Cake Art
5296 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain
Phone: 404-294-5005.
Fax: 404-299-2658.
E-mail: Cakeart77@aol.com.
www.cakeart77.com

Open since 1977. Demonstration/participation. Four-week, two-hour sessions in the basics of Wilton method cake decorating, from tools to techniques. Advanced classes review basics, concentrate on flowers and decorating a cake in class. Tiered cake decorating, assembly and candymaking classes also. Average class size: 12. Cost: $55-$85, including supplies. Graduates receive certificates of completion.

International Sugar Art Collection
6060 McDonough Drive, Suite F, Norcross
Phone: 770-453-9449 or 1-800-662-8925
Fax: 770-448-9046
E-mail: nicklodge1@aol.com
www.nicholaslodge.com

Tenth year. Demonstration/participation. Beginner and professional cake-decorating techniques.

Owner Nicholas Lodge is a native of London who has written 12 books on cake decorating and created cakes for numerous celebrities, including the royal family. Upcoming classes include seasonal decorating ideas. Class size: 12. Cost: $180 - $525; light lunch included for daylong classes. Students must bring their own apron and camera to photograph finished items. Graduates receive certificates.

INTERNATIONAL

Sixth year. Hands-on. Five-hour, single-session classes. Owner Philippa Kingsley trained in Thai cuisine in Thailand and has a catering company that specializes in Thai cuisine. She teaches how to prepare a complete Thai dinner, which students eat together. Class size: 8-15. Cost: $69, $195 for a series of three classes.

Ursula's Cooking School
1764 Cheshire Bridge Road
Phone: 404-876-7463
Fax: 404-876-7467
E-mail: UrsulaCooks@aol.com
www.ursulacooks.com

Open since 1966. Demonstration. Four three-hour classes every other week for eight weeks; morning and evening sessions available. Owner/instructor Ursula Knaeusel is a native of Germany and has run schools for 36 years. She teaches international cooking with an American influence. Winter session to include four classes: pork, poultry, seafood and a surprise. Spring session includes beef, Fathers Day dinner, picnic and a surprise. Fall session includes brunch, cocktail buffet, Thanksgiving and a surprise. Class size: 38. Cost: $95. Beverages and food samples provided. A special November class: making a gingerbread house simply, for an adult and child, $20, $5 for each additional child. Profits go to the Atlanta Humane Society and Swan Center Center. Can arrange group classes for special occasions like bridal showers and birthday parties for with 30-40 people.

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

Art Institute of Atlanta/Culinary Arts
6600 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, 100 Embassy Row, Atlanta, GA 30328.
Phone: 770-394-8300 or 800-275-4242.
Fax: 770-394-0008.
www.aia.artinstitute.edu.

In 11th year. Accredited by the American Culinary Federation. It offers a two-year (seven-quarter) associate in arts degree in culinary arts. A new option includes -an associate degree with a concentration in baking and pastry to be completed in eight quarters. Community education workshops on topics including basic culinary skills, baking and pastry (includes a certificate program) Italian and Mediterranean cooking, sauces, fusion cooking and hors d'oeuvres. One- and two-day ArtShops offer a hands-on culinary experience for high school juniors and seniors. Creations dining room offers elegant French cuisine and white linen service to the public at lunch and dinner several days a week. Class size: Maximum 25. Average student teacher ratio 17 to 1. Cost: $4,960 tuition per quarter full-time student; ArtShops $25 and $50; community education workshops $85 and up. Required materials: vary by class or workshop. Consult Web site or brochure for more information.

Clayton College & State University and Fulton County Schools Center for Lifelong Learning --- Culinary Arts Program
Riverwood High School, 5900 Heards Drive, Sandy Springs
Phone: 770-640-4860
• Culinary arts

This chef's apprentice cooperative program offers a 16-week, 128-hour, hands-on course complemented by lectures, videos and field trips. Geared to people seeking careers in the food industry, or wanting to start a personal chef business, or planning to change careers or who just love to cook and want to take their skills to the next level. Topics include: braising, stewing, frying, poaching, steaming and sauteing, stocks, soups, sauces, menu planning and more. To receive a certificate, a 40-hour internship is required. Program starts in the fall.

