For those who love to cook, the American Field Service’s Cooking Class is definitely the place to be on Monday nights.

For the past 27 years, classes have been held to raise money for the AFS student exchanges at Dayton Area Public Schools. The classes are conducted by chefs and owners from the Dayton area’s top restaurants and held in the Centerville High School’s Consumer Science Lab on Monday nights. Each class includes a chef demonstration, class participation, hors d’oeuvres, salads, a main course and a dessert.

“Classes have a party-like atmosphere,” said Eileen Baker, a volunteer for the cooking class.

Chefs from Jay’s, deSha’s, LAuberge, Rue Dumaine and Savona host classes this year.

On Feb. 23, the class featured Rue Dumaine’s chef, Anne Kearney. Rue Dumaine is an American French bistro located at 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Township.

The sold out class enjoyed learning from Kearney how to cook a meal featuring Wilted Escarole Salad with torn bread croutons, roasted beets, apple wood smoked bacon and Dijon vinaigrette, Chicken fricassee with pearl onion, mushrooms, spinach and fingerlings. For dessert, Kearney prepared Apple Fer for the students.

“I was looking for something that was cost effective because people are watching their budget,” said Kearney regarding the menu she chose.

Instead of a menu that would require purchasing specialty items, everything taught in the class featured ingredients easily available in local grocery stories. It also featured escarole, which Kearney explained how to use since many are unfamiliar with the leaves.

Kearney said already six of the students from the class have come to visit her restaurant.

She made her beginning at the Cincinnati Culinary Arts School in 1987.

“It was wonderful,” Kearney said.

From there, she went on to New Orleans to work at several restaurants, including the Bistro at Mason de Ville with John Neal, who became her mentor.

“John took me under his wing,” Kearney had shared at the class.

The two eventually opened their own restaurant, Peristyle, which Kearney said was like a circus every day.

Kearney also went on to work with Emeril Lagasse for three years where she helped work in his kitchen, wrote the script for his first television show and worked with him on his third book.

She explained that a aneurysm burst in her brain in July of 2002, which was the reason she returned to Ohio in 2004 to recover as well as take care of her father who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

After a few years, Kearney became anxious to get back into the business and opened up Rue Dumaine with her husband in 2007. It is named after the street corner her previous restaurant, Peristyle, was located in New Orleans.

At Rue Dumaine, “We’re trying to provide a nice experience for everyone,” Kearney said.

The menu include a high gluten free menu, which Kearney said many customers are requesting. Although the menu does not feature any vegetarian meals, Kearney is willing to do special orders.

Rue Dumaine is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner and Friday is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. A bistro special changes weekly as well as dinner specials every night.

For those interested in the AFS cooking class, classes are $40 per person per class and are already filled for this year. However, classes are available to reserve for next year. For more information call Angie Archdeacon at 513-932-3534 or email AFS_Cooking@hotmail.com.

Story by Jennifer Osterday

Josterday@tcnewsnet.com