Classy cooking

About 20 adults sat around a horseshoe-shaped outdoor table, sipping drinks and chatting while the smell of charcoal filled the summer air. "We're going to go ahead and get started," said the chef standing before them, "because I'm hungry."

Labor Day: Back Yard StyleWarm Weather Tomatoes: A Cooking and Seasoning Experience** WHC = warehouse home center; MM = mass merchant; DS = department store; SS = specialty store; HS = hardware storeInfo: 602-3828Love-Tillotson is leading several more classes this summer, including "Pizza from Field to Table" on Aug. 1. Classes cost $25 per person and are conducted at Traders Point's loft.For many, a barbecue is not a proper barbecue if it does not involve cooking over hot coals. This can take a long time to be at the optimum cooking temperature and can be difficult to master, and in addition there are ashes to be dealt with once the cooking is over. However, the primal instinct in many people (particularly men!) makes the charcoal grill appeal to them as they are required to start and tend the fire for the duration of the time for which they are cooking. In addition, many feel that cooking over coals gives the food a distinctive taste and smell which you do not get with a gas grill. However, as mentioned previously, this has not been found to be the case.Chef JJ's Back Yard has been offering both indoor and outdoor grilling classes since its founding in August 2009. Boston worked as a corporate chef in Indianapolis from 2000 to 2004, then as a personal chef until striking out on his own. He already had a client base of grill enthusiasts who met at one another's homes to attend informal classes, so Boston began looking for a location that could accommodate growing demand.Older consumers and those in the Northeast and West regions are driving sales of barbecues in the 2011 period. And growth in the under-$ 15,000 income bracket could be a good sign for small, portable or tabletop grills.Location: Traders Point Creamery, 9101 Moore Road, ZionsvilleCost: $50Purchase motivatorsChef Matthew Mejia works primarily at The Chef's Academy in downtown Indianapolis, but last month he did two outdoor cooking demonstrations at the Cannel Farmers Market. About 80 people watched him make Spanish-style tapas.Nationwide, such classes have abandoned a traditional in-kitchen experience, opting instead for "destination" demonstrations featuring local ingredients.Consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group shows the market size for barbecue grills held steady at about $1.373 billion during 2011 *, down 0.1% from the prior-year period."I can remember back in '88 when I decided to go to culinary school, people looked at me like I was strange," he said. "The average person knows a lot more about food than they used to, and they realize it's a profession and not a trade.""Business is phenomenal," he said, though he declined to reveal financial specifics. "We've been operating in the black since really Day 1. We are experiencing year-over-year growth of 100 percent-plus. We are going fast and strong.""Shopping in the farmers' markets and on the perimeter of the grocery stores - avoiding jars, cans and boxes - is something the culinary industry is working hard to hammer home," said Candy Wallace, executive director of the San Diego-based American Personal and Private Chef Association. "You're going to see a lot of classes using the words 'organic,' 'sustainable' and 'local.'"Date: 9-9:30 a.m., 10-10:30 a.m., July 23Instructor Jen Love Tillotson, who works part time as the dairy's holistic nutritionist, made and shared several recipes for "nourishing, delicious, family-friendly food," including peach blueberry crisp, chicken and spinach soup, and zucchini oven chips. Several recipes incorporated Traders Point products.Date: 6-8 p.m., Aug. 1Warehouse home centers clearly dominate the barbecue market, accounting for more than half of the sales.Mejia said since interest in celebrating food has grown significantly over the past several years, especially with celebrity chefs gaining national attention, he thinks people are more interested in becoming culinary stars themselves. Watching a demonstration like Boston's or Mejia's is one way to do that.Now the lessons, which cost $40-$60 per plate, consistently sell out four to six weeks in advance. Although some classes, like "Craving Crustaceans," can't use all local ingredients, Boston tries to feature Indiana-grown produce and meats as much as possible."They get to hear from someone who's either in the restaurant industry or has been in the restaurant industry," Mejia said. "It's kind of like how live music is more exciting."Methodolgy: NPD data are based on monthly tracking of more than 30 home improvement-related categories and 30,000 opt-in consumers."People are definitely much more interested in the source of their food," Love-Tillotson said. "People are much more interested and open to the idea their diet could help to heal themselves. That's been a change I've seen over the past few years."Both charcoal and gas grills have advantages over each other depending on what you are looking for and how you intend to use it. However, the good news is that they both produce food which has been found to have very little difference in taste. Whether you choose the gas or charcoal version you can rest assured that they will both have the capability to produce great tasting fare.Price and trusted brand are at the top of the "Reason for Purchase" list, for which consumers are asked to select the three top reasons why they purchased their barbecue grill once inside the store.Location: Carmel Farmers Market, 5 Center Green, Carmel* 2011 data reflect the period June 2010 through May 2011.Date: 9-9:30 a.m., 10 a.m.-10:30 a.m., July 30Location: Chef JJ's Back Yard, 1040 Broad Ripple Ave.All About BriningCost: free"I think we've really turned it into an experience," Boston said of the classes, which emphasize fresh ingredients and use the "Big Green Egg" eco-friendly ceramic grills he also sells. "People who want to come and learn something are going to have that ability. ... Our food is simple enough to replicate, but advanced enough that you want to pay for it. So I think we found the right combination of what people want and what they need."Carmel residents Cynthia and Mike Stover have attended two of Boston's classes, and said they often refer friends to Back Yard because they've had such positive experiences.While non-students cannot yet sign up for individual cooking classes, Mejia said he hopes to offer them next summer. In the meantime, demonstrations will continue at the Carmel Farmers Market."We've really found that grilling is not a seasonal sport," he said.Info: 733-1700Examining the various types of grills, gas grills showed the most growth over 2010--a 2.5 percentage point increase in market share. Charcoal grills remained a steady second favorite at 36.3%. Single burners showed significant growth since 2009, perhaps indicative of a new frugality.Whichever you choose, there is little between the two types of grill in terms of the quality of the food cooked on them. Make your decision wisely and your grill is sure to be enjoyed on many occasions over time and makes a great addition to any summer evening.Chef Ben Liederman at Indianapolis-based Clark Appliance, which has a "showcase" location in Castleton where grills are sold, said the barbecue-themed grilling classes he offers are by far the store's most popular, with participation at its peak in the summer.Product attributesIn both the dollar share and unit share tables below, hardware stores seemed to make a nice jump in 2010 compared with 2009, but the stats slipped slightly in 2011.Pizza from Field to TableCost: $45Organic: Fact and FictionThe guests laughed, then murmured enthusiastically as they watched live lobsters and crawfish, Prince Edward Island mussels, Little Neck clams, shrimp, grilled bread, fresh strawberries and home-grown lettuce become a memorable dinner and dessert they could later cook themselves.

Cost: $45

Author: LaMagna, Maria