Wednesday, May 21, 2008

COOKING AHEAD: Two veteran instructors at well-regarded L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg are whipping up a new place to learn to cook in Washington. One of the principals, Susan Holt, tells us that CulinAerie (1131 14th St. NW; http://www.culinaerie.com) is expected to take reservations in July and open for classes in late September.

"We're tapping into the Food Network phenomenon," says Holt, whose business partner is Susan Watterson. Between them, the two have more than 35 years of professional culinary experience.

The future school, whose name is pronounced "culinary," will offer a variety of classes, from basic knife skills to baking, wine instruction to international cuisines. Unlike L'Academie, CulinAerie will focus on recreational rather than accredited programs, and the emphasis will be on groups. Holt imagines book clubs, law firms, brides-to-be and corporate types, among others, using the facility for any number of reasons, including reunions, team building, holiday festivities and . . . well, learning how to make croissants and souffles. Courses on kitchen design, food styling and food writing also will be part of CulinAerie's mix. Located off Thomas Circle, the 3,800-square-foot space will include two kitchens equipped with flat-screen TVs and custom-designed workstations.

Already signed up to share their expertise: Washington chefs Ris Lacoste and David Guas; the founder of Christie's New York wine department, Jackie Quillen; and local Indian cook Rupen Rao.

-- Tom Sietsema