The Cooking Schools (Atlanta, GA, USA)

Feast Mode Activated 

The Cooking Schools

https://www.thecookingschools.com/

Over time, our family has become more “less is more” and “presence over presents”—especially when it comes to holidays and birthdays. These days, we’re all about memory-making over gift-wrapping. The vibe: quality time > clutter.

And since we’re a food-obsessed fam, most of our best moments happen in the kitchen. So this year, for our mom’s birthday, we kept it on-brand—with a twist: a cooking class. Same kitchen energy, just zero dish duty and a built-in gift for everyone (hello, dinner!).

Now, being a foodie is basically part of our family’s personality. But when you're Twintolerant (gluten and lactose intolerant), your cooking class options get real limited, real fast. Most cooking classes can handle one, but not both—and what’s the point if you can’t actually taste what you made? That’s just culinary FOMO.

Enter: The Cooking School [in Atlanta]. Right there on their site, they actually acknowledge food allergies and dietary needs—a green flag if we’ve ever seen one. 

💡 Twintolerant Tip - Not all classes are allergen-friendly by default, so give them a heads-up beforehand 📞

When we reached out about booking a private class, I expected the usual back-and-forth. Instead? We got a same-day response—and not just from the team, but from the founder himself, Chef Jake Rothschild. Talk about VIP energy.

Chef Jake and the crew were beyond accommodating—super flexible with our requested dates, times, and even the menu. We could pick from their existing classes or customize a meal to fit our gut needs. We went with a Mediterranean Feast—a family favorite and full of safe, bold flavors.

💡 Twintolerant Tip -  Our class was hosted in Inman Park, but heads up—The Cooking School Atlanta is on the move! While their new space is being built out, classes are temporarily held at their Tri-Cities location in 📍Hapeville—just minutes from the airport. 

The class delivered. From the moment we tied on our aprons, it was clear this wasn’t your average  “watch-and-wait” kind of setup —it was hands-on, fun, and surprisingly educational (even for the self-proclaimed chefs in our family). Led by the warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable staff, we each manned our stations and got to work like a true culinary squad. Everyone had something to learn: from perfecting knife skills to understanding how to layer flavor, season intuitively, and cook with intention—not just instinct.

The menu? A vibrant Mediterranean Feast that hit every note: herb-roasted chicken, perfectly seasoned roasted veggies, fluffy rice, and the stars of the show—the creamiest hummus [from-scratch!] and crispy home-made corn chips. Every bite was fresh, flavorful, and best of all—Twintolerant-approved: no gluten, no dairy, no drama.

💡 Twintolerant Tip - Want to stop your cutting board from doing the cha-cha while you chop? Slide a damp paper towel underneath—especially if you're using a glass one [and definitely not plastic... save the turtles, babe 🐢] Slippage? Canceled. Knife skills? Upgraded. You're welcome. 👩‍🍳✨

And the best part? Sitting down at the end, around the table, to enjoy the meal we created together—every dish prepped with our own hands, every bite safe for our guts. It wasn’t just about the food (though damn, it was good). It was about the laughter, the teamwork, and the luxury of eating without overthinking every ingredient.

It’s more than a class—it’s a shared experience. A moment where the usual stress of “can we eat that?” melted away, and all that was left was good vibes, full plates, and zero dishes to clean. Now that’s a birthday we’ll remember.

💡 Twintolerant Tip - The class was BYOB, so naturally we brought some celebratory wine and a birthday cake from Hell Yeah Gluten Free 🎂🍾