a
brisket with a little truffle oil.
Paranthetically, most classes are all or nearly all male (no women in the class I went to); but women shouldn't be put off The few women I've run into who've attended them said they had a wonderful time.
Good teachers aren't cheap, but they are well worthwhile.
BDL