What?s next for The Chubby Cook?

I know it has been quite some time since my last post.  There just hasn’t been enough hours in the day to get a new post up for a while.  But, I’m ready to get moving again.  So, what have I been up to?  First, and most importantly: my daughter is one month and one day old today!  She’s an incredible addition to our family and I am one proud papa.  I can’t wait to get her into the kitchen watching her old man, just like I did with her big brother.

But, that’s not the only reason I have been neglecting the blog.  I have started a new business venture in the culinary arena, and it’s pretty cool.  The Chubby Cook is moving from the blog-o-sphere to brick and mortar.  Who knew, right!?  About nine months ago I enrolled in cooking school at Western Reserve School of Cooking and the moment I started, being in the kitchen just felt right to me. There’s really no other way to describe it. There were no visions of being a chef at a five-star restaurant, no aspirations to be the next Food Network star… just a great feeling of being in the moment. While at WRSOC we made some great food, I learned an incredible amount in a short time span and truly embraced the entire experience.  A big thank you to Catherine, the other instructors (particularly Kathy and Tom) and everyone else associated with the program.

So I figured out what my true passion is, the next step was how to translate my passion into a profession.  Caroline and I talked through it at length… It was really cool as we both watched my dream unfold, washing over my family.  I’ve also talked to hundreds of people along the way (thank you to everyone for listening patiently) and made a lot of new friends. It has been a phenomenal start to my journey.

For those of you who know me, this next part will come as no surprise. There was no sticking my toe in the water (much to the dismay of many people giving me advice), but a headfirst dive into the deep end. And I’ve gotta tell you, the water feels great. I signed a lease on a 2000 sq/ft commercial kitchen and retail store for The Chubby Cook to come to life.   It’s a cool little space, tucked away in Beachwood near Moxie and Hiroshi’s Pub. Soon, there will be a face lift happening inside and boatload of new gear in the kitchen.

The Chubby Cook's new kitchen! We've got just a wee bit of stainless steel in here...

So what’s it all about? Well, we’re offering recreational cooking classes and a small catering service to start.  Most of the classes are new, fun, original ideas that you will only find here, but we will still offer some of the traditional style classes as well.  Interested in learning how to make sausage at home?  We’ve got that in our DIY series where you can learn that and other great techniques such as how to preserve, make cheeses, bacon, hot sauces and a ton of other cool stuff.  Oh yeah, we’re also going local for as much of our produce and products as we can.  That means we’ll have very seasonal classes ensuring that everything will be fresh and delicious. If you’re looking to learn how to make great food and feel good doing it, we’re going to be the place to check out.  I’ll be writing more about classes and catering in upcoming posts, so stay tuned.

Most importantly, The Chubby Cook is about having fun.  My best day in the kitchen is when I see a genuine smile from anyone who made something so delightful they just couldn’t hold it back. Pure joy. That’s what The Chubby Cook’s kitchen strives to achieve on a daily basis.  Keep your finger on the pulse of this joint because it’s about to get jumping. I’ll be posting up pictures of the transformation in the kitchen and will be looking for people who have unbridled passion for cooking to teach upcoming classes.  If you are an expert in a particular field of cooking or food prep or know someone who is, send me an e-mail to get in touch.  For all my Cleveland based fellow food bloggers out there, shoot me an e-mail or message on Facebook if you are interested in coming out to give our classes a shot.

You’re going to see some new changes to this blog, including our Class Reservation system and the addition of an online ordering system for food and other goodies. Hopefully over the next couple weeks and months, you’ll get to know some new faces and voices on the site. There will be some other surprises as we continue down this path- so check back. Lastly, thanks for reading and helping me through the process to get here. I genuinely appreciate it.