You’ve likely heard the old saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” but I’ve discovered what could be the next best thing: a free cooking class.
The talented executive chef at Central City Market in Santa Maria is offering something that’s too good to pass up: complimentary cooking classes.
The first class will be Monday, March 5, at 6 p.m., at Central City Market in the Santa Maria Town Center, near the mall entrance to Macy’s. The casual course in cuisine will continue the first Monday of every month.
The 31-year-old Chef Ryan Gromfin hopes to help people “remove the intimidation factor by demystifying theories or whatever scares them about the kitchen—get them more comfortable in there.”
He believes people nowadays are afraid to cook, to alter recipes, to experiment in gastronomy.
“I think they’re totally intimidated by the kitchen, and I think my goal with this is I just want people to cook more. I think cooking is something we’re losing at home,” he explained.
He hopes to eliminate the fear of cooking and bring back the joy.
“I really enjoy teaching,” he said, “but more than teaching I enjoy spreading the kind of knowledge that other people have been so gracious enough to share with me.”
Gromfin’s first teacher, who shared by example in the kitchen, was his mom, who cooked every night for the family when he was a kid.
He also grew up mesmerized by TV’s Food Network and, as a teen, experimented with recipes at home before getting his first kitchen job at the exclusive Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles while still in high school.
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Gromfin graduated with a culinary arts degree from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. He honed his culinary craft in five-star dining establishments at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, the Mansion on Turtle Creek Dallas, and Four Seasons Austin.
“I’ve had the good fortune to work for amazing chefs, some that are well known to the public and some that are not,” he said. “The common denominator was always technique.”
He learned that when using the proper approach, one could transform any ingredient into amazing food: “Sometimes you’re using chicken legs, sometimes you’re using foie gras, but the technique is the same. If you have solid technique, you can adapt it to any ingredient.”
In 2009, Gromfin moved north from Los Angeles to Santa Maria, becoming operator, chef, and co-creator of his own restaurant, Central City Market, which has earned a loyal following.
“I love knowing our customers,” he said. “I love when they come in and I know them on a first- or last-name basis. I know what they like to eat, and I think it creates that whole dining experience.”
More repeat customers are recommending the restaurant to friends, and that word of mouth is very sacred for Gromfin: “It keeps us on our A-game.”
Patrons appreciate his cooking style, which Gromfin describes as “comfort classics updated.”
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On CCM’s dinner menu, you’ll find these comforting entrees among many others: braised short ribs (“braised until it almost falls off the bone”), celery root purée, seasonal mushrooms, and horseradish whipped cream; crispy duck confit (pan roasted crispy duck, sweet and sour cabbage, five spice broth, and tangerine salad); and buttermilk-soaked Southern fried chicken (two breasts slow cooked to a golden crisp, sweet potato purée, salt and pepper green beans, and truffle honey).
Central City Market is normally closed on Monday nights, but the tireless chef is opening his doors for classes the first Monday of every month, to give back to the community in the form of epicurean education.
During each class, held in the dining room, Gromfin will demonstrate a different entrée and a side accompaniment.
Class will last about an hour, and then participants will get to taste the chef’s creations.
“We’ll all sit down and eat and have some fun,” he said.
And what’s learned can be applied to similar dishes you prepare at home.
“To me, it’s not about what we’re making, it’s more about the technique behind it,” Gromfin said. “If we make Irish beef stew, it’s gonna be the same technique for any stew you’ll ever make for the rest of your life. You’re just switching out some ingredients and some spices and flavors.”
It’s a mantra he uses with employees in the restaurant: “What I try to instill in all my cooks, if you treat the ingredients with respect and the right technique, your food’s gonna be magical.”
His motivation is developing a one-on-one relationship with his customers and giving the community a gratifying gathering spot.
Gromfin invites you to drop by and check out his class. No need to call ahead, although that would be nice.
“If you don’t call the restaurant, just show up. We will not say ‘no,’” Gromfin promised. “Come, have fun! Bring some friends. … If it’s successful, I’d like to keep them going forever.”
Sun food and wine writer Wendy Thies Sell loves it when food is magical. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 1-8, 2012.
