BeginnerWeeknight Skillet Suppers
Four dinners you can make on a Tuesday: crispy lemon chicken thighs, a shrimp and corn skillet, a pan sauce that works with almost anything, and quick garlicky greens.
$79 per personDetails
Cooking classes · Calumet City, Illinois
Cook a little. Laugh a lot. Eat together.
Hands-on cooking classes for grown-ups, kids and teams, taught in a small neighborhood kitchen. Twelve cooks at most, real recipes, and dinner at the long table when we are done.
12 cooks per class, maxAll ingredients includedBeginners very welcome
Hands-on, every timeYou cook. We guide.
Food-safety certifiedClean stations, allergen care
Recipe cards to keepPrinted and emailed
Flexible reschedulingUp to 72 hours before
Since 2019Friday dinners for the neighbors turned into a cooking school.
Welcome in
A cooking school that feels like a dinner party
Firstmerchants Home started with a radio on the counter and a pot of beans big enough for the whole block. It still runs on the same idea.
Our studio on Lincoln Place has three wooden cooking islands, a big gas range and one long table. In every class you work at a station with two or three other people, cook the full menu yourself and sit down to eat it together at the end. Nobody stands in the back watching a demo.
- Classes for complete beginners and for people who already cook every night
- Recipes built for a normal home kitchen and a normal grocery store
- Vegetarian swaps in every class; tell us about allergies when you book
On the menu
Classes people come back for
Each class runs two to three and a half hours, includes every ingredient and ends with a sit-down meal. New dates go up at the start of every month.
Beginner
All levelsFresh Pasta from Scratch
Flour, eggs and your two hands. We mix, knead, roll and cut tagliatelle and ravioli, then toss them in brown butter and sage and a quick tomato sauce.
$89 per personDetails
BeginnerKnife Skills Bootcamp
How to hold a chef's knife, keep it sharp and cut onions, herbs, carrots and a whole chicken without fear. The class most people say they should have taken first.
$69 per personDetails
IntermediateSourdough & Rustic Breads
Feeding a starter, mixing, stretch-and-folds, shaping and scoring. You go home with your own jar of starter, a shaped loaf to bake tomorrow and a printed schedule.
$95 per personDetails
All levelsStreet Tacos & Salsas
Pressed corn tortillas, a charred salsa roja, salsa verde, quick-pickled onions and two fillings: citrus chicken and crispy mushrooms for the vegetarians.
$85 per personDetails
CouplesDate Night: Risotto for Two
A slower Friday night. You cook side by side: arugula salad, mushroom and parmesan risotto, and a chocolate pot de crème. Bring your own bottle if you like (21+).
$175 per coupleDetails
How it works
From the front door to second helpings
Pick a class
Choose a date on the schedule, or call us and we will help you pick one that matches your cooking level.
Hold your seat
Send a request online, by phone or by email. We confirm within one business day and send a secure payment link.
Cook with your hands
Aprons, knives and ingredients are waiting at your station. Your instructor walks you through every step.
Sit down and eat
We finish at the long table with what you made. Recipe cards go home with you and land in your inbox.
By the numbers
Small classes, big table
We keep every class at twelve cooks or fewer so the instructor can actually see your pan. It is slower to grow that way, and we like it.
Meet the kitchen2,300+home cooks taught
350+classes hosted
12cooks per class, max
180+tested recipe cards
More ways to cook with us
For kids, for teams, for two
Ages 8–17Kids & teen kitchen
After-school series, Saturday mornings and a summer camp week. Real knives, real food, lots of patience.
from $45Explore
8–24 guestsPrivate events & team building
Birthdays, showers, office outings. The studio is yours, the menu is up to you and we do the dishes.
from $65 per guestPlan yours
FridaysDate night for two
Cook a three-course dinner side by side, then sit down by candlelight. Bring your own bottle if you like.
$175 per coupleSee dates
Around the studio
A peek inside the kitchen
Kind words
Notes from the long table
From the journal
All recipes Recipes we keep making
WeeknightOne-pan lemon garlic chicken thighs
Crispy skin, soft potatoes and green beans, one skillet to wash.
From classFresh pasta with brown butter & sage
The dough from our most popular class, written out step by step.
DessertSkillet peach cobbler
Soft biscuit top, jammy peaches, works with frozen fruit in winter.
Good to know
Questions we hear a lot
Can't find your answer? Call (502) 856-3167 during studio hours or email info@kitchendancercommunity.com.
Read the full FAQDo I need any cooking experience?
No. Most classes are marked “Beginner” or “All levels.” If you can hold a spoon, you are qualified. Intermediate classes are labeled clearly.
What should I bring?
Just yourself, closed-toe shoes and an appetite. We provide aprons, tools, ingredients and containers for leftovers.
Can you handle food allergies?
We adapt for most allergies and diets when you tell us at booking. Our kitchen does handle wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts and shellfish, so we cannot promise an allergen-free environment.
What if I need to cancel?
Cancel or reschedule 72 hours or more before class for a full refund or free move. See our Refund & Cancellation Policy for details.
Visit the kitchen
Find us on Lincoln Place
We are a few minutes from I-94 and the Torrence Avenue exit, with free street parking on Lincoln Place. The studio is on the ground floor with a step-free entrance.
Address
1476 Lincoln Pl
Calumet City, IL 60409
Phone
Hours
Tue–Fri 10–8 · Sat 9–6
Sun 11–4 · Mon closed
1 business dayOur usual reply time for booking requests and questions.
Save a spot at the table.
Small classes fill up fast, especially Friday nights and Saturday mornings. Call us or send a request and we will hold your seat.