Meet Dorothy Lane’s Culinary School All Stars

Calling all cooks!  Our Food Adventures Crew loves to entertain.  One of those ways is through whipping up meals for friends and family.  Want to learn some skills from the basic to advanced?  May we suggest some classes?  If you want to “wow” them at your next dinner party, well then, we have the place for you….

Whether you call it the Dorothy Lane Market School of Cooking or the Culinary Center at Dorothy Lane Market, there is a cult following for this organization.  And rightfully so, as we are lucky to have such a resource her in Dayton.  Many brilliant cooks, chefs and kitchen volunteers make kitchen program come to life.  Each year, throughout all 12 months, hundreds of attendees learn from some of the Miami Valley’s Best.  Today, Food Adventures would like to introduce you to some of the All Stars that shine in this stellar organization.

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY on THE CULINARY CENTER at DLM:

— Located at 6177 Far Hills Ave. in Centerville in the Washington Square Shopping Center.

— Hours are Monday – Friday 10am-3pm

— They offer classes year round for all ages

— Prices range, depending on the class, and of course you get taste plates of each course during these events.

— Some classes are hands on, others are just observatory.  The smells and the flavors are always fantastic, and the lessons are very informative.

— Numerous volunteers help clean, serve and even prepare some parts of the meals.  Without them, the courses would not go as smoothly.  In fact they wouldn’t take place at all.

— They do private events, like office parties.  Team building events, anniversary parties, etc.

The school of cooking is close to our hearts.  Hungry Jax has

been steadily active in volunteering over the years. She introduced The Big Ragu to the group, and he has even volunteered about 10 times over the past few years.  Chef House has hosted her own cooking classes, and has lead the way for our Food Adventures Crew to reach our dream of hosting a couple of classes ourselves (The next one is  “Food Adventure Party Foods” on May 18th, 2016).

 

Over the years, we have gotten to know the “ins and outs” of this fantastic Culinary Center, and the many “unsung heroes” of local cooking.

We are proud to introduce you to just some of the workhorses, that make the center a great success.  They are today’s “Must Meets.”

 

DOROTHY LANE MARKET CULINARY CENTER’S “MUST MEETS:

 

PEGGY NEARY: Peggy has been a joyful part of the DLM experience for 16 years.  She is the current manager, and runs most of the planning day in and day out. She readies and schedules all the classes, and prepares the paperwork.  even though she has a busy schedule, she always finds time to meet and plan for new events. Peggy always has a smile on her face, and is a big supporter of the Dayton community.  She is the glue.. er glucose that holds the place together !

 

MARY COONEY: Mary has been huge part of the classes and cooking program for over a decade.  Her specialties are her lifelong, Italian family recipes.  She is a tremendous baker too.  Mary Cooney is a first-generation Italian-American who has a passion for teaching. that is hard to equal. She loves to share her knowledge of authentic Italian dishes as well as baking pies and desserts. We recommend her cookbook which just happens to be for sale at the DLM Culinary Center as well.  She is definitely one of our favorites.

 

CARRIE WALTERS:  Every time we are around Carrie, she is always making some incredible food.  She is the official Dorothy Lane Market Corporate Chef.  She is in charge of running some of the most popular events at DLM like the Food & Wine Show.  She is also very involved in helping develop the curriculum of the Culinary Center classes.   Her happiness in the kitchen is infectious, and her classes are delicious, informative and fun.  Her reach goes beyond the School of Cooking.  You can find many of Carrie’s recipes in the pre-made foods for sale at Dorothy Lane Market.   She develops DLM’s Market report and instructional videos.  She loves to travel, and uses those opportunities to learn new recipes, cooking methods which enhance the programs of the Culinary Center.

 

JULIA HOY: She typically works days at the Dorothy Lane Market Culinary Center.  Her specialty is German cooking and dishes.  Julia is also known for her dedication and cooking instruction in the “Basics” classes.  These are perfect introductory classes that are essesntial for those wanting to build the foundation of food knowledge.  This California girl graduated from college with a degree in Food Science.  She put her skills to work at Sunkist Growers,shortly before moving to Ohio.  Julia began working at Dorothy Lane Market in 2006 developing recipes for the Produce Departments. She continued her education at Sinclair, attaining a Culinary Arts degree and Culinary Certification.  She is a workhorse of the organization, and is one of the reasons for the school’s solid success.

