Learn to cook, Food Network-style, at Clueless in the Kitchen

If you're clueless in the kitchen, there's a new business in Algonquin that's right up your alley.

Clueless in the Kitchen Studios opened this month, and already people are signing up to take the Food Network-style classes the business offers.

Unlike some traditional cooking schools which have their chefs-in-training cooking along with the head chefs, Clueless in the Kitchen is more demonstration-style cooking.

Owner Will Rogers says it's similar to the Food Network, where the chefs cook the meal in front of the guests.

Along the way, the guests can ask any questions they have about the cooking process.

"You actually learn more by watching the demonstration and following along with the recipe. We always encourage people to ask the questions they have and if they don't understand why we're doing something, to ask. It's very interactive.

"I will guarantee they'll get something out of the program doing it this way," he said. "It's truly like the Food Network. With us, you kind of get dinner and a show."

At the end of the course, the guests will get to taste the meal, and of course they get to take home the recipe.

Rogers has been teaching cooking classes for about 10 years, and has been a chef for 15.

He says he served as a chef for many television shows and movies when they were on location filming in Chicago. He also owns his own catering company.

His wife, Dawn Rogers, also is a chef.

When they met, he said, they decided if they wanted to see each other, instead of cooking separately at different locations each night, they would need to come up with a business together.

That's when they formed Clueless in the Kitchen, which they've hosted at various park districts in the area and at businesses such as Williams Sonoma.

With the popularity of the program, they decided to open their own location, and have the people come to them.

They chose Algonquin since they live in Algonquin, but are hoping to open future locations.

They both will be instructing the Algonquin classes, and so will some of their other sous-chefs.

"This is my baby. This is what I've always wanted to do," he said. "I'm excited to show people."

As part of the new business, Rogers teamed up with Gaggenau Home Appliances to create the dream kitchen in a homey atmosphere.

And already, people are signing up to take classes in that kitchen.

Rogers has had businesses request classes as team-building exercises, has had groups of women looking take classes together and of course has had individuals who want to learn more about cooking sign up.

"These are high end culinary techniques, but they are for the every day person," Rogers said.

The goal of the classes, he said, is to provide the home chefs an easy way of duplicating the recipes, so that when they're prepared at home, they will have family and friends wondering if they bought the meal or ordered in.

The classes are one night only, and at the end of the night the guests should be able to make the entire meal.

Because the class is all-inclusive, it is not something you need to sign up for multiple lessons to learn, Rogers said. Each night will have its own theme, and the guests will come away with a complete meal each time.

Already, they've done Tahitian night. They're planning a pizza night, a healthy cooking night and more.

"You just choose the classes you want to learn about," Rogers said. "When we hear what people want, we will design classes for that."

For example, he said, he had a request from a local fire department to teach the fire fighters healthy cooking, which he'll be doing soon.

Clueless in the Kitchen, at 4095 W. Algonquin Road, has two programs - one from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and one from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The classes are limited to 20 people and cost $40 per program. They also do private groups.

For information call (847) 401-2433 or visit www.cluelessinthekitchen.net.