Call her the Giddy Gourmet

Marshall Allen

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- Cherie Twohy serves up her cooking classes

with passion, practicality and double helpings of drama and wit.

Twohy, a La Canada Flintridge resident, is culinary school-trained,

but her off-the-wall humor seems to come naturally. Her Tuesday night

cooking classes at Paolo’s La Cucina, 1401 Foothill Blvd. in La Canada

Flintridge, reflect good training and commitment to a good time.

“Cherie teaches with humor, which is so fun, and it’s much cheaper

than therapy,” said Carolyn Stevens of Pasadena.

Tuesday night, 14 women learned to create gourmet appetizers while

sipping wine and bantering with Twohy. Many of the students were

committed Twohy disciples.

“Don’t write an article,” one woman warned. “We want her all to

ourselves!”

During the class, Twohy taught by demonstration, and at the end of the

class everyone ate.

“Are you preheating that oven to 350 degrees?” a concerned student

asked as if it would be on the Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart test.

“350? 400? Whatever -- it’s warm,” Twohy said nonchalantly. “They’re

not really cooking ... they’re just becoming glooorious!”

While cutting an onion, Twohy asked the class if anyone knew how to do

the task without crying.

“Have your husband do it!” a woman from the back row offered.

“I like my family to feel sorry for me, so I cry,” another said.

The last of five appetizers Twohy created was the Yuppie Loaf, which

she said she made thousands of times through the ‘80s.

“It’s provolone cheese over a dome of everything you want in your

mouth,” she gushed. “It is the combination that makes people faint and

die.”

Indeed, by the women’s groans as they savored the provolone, pesto,

sun-dried tomato and cream cheese ecstasy, several nearly had coronaries.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Chez Cherie cooking classes.

WHEN: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays until July 2.

WHERE: Paolo’s La Cucina, 1401 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge.

HOW MUCH: $50.

For more information, call 952-7217.