Story by Dave Eckert / Intro photo courtesy of Jyoti Mukharji ~ Kevin J. Miyazaki
The idea of a culinary education, formal and informal, has been around for a long time. Most of us don’t have the time, financial support, or interest to pursue a culinary career, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all expand our culinary horizons. I’m here to share the many options for culinary education in the Kansas City metro.
Brandon Hayden is a certified oyster expert. In fact, currently the only one in Kansas and Missouri! Hayden demonstrates his knowledge and passion for oysters at Aqua Penny’s restaurant located in the Park Place development in Leawood. “My role is tied to the certification. The Oyster Masters guild is the world’s first school for oyster hospitality and service on a global scale. The same ways that WSET and COMS train and educate people on spirits and wines, OMG seeks to increase knowledge and awareness in the oyster community. I’m a level one Certified Oyster Ambassador. I use that knowledge to work with purveyors and directly with farms to procure great oysters for our guests, and I work with our staff and guests to help our guests get the most out of their oyster experience.”
Hayden is expanding the reach of his oyster prowess by adding a series of oyster shucking and tasting experiences. I attended one not long ago, and it was fun, delicious, and educational. “We talk about different oysters, the appellations they’re from, and use a flavor wheel to create a vocabulary that helps describe those flavors. Of course, we’ll go over how to open them correctly, and what a good shuck looks like in the end product,” Hayden shared. To learn more about upcoming classes, visit www.aquapennys.com.
Photos courtesy of Michael Crane
Michael Crane has had more careers than most. In his professional life, Crane’s been a photographer, furniture maker, brewer, and now, a cooking class instructor. For his latest career venture, Crane has returned to his Jewish food roots by teaching a series of classes on Jewish cuisine. “A fellow board member of Slow Food Kansas City learned that I was Jewish and had been making many of my grandmother’s recipes for years. She encouraged me to share my knowledge through a class on Jewish foods. While I had been cooking these dishes for a long time, my recipes were quite basic,” Crane shared. “From there, my passion for perfecting traditional recipes and developing my own techniques grew. I expanded my repertoire to include homemade. Teaching these classes has been a rewarding way to share my love for Jewish cuisine and help others bring these beloved dishes into their own kitchens.”
Crane holds his classes at both the Jewish Community Center and the Olive Tree culinary store, both located in Overland Park. To see what he may have cooking, you can visit www.thejkc.org and www.olivetreekc.com.
Photo courtesy of Jyoti Mukharji ~ Kevin J. Miyazaki
Jyoti Mukharji is a talented home cook devoted to exploring the ingredients, flavors, and dishes of her Indian homeland. “I have been teaching for the last 15 years. It was a fluke how I started. I had no vision or dream. I taught a class because I was told to donate a cooking class instead of an Indian dinner for a silent auction. That was October of 2009. I did my first class for those folks on February 6th, 2010, and the rest is history. I’ve had 6,000-plus people thru my kitchen since and have taught 591 classes to date!” Mukharji exclaimed.
Mukharji says she focuses only on authentic Indian cooking and Indian spices, and enjoys sharing her culture and its cuisine. “Teaching and cooking are my two passions. I feel grateful that I was able to combine them. Professionally, I have a cookbook, co-authored by my son, that is to be released early this September. Food is love. People leave feeling satiated, loved, respected, and enlightened about Indian food- health benefits of spices, what makes a curry, adding curry powder does not constitute a curry, different kinds of lentils and Indian culture,” Mukharji shared.
To find and sign up for one of Mukharji’s in-home authentic Indian cuisine classes, reach out to her on her email, Jmukharji@gmail.com.
Photos courtesy of Cured by Salt
Finally, a visit with good friend, Carey Weir. Weir is a chef, culinary instructor, sommelier, and the owner of Cured by Salt, a Kansas City-based mobile charcuterie and catering company. Known for her approachable teaching style and chef-driven food experiences, Weir helps people create beautiful, unforgettable meals without the stress. “My whole approach, whether it’s teaching a class, rolling up with my mobile charcuterie cart, or building out a chef-driven grazing table, is about making good food without making it a full-time job. I’m not here for recipes that take four trips to the grocery store. I teach people how to pull off impressive, crowd-pleasing food that’s fun to make, and even better to eat!” Weir shared.
“If you’re looking to learn, party, eat, or all of the above, come find me at curedbysaltkc.com or follow along @curedbysaltkc.”
Now, if that doesn’t get your culinary juices flowing, I don’t know what will.
