No Thyme To Cook is billed as Southern Maryland’s home for cooking classes and I’d have to agree. Classes are offered for couples, kids, and everyone in between. Gwyn Novak, the owner, offers many different types of events including private one on one instruction, corporate team building events, private cooking classes, birthday parties, chopped-style competitions, bachelorette parties, hook to cook fishing charters, knife sharpening, and culinary tours.
My wife and I attended one of the Couples in the Kitchen classes and we had a blast. The theme for our class was Artisan Pizza, pizza being one of my favorite foods. The class was held in Gwyn’s waterfront kitchen in Prince Frederick. There was a total of six of us which fit perfectly around the island and the small group allowed us each to interact and take turns preparing each pizza.
We first learned how to make pizza dough from scratch as well as learning shortcuts by using several different varieties of pre-made dough or crusts. Next, we learned all about how to select the best tomatoes for the sauce and even how to make homemade Alfredo sauce which we used on one of the pizzas.
The first pizza that we made was a thin crust Shrimp & Pesto Pizza. Each student got to participate in the making of the pizza by grilling the shrimp, slicing tomatoes, shredding cheese, or chopping pesto. When the pizza came out we couldn’t wait to eat it. The fresh pesto and grilled shrimp made this one delicious pizza. Next up was the Chicken, Spinach, & Alfredo Pizza. I am not normally a fan of spinach but homemade Alfredo sauce, moist grilled chicken, and red pepper flakes made my mouth happy.
The final pizza was actually a dessert pie. This was definitely my favorite. It was completely different than any dessert pizza I have ever had in the past. Bacon lovers get ready to rejoice. It was a Ricotta, Bacon, & Wild Berry Jam Pizza. The whole time we were making it I was thinking how strange a combination this was, but when I tasted it my tastes buds went wild! This is one I wasn’t happy to share. Luckily I have the recipe and can make it anytime.
By the end of the night everyone was full, had plenty to drink, and had a great time! If you’re looking for something fun to do with friends or family and want to learn to cook at the same time No Thyme To Cook will be perfect for you. Not only was Gwyn’s class entertaining but it was also very informative. I look forward to another class in the future. You can find out more information about upcoming classes and contact details on their website using the link below.
What’s your favorite type of artisan pizza?
http://www.nothymetocook.com