Prior to any corporate event, I work out a custom menu with the organizer. The event itself begins with appetizers, ready for guests as they gather. This gives everyone time to arrive, socialize a bit, and take the edge off of their hunger. It’s generally not a great idea to cook when one is feeling peckish, especially if one has had a glass of wine or two!

The guests are divided into teams, each team completing one part of the meal. Each group has an assistant to make the whole cooking process flow smoothly. I generally scurry around directing traffic, chatting with the guests, giving appropriate demos, and intervening when necessary.

Once the meal is ready, everyone sits down, relaxes, dines, drinks, converses, and enjoys the fruits of their endeavors.

These parties usually range in number from 8 to 18, although I once conducted a cooking party for 35 participants at the Natural Gourmet. I have forever etched in my memory a table of burly guys spatchcocking and spice-rubbing a dozen whole chickens!

What I love about these cooking parties…

Everyone–without exception–enjoys themselves and is proud of their work at the end of the session. It doesn’t matter what degree of cooking skills folks came to the table with, they leave with a sense of accomplishment, a satisfied belly, and an uplifted spirit!