 

ZEBBIE BORLAND: For 25 years, Zebbie has been a part of the Dorothy Lane Market family.  She is known for her popular cooking classes for kids.  From grilling to desserts, these classes are basic, informative and a perfect way to introduce your children formally to the world of cooking.  One of the pillars of the center, Zebbie helps round out a full program of classes at the Culinary Center.  Parents, take advantage of her great classes !

 

JOHN  CHICO: John is a passionate home cook.  His experiences cooking for family (like his 4 Italian Grandparents) and friends have brought his influences to the Culinary Center.  Always willing to learn new things, John soaks up a lot of the information and techniques by rubbing elbows the the staff.  John hosts the popular Pretzel Classes and a continuing education program with the University of Dayton.  Beef stew, polento, and sousvide are some of his specialties. He uses his wife and children to test “breakfast for dinner” recipes.  John has taken calsses at the center, volunteered for classes and finally has come full circle into an instructor.

 

We would be remiss if Food Adventures didnt mention just some of the “MUST MEET” chefs that have an influence on the Culinary Center at DLM.

 

CHEF JENN DISANTO:  This amazing Chef is even more of an amazing person.  She is one of our favorite people in the world.  Chef Jenn DiSanto has a long friendship with Chef House.  Hungry Jax has worked many of her cooking classes over the past decade.  Big Ragu even worked one a few year back, but his heart was stolen by the menu at her catering business called Fresco (that is another whole Food Adventure article in itself).  Jenn is a classically trained chef, known for using the highest-quality seasonal ingredients.

She earned her culinary degree in Connecticut but has traveled extensively, even becoming a private chef domestically and overseas.  Chef Disanto loves to pay homage to different cultures by producing some delicious, rustic recipes from different countries.  An upstate New York native, she brings a strong work ethic to the kitchen.  The result is meals that are extremely flavorful.  Jenn also devotes much time and resources to helping various Dayton area charities that are close to her heart.

 

CHEF ELIZABETH WILEY: Chef Wiley is one of the culinary superstars of the Miami Valley.  This Kansas native has been cooking professionally since 1979.  After coming to Dayton and having a nearly 2 decade stint at the Winds she went a different direction. In 2004, her big breakout came when she wowed crowds after opening Meadowlark Restaurant.  Her mantra is “We cook what we like to eat, and what’s in season.”  That philosophy has led to unmatched triumphs. Using her experiences cooking in Chicago, San Francisco and Key West, Chef Wiley has poured this knowledge into her delicious menus.  She parlayed her success and partnered in opening “Wheat Penny Pizza Oven.”  This inventive venture takes

pizza and Italian favorites to a new level.  She is also well known for her charitable contributions to local causes. Stay tuned for more news and business ventures from Chef Wiley.

 

CHEF LIZ VALENTI:  Chef Valenti is a positive force of energy at the DLM Culinary Center.  She is Catering and Private Party Director.  She handles all of this along with her businesses partnerships like, Wheat Penny Pizza Oven.  Known for pizza and innovative takes on Italian food, Liz’s star has been shining in Dayton for some time. Not only is she an amazing kitchen talent, she is also a great person.   If she is a part of the event, be prepared for a delicious time.  You will often notice her and her business partners helping various non-profit organizations around town.  She is always giving back to the community.

The Culinary Center also has some fun internal events from various Pot Luck dinners, to a Julia Child Birthday celebration meal.

Oh and lest we forget the store inside the Culinary Center.  Along the walls are books and various kitchen utensils for sale.  A lot of these items you won’t find anywhere else.  They also offer kitchen towels, copper items and many upscale verisons of essesntial kitchen tools.

 

Now you know a little bit more about the Culinary Center at Dorothy Lane Market.  It is a great “School of Cooking” for any Miami Valley resident.  Please take advantage of their classes and events.  Sign up for one today! Search www.DorothyLane.com for more info.

There are opportunities to volunteeer for these classes as well.  If you are interested contact Peggy at 937-435-5696 on weekdays.

The classes not only showcase the cooks, but they give a thoughtful insight on the very offerings of special, fresh ingredients from Dorothy Lane’s produce or specialty grocery sections.

For more content on Dayton’s Food Scene – “like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Please browse the photos below from our Food Adventures at Dorothy Lane Market’s Culinary Center: