Want to learn the art of cooking? Mill City Cooking Club is the place to be! Located near Lake Winola, they provide cooking classes for all skill levels.
Mill City Cooking Club is a welcoming kitchen for every neighbor, where the simple act of working together to create a recipe builds confidence and friendship. It is where flavors become stories and a single shared dish transforms into joy. They give home cooks the confidence to bring happiness to their loved ones through food.
Classes are led by Melodie Shotto and Philomena LaFata, who both bring years of professional experience to the kitchen. Melodie was born into the restaurant industry and knew by age four she’d be a chef. Educated at the seat of her Italian mother and then formally trained at Johnson & Wales University, she earned degrees in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Foodservice Education. She went on to study advanced cake decorating, confections, fondant, gum paste, and pulled sugar at the Wilton School of Design in Chicago; completed a certificate in Advanced Sourdough Production at the King Arthur Flour Baking School, Vermont; and finished a course in Traditional Tuscan Cooking at the Rhode School of Cuisine in Pisa, Italy. After more than 20 years training culinary and hospitality students in higher education, she now shares her knowledge and practical skills to boost your cooking confidence.
Philomena LaFata has a love of baking and vast experience crafting gluten free sweets. Also educated by her Italian mother, she spent countless years in food service locally and at Penn State, as a food service specialist. She earned her associate’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Penn State where she lead adaptive cooking labs—teaching individuals with limitations to prepare food independently through the use of adaptive technology.
Classes are limited to ten participants so each person receives individualized instruction. You can find a list of upcoming classes on their website and Facebook page. Please call or email to register