Gwinnett Technical College Culinary Arts Program
5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville
Phone: 770-962-7580, Ext. 125
Fax: 770-962-7985
www.gwinnett-tec.edu

Two-year associate's degree program, with certificate program in place since 1994 and a diploma program. Single-topic continuing education classes. Chef Anna Annunziata is director of the culinary arts program and teaches continuing education classes, which usually are four hours on Saturdays, with meals provided. Ms. Annunziata is European-trained and a member of the American Culinary Federation, has a master's degree in organizational development and has been in the food industry more than 40 years. $38 per credit for associates degree. Upcoming continuing education classes include a five-course Tuscan meal prepared by students, breadmaking, gourmet vegetarian, pies and cakes. Cost: $49.

Metropolitan Atlanta Opportunities Industrialization Center --- Culinary Arts Program
ACET Building, 818 Pollard Blvd., Atlanta
Phone: 404-522-6422
Fax: 404-523-0751

In 32nd year. Demonstration/participation. Program is 16 weeks with six-hour daily sessions for beginners who are unemployed or underemployed. Instruction includes theory, food preparation, planning, scheduling, purchasing, tool and equipment use, sanitation methods, nutrition, menu planning and health and safety. Average class size: 15. $60 registration fee for everyone. Tuition on a sliding scale from 0 to $500. Off-site internships and job placement assistance offered to graduates.

VARIETY

Cook's Warehouse
549-1 Amsterdam Ave. N.E.
Phone: 404-815-4993
Fax: 404-815-0543
www.cookswarehouse.com.

Seventh year. Demonstration/ participation. Two- to four-hour classes, daytime, evenings and weekends, in easy entertaining, knife skills, soups, Thai, sushi, cake decorating, Cajun and Creole, seafood, vegetarian, Indian and more taught by area chefs and caterers, plus ocassional classes taught by celebrity chefs and authors such as Nathalie Dupree, Shirley Corriher, Jill Prescott and others. Class size: 15-25. Cost: $35-$ 95. Students receive food samples plus 10 percent shopping discount and copies of all recipes. Classes for children ages 6-17 also available.

Kroger School of Cooking
12460 Crabapple Road, Alpharetta
Phone: 770-740-2068
Fax: 770-740-2069

Seventh year. Demonstration/participation. Two-hour single sessions, including basics, holiday, ethnic, seasonal, parent/child classes, diabetic, cake decorating and more taught by Johnson & Wales trained chefs Matthew Sheeter, John Szymanski and Suzanne Magni, manager of the school and a registered dietitian, and a variety of instructors and local chefs. Themed classes for private groups --- birthdays, showers, etc. The school also has a chef's assistant program. For every five hours a person volunteers to help, they receive one free cooking class. Class size: 20-40 for demonstrations, 16 for participation. Cost: $30 - $40. Food sampling, plus some giveaways.

Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium Cooking School
196 Alps Road, Colonial Promenade Beechwood Shopping Center, Athens.
Phone: 706-354-8080
Fax: 706-354-6030

Seventh year. Demonstration/participation. Two-hour single sessions and series classes taught by caterers and chefs from local restaurants and country clubs. There are also wine and food pairing classes and a kids cooking camp, Class size: 15. Cost: $28-$115. Food for sampling; 10 percent store discount.

Simple Abundance
Atlanta's Table, 970 Jefferson St.
Phone: 404-892-3333, Ext. 246
E-mail: sabina.carr@acfb.org
www.acfb.org

Fourth year. Series of montlhy benefit cooking classes supporting Atlanta's Table, a project of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Held at the Cooks Warehouse in midtown and the Kroger School of Cooking in Alpharetta, presented by local chefs. Past chefs have included Nathalie Dupree, Shirley Corriher, Kevin Rathbun, Gerry Klaskala, Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison. Class size: 40. Cost: $35 - $95.

