Class on the Range

The Range currently offers monthly cooking classes, held in a small prep area within the restaurant's grand kitchen. I attended a class on pasta at which I and a dozen other folks (many of them retirees) traipsed about the enormous, sunlit kitchen with freshly baked scones and coffee as we settled into our three-hour class. Since this is a production space and not a demonstration kitchen, when students wanted to see what a sauce looked like on the stove, they got up to take a peek. Chef Dave encouraged this direct involvement, which added to the class' ease. Dave sports an encyclopedic knowledge of food and cooking techniques, common among CIA grads. But he is also full of anecdotes and advice, which makes him immediately likable and approachable. Students, many of whom are also customers, trusted Dave to answer an array of questions: "What's your favorite cheese?", "Where can I get some of those pastry cutters?" He indulged our curiosities and our appetites, presenting us with three freshly assembled pastas to taste. The rigatoni with wild mushrooms, onions, and prosciutto was nicely laden with broth and heavy with herbs. It is a rightfully popular regular menu item, and, happily, was the main course at the class lunch. Classes are $39 per person, including lunch. For more information and reservations, call 254/947-3828.
-- R.W.