​Learn how to cook by taking a local cooking class

By Rick Gion

For those folks with busy lives who can’t afford or attend culinary school, community cooking classes are a good way to learn new tips and tricks in the kitchen. Cookbooks, instructional online videos and watching foodie TV can certainly be helpful, but getting hands-on training can expedite the learning process. Fortunately, Fargo-Moorhead has a lot to offer in this department.

To elevate the experience, some of these classes even feature local food celebrity instructors. I recently attended a bagel-making class at The 1889 in downtown Fargo, which featured Chef Andrea Baumgardner as the instructor. This class quickly sold out and had a long waiting list. I was only there to take some photos for the Facebook group that I manage, Fargo-Moorhead Eats. I was not one of the lucky participants who got to take home a sack of freshly baked bagels.

By the way, The 1889 is a classy space and definitely worth checking out. Both cooking and crafting classes are offered. Crafting instruction includes exercises in things like weaving and wreath making.

In my opinion, cooking can be both an art and a craft. Creative plates at fine dining restaurants can be a lot of fun to stare at and drool over. After all, people do eat with their eyes first. Perfecting the German-Russian cheese button (kase knoephla) is a folksy craft that can take years to refine.

From steak Diane to sushi, there are plenty of cooking classes offered at The 1889, including classes for children. Date night options are also available for those looking to make it a romantic affair. The Tour of Italy class that is offered is not like traveling the canals of Venice, but probably could win romantic points with a nice lady friend. I’ll take my own advice on that at some point soon.

Square One Kitchens on 1st Ave. N. in Fargo is another prime spot to take a cooking class. Yes, this location is a go-to for many independent food purveyors needing to utilize a licensed commercial kitchen. However, educational opportunities at Square One include options from whipping up baked goods to tamale construction. There was even a Nigerian Cuisine Night scheduled earlier this year. Date nights, group cooking parties and employee team-building events are also offered, giving co-workers a chance to bond through food. To me, a team-building cooking class sounds much better than going bowling or an awkward escape room session.

I first learned about cooking classes at Family Wellness in southwest Fargo from Dr. Eric Berg, a professor of meat science at North Dakota State University. He invited me to a beef brisket-making class late last year. I call him the “meat doctor.” He’s been a guest on my “Prairie Plates” radio segment on Prairie Public and is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to matters of bovine and swine.

Family Wellness is a joint venture between Sanford Health and the YMCA. It mainly features aquatics and fitness opportunities. However, healthy cooking classes have become a part of the mission. These classes are actually more affordable than many others in the area and include instruction for both adults and children.

Moorhead Community Education is another great resource for cooking classes. There’s a variety of unique courses offered for adults and children. Ethnic food classes such as Chinese dim sum, Korean bulgogi, Indian butter chicken, and Vietnamese bahn mi sandwiches are a highlight. There’s also a class offered on how to make wild rice hotdish, a classic Midwestern main dish.

By the way, some of my good friends from the Fargo-Moorhead Eats Facebook group have been culinary instructors at Moorhead Community Education. The cooking prowess of some of the group’s members is impressive. There are some great home cooks in this community. It’s great to have a medium in which to showcase these talents.

Creative Kitchen in West Acres Mall offers cooking classes sporadically throughout the year. I attended an event in late 2025 which featured matzo ball soup instruction by Chef Baumgardner. It included a book signing for “The BernBaum’s Cookbook.” It was fun to watch the local matzo ball master at work. I miss the matzo ball soup at BernBaum’s so much that I overindulged in consuming samples. The weather was quite chilly that day, so it was a fitting warm indulgence.

Returning to the aforementioned meat sciences, NDSU’s BBQ Bootcamp is a personal favorite instructional program. Dr. Berg serves as one of the instructors. Unfortunately, this carnivorous course has been on hiatus since the much-dreaded Covid-19 Pandemic.

NDSU’s BBQ Bootcamp is a big affair. The instructors fire up multiple grills and smokers to help teach event goers the basics of grilling and smoking meat. This meat-cooking army even travels around the state of North Dakota with an arsenal of fiery rigs. I bet it’s a big show in the rural areas of the state. The scent of cooking meat must blanket an entire rural community. The thought of this is enough to give me the meat sweats.

Cooking techniques are thoroughly discussed at each BBQ Bootcamp event. Because the instructors are mostly academics, there’s also a science lesson as a part of each segment. Different animal cuts are presented and cooked. There’s also a segment about spices and rubs. NDSU’s BBQ Bootcamp is a unique and worthwhile venture for those looking to improve outdoor meat-making techniques. I highly recommend participating if the meat experts at NDSU fire it up again.

This column covers quite a few bases when it comes to what’s offered in community culinary education here in Fargo-Moorhead. I’m sure there are many more options available. Some restaurants even offer cooking classes from time to time. Social media posts can serve as FYIs for these events.

Now that I’m finished sitting on my rump writing papers every night due to graduate school classes, I’m enjoying getting back into the kitchen again. It’s a worthwhile venture. Being busy in the kitchen can fill the stomach and also sate a creative hunger. For me, a cooking class or two is on the menu. And for others motivated to start cooking or sharpen their skills, Fargo-Moorhead has many unique opportunities for hands-on culinary learning.

Rick Gion administers a Facebook food group called “Fargo-Moorhead Eats” that’s dedicated to the area’s great cooks and cuisine. The group has nearly 54,000 followers. Check it out, join, and feel free to post items about your local culinary adventures and home cooking. And, while you’re at it, join the Instagram page. Rick also hosts a weekly radio segment about food called “Prairie Plates” on 91.9 FM Prairie Public, which airs between 3 and 4 p.m. every Wednesday. Reach him at rickgion@gmail.com.