Wollaston Smith International Culinary Center
3762 DeKalb Technology Parkway
European Living at Discover Mills, Lawrenceville
Phone: 770-458-7484
Fax: 770-451-7785
E-mail: wsicc@earthlink.net
www.wollastonsmith.com

Seventh year. Demonstration. Two-hour, single-session classes taught by chefs from well-known local restaurants on such topics as favorite recipes from your favorite restaurants, quick cooking methods, party fare, tips on shortcuts and cooking from around the world. Group events for bridal showers, company gatherings, etc. Class size: 40. Cost: $45-$75. Food samples provided plus a wine. Printed recipes provided.

Gaby's Bistro and Cooking School
11 Jefferson St., Newnan
Phone: 770-252-4599
Fax: 706-637-9728
www.homestead.com/gabyscafe

Third year. Demonstration. Patrick Terrail, presents well-known regional and local chefs who demonstrate a variety of culinary skills and cuisines. Terrail is the former owner of Ma Maison in Hollywood, Calif. His first cooking school, Ma Cuisine, was started with Wolfgang Puck in the 1980s in Hollywood. Evening classes every Tuesday 6:30-8:30 p.m. Classes limited to 20. Tuition $150 - $190 for four classes. Single classes $50. Wine and tastings included.

Linda's Creative Cooking
98 Seaboltville Road, Dahlonega
Phone: 706-867-0903
E-mail: weslin2207@aol.com

Second year. Operated by Linda Phillips, former owner-operator of Cavendar Castle winery and bed-and-breakfast in Dahlonega. Weekend and evening classes include cooking for diabetics, new brides, cooking basics and specialty classes. Also offering private dinner party cooking classes for special occasions. Also, childrens cooking classes, great for birthday parties. Tastings.

WINE

Anita LaRaia's Wine School
Doubletree Hotel, 6120 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody
Phone: 770-901-9433
Fax: 770-901-9969
E-mail: anitalaraia@msn.com
www.culinaryconnect.com/cci/wine

In 24th year. Lecture/wine tasting. Six-week basic diploma course that meets two hours, one evening a week to introduce the novice to wine styles, grape varieties, vineyard names and wine/food pairings. Spring class starts on April 23. Classes taught by director Anita LaRaia, who is listed in Who's Who 2002. A member of the Society of Wine Educators and former online wine expert for CNN, she has just published a book "Wine FAQs" ($14.99, 1st mBooks) Customized wine courses available for groups, individual lessons; guest speaker for wine-tasting parties in metro Atlanta. Gift certificates, audiotapes, course books and video for home study. Graduates receive diplomas, continuing education units. Online courses. Class size: 50. Cost: $240

HEALTHY COOKING/VEGETARIAN

Gilead Institute of America
227 Idlewood Road, Tucker
Phone: 770-270-1087
Fax: 770-270-5692
E-mail: gilead.net@usa.net

Tenth year. Lecture. Two-hour classes each week for four weeks. Instructors with backgrounds in health field discuss health, nutrition, hydrotherapy, medicinal herbs and vegetarianism. Average class size: Five. Average cost: $40.

Fifth year. Demonstration/participation. Monthly two- to three-hour classes with various chefs and restaurateurs on topics including vegan baking and cooking with tofu, raw and living foods. All exclude meat, dairy, eggs and refined sugar. Students should book a month ahead. Average class size: 10. Cost: $5 for members; $15 and up for nonmembers.

COOKING SCHOOL LINKS

Whether you are seeking a career or vocation or just want to take some classes just for fun, you can search out the cooking school of your dreams at the Cooking & Culinary School Directory which lists schools by state and country. There is lots of helpful information on financial aid, picking a school, careers and job listings.

See: www.cookingschools.com