Culinary Classes

Let's get cooking! 

Register

Register online by calling the IVCC Continuing Education Center: (815) 224-0427
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
(Hours may vary during holidays. IVCC is closed on Fridays during the summer.)

Contact Us! 

If a class you are interested in is full, please contact our office to inquire about additional class dates at (815) 224-0427. Please check back for updates or email Kim_Koehler@ivcc.edu to be added to the Culinary Arts e-newsletter list.  

More about Chef Sara

For the past 10 years, Chef Sara Fitzpatrick has been inspiring community members at IVCC to roll up their sleeves, tie on an apron and discover the joy of cooking in her lifelong learning classes. 

From homemade tamales, to sushi, to charcuterie to perfect knife skills, her 
courses have taught hundreds of students that food can be art - and that everyone can learn something new.

Sara’s future as a culinary instructor at IVCC began long ago, with a prediction. “One of my friend’s grandmas once told me I’d be a teacher someday,” she recalls. Early on, while her first job was as a dishwasher, she dreamed of being an artist. She took college classes at IVCC in art, but soon decided it would be difficult to make a career out of it. That’s when she thought back to her roots; growing up surrounded by food, with a mother who canned, pickled, gardened, baked bread, and even made homemade pasta.

“I realized food could also be art,” she says. That revelation led her to study at Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School. She honed her craft in kitchens across Chicago and the Illinois Valley. Over the years, she has built expertise in everything from plating and food photography to catering and menu design.

Teaching, though, brought something unexpected: the joy of seeing her students surprise themselves. “I love seeing people learn something they didn’t know they could do - like why a knife is shaped the way it is, or how to hold it correctly,” she explains. 

Her advice for new teachers reflects her own philosophy: “Slow down and 
remember your students are learning something new.”

For Sara, lifelong learning isn’t just something she teaches - it’s how she lives. “I try to add a new skill and get 1% better every day,” she says. She’s an avid reader - her most recent book was Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain - and she embraces challenges, like the time her freezer stopped working during class and everything melted. “You figure it out and keep going,” she laughs.

This year, Sara is embarking on her biggest challenge yet: opening her own restaurant, Chef Sara’s Table, in LaSalle. After years of experience, she decided it was time. “I realized - I can do it myself,” she says. Her new venture will bring together all she’s learned: cooking from scratch, minimizing food waste, and creating a welcoming space. “The concept is simple - you’re welcome at my table,” she says. Her restaurant will feature a small, fresh lunch menu with homemade soup; and will also be the home-base for her catering business and charcuterie boards. She later plans to launch a creative twist on dinner service that will be different than what you normally see. “Everything I’ve done, every place I’ve worked, has helped prepare me for this,” she reflects.

When she’s not in the kitchen, Sara enjoys being a mom to Aubrey (13) and Evan (20) who already works in a local kitchen and may one day join her at the new business. As for her favorite dish? “Anything I make is special,” she smiles - though she admits she has a cabinet full of spices from around the world. Her can’t-live-without ingredients? “Salt - and real butter,” she answers without hesitation. And despite all her expertise, she confesses there are still some culinary mysteries she hasn’t cracked. “I still can’t make a good chocolate chip cookie, and Indian food is hard - all those spices!”

Chef Sara’s story is a perfect example of what lifelong learning is all about; following your curiosity, pushing yourself to grow, and making room at the table for others along the way. To see what you can learn in one evening - and maybe surprise yourself along the way - join one of her cooking classes this fall. Because as Chef Sara reminds us, “Every day, you can get just a little bit better.”

IVCC Culinary Class Formats

IVCC offers culinary classes in a variety of formats.

• [Blended] Demonstration with some Hands-On
  Blended classes include demonstration with hands-on activities intermixed throughout class. For example, during tortellini class, the instructor will demonstrate how to make a large batch of dough and students will have opportunities to roll dough, cut, and twist tortellini. Class will finish with cooking the tortellini and enjoying an Italian meal at the end of the session. In other classes, students may work together to prepare the ingredients for a large-batch dish such as Intro to Ayurvedic Cooking. All classes will include lecture and discussion of the cuisine being prepared in class. Each class is different from each other. If you would like to know more about the class you are attending, please contact the Continuing Education Center for additional details. 
  
  
• [Hands-On] Culinary Class Information
  Roll up your sleeves and get ready to chop, mix and knead your way through each recipe. Classes are open to all skill levels. During hands-on classes, each student will have an individual station to work from and a cooktop. Hands-on classes are smaller classes, limited to 8 students. Additional class dates may be added throughout the semester should the first classes fill up if there is adequate waitlist interest.

Learn from the Best

• Our instructors are teachers and chefs - they have a wealth of experience and love sharing their knowledge.

Culinary Class Reminders and FAQs

• Cooking classes are 2-3 hours unless otherwise noted. In hands-on classes, you’ll be standing, prepping and cooking for most of the class.
• Please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and tie long hair back. Wear clothes that can get a little messy. Do not wear shirts with loose sleeves. Aprons are recommended.
• Before class: Review the class description or your class confirmation email to check for the material fee and items to bring from home to class. Most cooking classes have a material fee payable to the instructor the night of class. Most classes have a short supply list of items to bring from home for class. 
• Students are welcome to bring a bottle of water, coffee or softdrink to class. Alcoholic beverages may not be brought to class. *Some classes may include alcohol samples or pairings that align with the content of the class. These classes are offered in accordance with IVCC Board Policy. 
• Class location: Your classroom is located in CTC-123, the culinary classroom. We recommend parking in Lot #7 and entering the East entrance of the IVCC Community Technology Center. The classroom is located on the first floor.
• Be ready to have fun!

Online Classes

If you cannot make it to campus for an in-person class, check out some of these online learning options. 

Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Health
Food & Mood: What's the Connection?
Lose Weight & Keep it Off
Secrets of the Caterer
Luscious, Low-Fat, Lightning Quick Meals
Start Your Own Edible Garden

"Very enjoyable & informative. Very personal instructor. A+ Chef Sara Fitzpatrick."

- Mary Jane C.