Former chef for the stars shares secrets
For some cooking aficionados, tuning in to Rachel Ray or Emeril LaGasse may be a great way to spice up a dulled recipe repertoire. But if the only cooking class you watch is on television, you’re missing out.
Local foodies jumped at the chance to attend a gourmet cooking class at Hendersonville’s Rabbit & Co. with a former Palm Springs caterer who served celebrity circles including Liberace, Frank Sinatra’s wife Barbara and Bob Hope’s wife Delores.
Katy Kistler, who owns the downtown cookware, wine and gift shop in Hendersonville with partner Jim Yeager, couldn’t believe how fast the January cooking class they offered with Tony Schlarb filled up. Schlarb, 51, is the former owner of La Cuisine Brown Bag, a small catering business in Palm Springs. He also owned catering businesses in Italy before retiring to Hendersonville in 2002.
Kistler calls Schlarb, who has no formal culinary training, “Mr. Popularity.”
“We sent our e-mail out, and two days later, it sold out,” says Kistler. “He is an accomplished cook and loves it.”
At Schlarb’s class, several dozen amateur cooks spent an evening sampling sumptuous dishes, tasting a specially paired wine or two and learning some new tips to help them duplicate the menu at home.
“It’s just a fun way to get inspired,” says Jerry Theron, 72, a regular at Rabbit & Company cooking classes. She has followed Kistler since she worked at Purple Sage, an upscale cooking and kitchen store on Main Street. “Anyone who wants a shot in the arm for cooking” should attend these classes.”
