Top chef: Sharpen your culinary skills with these Atlanta cooking classes

If you've ever watched a cooking show, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and start wishing your cooking skills were up to par. Thankfully, a few cooking classes are all you need to kick off your culinary dreams.

To get you started, here's a list of cooking classes around Atlanta.

Cobb County

• Address: 1473 Joyner St., Marietta. (Knights of Columbus Hall)
• Price: $299 per individual, $249 per couple. Your tuition includes hands-on instruction, an apron, and three meals throughout the day, including a dinner banquet with a free guest pass.
• Time commitment: About 10 hours
• What you'll learn: The classes cover best practices for preparing brisket, ribs, pulled pork and chicken. You'll also learn how to make certain sides, desserts and other special items.
• How to sign up: You can go to the Enroll Now page on the Southern Thunder website and buy passes for the date you'd like to attend. Before you go, it might be a good idea to read through the FAQ section.

DeKalb County

• Address: 4478 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody.
• Price: $69-$89 per person, including hands-on instruction and a multi-course meal with a wine pairing.
• Time commitment: About 2.5 hours
• What you'll learn: Class titles include Southern Comfort, Global Cooking and Wine Pairings, Fusion Flavors and Entertaining with Ease.
• How to sign up: Visit the Cooking Classes page on the Vino Venue website. Once you choose a class, you can pay to enroll online.

Gwinnett County Area

Photo credit: Cheese with accompaniments. The Cockentrice.

• Address: 9945 Jones Bridge Road, Suite 303, Johns Creek.
• Price: Around $150, but varies based on which class you pick. The price includes an invitation for one guest to join you at the end of class for dinner.
• Time commitment: About 6 hours
• What you'll learn: If you've ever wanted to learn more about cooking on a Big Green Egg, you can attend the Big Green Egg grilling camp on September 22. The class teaches you how to prepare shrimp, lamb, black sea bass, salad and even dessert on the grill.
• How to sign up: Go to the web page for cooking classes and choose the class you're interested in attending. You can register online.

North Fulton

• Address: 535 Barrington Drive, Roswell. (Barrington Hall)
• Price: $50 per person including complimentary wine with dinner and a free mini tour of Barrington Hall.
• Time commitment: About 3 hours
• What you'll learn: Depending on the time of year, the classes cover themes like Tex-Mex fiesta food, game day fanfare, Cajun meals, Thanksgiving dishes and pies.
• How to sign up: Go to the City of Roswell website to view the Upcoming Classes and Menus page. Once you decide which meal sounds good, you can call 770-640-3855 to make a reservation.

South Fulton