Chef Dee's Ventura Cooking Classes

Chef Dee's Ventura Cooking Classes offers customized cooking classes where participants work hand-in-hand with Chef Dee Johnston to prepare dishes such as soups, sauces like Beurre Blanc and tomato sauce, fish and shellfish, poultry and eggs, and meats cooked from scratch. Classes can focus on specific skills and topics including Kids in the Kitchen dishes that kids can prepare on their own, knife skills and the proper way to handle a knife, vegetable preparation such as peeling, seeding, and proper cutting, herbs and their uses, fruits and salads, vinaigrettes and infused oils, clarifying butter, chicken and beef stock, ethnic cooking such as Italian, Asian, French, and Mexican, cooking for special diets like vegan, gluten free, and dairy free, healthy meal preparation, and cooking techniques such as grilling, roasting, and braising. At the end of the class, the group has a meal to enjoy together that they have prepared.

• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Special classes for small groups or one-on-one in a 3-week series geared toward the young cook

Chef Dee’s Ventura Cooking Classes offers interactive classes designed around each group’s tastes and skill level, where the group chooses the skill they want to learn or the style of cooking they want to focus on. The program offers private cooking classes and cooking parties in Ventura for groups such as Scout Troops, Homeschool Groups, Foodie Groups, gourmet food-loving friends, and others looking to enhance their skills in the kitchen. Chef Dee answers every question and works with class participants individually as needed in a nurturing and fun atmosphere, creating a unique food experience tailored to each group’s appetite. Chef Dee shops at the local farmer’s market in preparation for a cooking class featuring organic farm to table cuisine.

Last updated March 13, 2026.