From pans and knives to stick blenders and spice grinders, the kitchen can be an overwhelming place for those just beginning their culinary journey. And while the tools to make meals are certainly paramount, a kitchen is also a place where function and style cozy up like cream and sugar, allowing inhabitants to express themselves through more than the power of a hot pan.
For those who learn best outside the pages of a book, a Gourmet Cooking Class at the Alpenhorn Gasthaus in Hermann is sure to incite and inspire. On weekdays, chefs Kate and Adrian offer hands-on cooking classes featuring seasonal produce. Once you learn to cook your gourmet four-course meal, enjoy it with paired wines. Afterward, consider booking some spa time to ease those well-worked culinary muscles. $95 per person. Advance registration required. Alpenhorn Gasthaus, 179 E. Highway 100, Hermann, 573.486.8228, alpenhorngasthaus.com
To see more great starter kitchen gifts for the budding chef in your life, click here.
This article appears in Guide to the Holidays 2013.