The making of a team...
No longer is corporate team building restricted to white water rapids or repelling on ropes from high atop trees. Corporate Team Cooking provides a unique opportunity for co-workers to learn and develop creativity, cooperation, communications, planning and leadership skills, allowing them to relate in ways that are not possible in the office environment.
Team members learn to work together to produce delicious meals, using culinary techniques and ingredients unfamiliar to most. No prior experience required.
Those members with little or no cooking knowledge this can be challenging. Those who think they know their way around the kitchen, even more so! This is not about how much you know; rather it is about working as a team to achieve the end results.
Building a team around the stove is fun, effective, intuitive and essential to our nature. One of nature’s first teams, the family, works together in the kitchen to prepare food for their survival, after hunting and gathering. Much like your team must work together for your business survival.
Preparing a meal for 10-15 people requires and builds teamwork. For both the uninitiated and the experienced cook, it is a challenge requiring full focus, openness to constructive criticism, constant learning and most importantly, teamwork.
Our class menus include traditional & contemporary American, Asian, European, Italian, French, Indian and bread baking.
Trust and confidence in the ability of the team to accomplish the task is essential. After all, you and your co-workers will dine on your team’s creation. Concerns, uncertainties, and any questions will be shared openly and dealt with throughout the class.
The Goals
The goal is for the group to become a team, to discover new facets and work together; to establish a team in an environment where everyone starts out and ends as equal players.
If the team is successful, the end result is a delicious meal for everyone’s enjoyment, the fulfillment of a new and challenging task completed, and a chance to evaluate the meal, the process and the learning that has taken place.
At its best, this experience can affect and improve the daily work of the team. It depends on the group to take all that it can from this learning experience.
Cooking is performance art, where finite time, labor, and resources are tightly choreographed to produce an excellent result on time.
The group will learn to work as a team, set aside normal roles, plan carefully, cooperate closely, ask for and give help as needed, deal with mistakes and adjust quickly, and follow the strategy, the recipes and instructions.
We are not going to make professional chefs out of the team, but we are going to lead the team through the process, and instruct, support and guide them to produce an excellent meal.
They will experience the fact that in this environment, no leader or manager can succeed without the full support of the team. Each group member will have to set aside individual aspirations for "culinary stardom".
Inevitably problems arise in cooking, no matter how good the team. A moment’s inattention can ruin a dish. Misunderstanding and emotions can disturb the group. Breakdowns happen and are opportunities for learning, for innovating and redesigning.
The benefits of preparing a delicious meal are obvious. In this case many other benefits accrue, such as the ability to evaluate the team's performance on the spot, throughout the process and after enjoying the results. We are also serving each other.
We will rely on a thorough commentary of the dinner, and on the process and what has been learned. The friendly mood of cooking and dining together is very rewarding for the team.
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How it works...
The planner should contact us to check date availability. We prefer to have at least 2 to 3 weeks' notice. However, if necessary, we can organize a Team Building Event within a relatively short period of time - assuming your preferred date and time is available.
A minimum of 8 participants is required for a team-building session with a maximum of 12. For larger teams we suggest you break them into groups no larger than 12 members, each group of 12 would have to attend at different times as we can only accomodate 12 at any one time..
The cost per participant is $74.00. This includes: venue, hands-on instruction, food, complimentary wine and other beverages with the meal. Deposit of half the total monies due is due at time of registration to hold that particular date and time of your event.
The event will take place at The Kitchen Workshop with Art supervising your team members in our spacious kitchen.
A menu will be tailored made to your group prior to your event.
The class runs 3 hours which includes eating during this time.
Some menu options...
The Marrakesh Express – Moroccan Carrot Soup, Salad of Roasted Peppers, Cucumber and Tomatoes, Couscous Tabbouleh, Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine, Pineapple and Bananas Couscous Pudding
Yo, Meatball! – Savory Pistachio Meatballs, Mexican Meatball Soup with Rice and Cilantro, Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine and Lamb Meatballs in Green Curry Sauce, Choice of Dessert
Wok this Way – Won Ton Soup, Shrimp Rolls with Spicy Dipping Sauce, Kung Pao Chicken, Beef and Broccoli Stir- Fry, Stir Fried Rice
Thai – Thai Fish Cakes, Thai Grilled Beef Salad, Steamed Jasmine Rice, Grilled Shrimp with Red Curry Peanut Sauce, Mango and Sticky Rice
Holiday Appetizers and Cookies – You will be able to pick 6 appetizers and a holiday cookie from a preset list of options
Pizza Party - Regular and Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, Assorted Grilled and Oven-Baked Pizza and a Dessert Pizza
Italian – Tuscan Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Chicken Cacciatore over Fresh Homemade Pasta, Sautéed Broccoli Raab with Pecorino Romano and Tuscan Cinnamon Almond Biscotti
Greek - Spicy Whipped Feta Spread with Pita Crisps, Chicken Athena (Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Oregano, and Ouzo), Feta and Mint Rice, Greek-Style Green Beans and Baklava with Rose Water
Indian - Samosas with Mint Chutney, Chicken Biryani, Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes, Green Beans with Fresh Tomato Chutney and Rice Pudding with Pistachios, Raisins and Saffron
Asian Fusion - Spicy Lemongrass Salsa, Melted Brie and Caramelized Onion Bruschetta, Thai Chicken Salad, Spicy Seafood Curry with Asian Noodles and Spiced Apple Crisp
Caribbean - Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple-Cucumber Salsa, Caribbean Style Rice and Black Bean Salad, Island Pork Tenderloin Salad and Key Lime Tart
References:
All State Insurance
Alpha Scientific
Ametek
Citi Bank
Comcast
DaVita
Glaxo Smith Kline
ING Clarion
JNJ
Lincoln Financial Group
RHR International
Shire Pharmaceuticals
Siemens
Synthes
United States Liability Insurance Group
Wyeth