The Food Lover’s Guide: Starter Course

Billy Hartman, 30
Lindsay Badcock, 27
( Brentwood )

Lindsay: I got this for Billy as an anniversary present. I don’t cook as much as I’d like to at home. Billy: A class like this, I think, is good to help get me over my fear of cooking.

Kim Withee, 37
( Hermosa Beach )

I’ve taken five of these classes so far, and I help assist sometimes. I’ve taken classes elsewhere that felt sort of sterile. This is more my speed—no real recipe, just intuition.

Lori Garner, 31
Stephanie Tindell, 31
( Studio City, Hermosa Beach)

Lori: We have a girls’ movie night once a week, where we get together and cook. Stephanie: This is my fourth or fifth class here. I just love the dynamic.

Don Ragland, 51
Tessie Borden, 43
( Eagle Rock )

Tessie: Some people just watch cooking shows. We watch those shows and make what we see. I make the mole; he’s the flan master. Don: It must be something I was born with.

Meredith Rossi, 37
( Burbank )

Cooking has great entertainment value. I did the cocktails class here, and it was amazing—there was a chef and a mixologist. Things got a little crazy that night. I lost my zester.

Ward Swan, 39
Kam Heskin, 35
( Beverly Hills )

Kam: I had a boyfriend at Christmas and got this class for him, but he was a jerk. Ward is my ‘friend-boy’. Ward: I already cook a lot, but it’s nice to learn the science.