COOK UP SOME CASH FOR CHRISTMAS
Marketing your kitchen skills.
Come next year's holiday season, why not put
your kitchen skills to work?
by ELLEN SUE SPIVACK
Now that the yuletide is drawin' nigh, some mighty
mouthwatering smells will be waftin' from kitchens all over
the land. Strangely enough, however, most of the good cooks
responsible for those aromas are missin' out on a chance to
turn some of their home-grown cooking talent into pockets
full of spare change. (And extra cash can come in pretty
handy to fill empty spaces under the Christmas tree or to
stuff a few stockings with special gifts.)
It seems almost every chef has several specific dishes at
which he or she excels. And no matter what your
specialty might be—fine fruitcakes, bread, tasty
casseroles, a pungent pear relish, or some ethnic dish from
out of your family's past—I'd be willing to bet that
someone else would pay good money to taste your culinary
wares or learn your secrets.
SHARE AND SUCCEED
One of the best ways to market your kitchen skills is to
teach a cooking class or two. You can often get such jobs
through your local adult education center (where you'd
probably have use of a school's home economics facilities)
. . . or you could simply turn your own kitchen
into a classroom. Then too, women's clubs and church groups
are often glad of a chance to provide their members with a
demonstration of how to prepare some delicious holiday
dishes and treats.
If you decide to teach, spread the news by word-of-mouth
(for example, a club "show" could be a good time to sign up
class members for an expanded, out-of-your-home course).
Advertise in the local classifieds as well, and put up
notices on public bulletin boards. You can charge about
$3.00 or $4.00 per person per class (with perhaps $1.00
extra per session to cover food expenses) . . .
or—better yet—simply set a flat rate of $25 to
$30 for a five- or six-lesson course.