By Leslie Benson

With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to take a cooking class, says personal chef Yukiko Bates of New Albany, Ohio.

"People need something to stimulate their minds after a long winter," she says. "In-home lessons give them the opportunity to learn on their own schedule - kind of a culinary school 'light.'"

Specializing in private and group lessons, Bates regularly teaches 30 clients, mostly working adults who want to save time in the kitchen.

A private, three-hour lesson costs $200 and focuses on proper knife usage, food preservation and cooking skills. For Bates to plan, shop and prepare five dinners for four people, it averages $400.

Bates says she shops at farmers' markets to find the healthiest ingredients for her meals.

"The best way to help a family to improve their nutrition is to teach them how to cook utilizing a variety of the freshest, locally grown produce possible," Bates says.

She also hosts cooking parties each week, charging $315 for a group of four.

"I've been invited to come into people's homes for a wide variety of special occasions, including anniversaries, retirement parties and intimate dinners for first-time parents who need a night out but who don't want to leave their newborn," she says.

Personal chefs now an affordable option

Jaclyn DeCourcey, owner of highly rated Jaclyn's Personal Chef Services in Westerville, Ohio, says hiring a personal chef is affordable for anyone.

"Hiring a personal chef is no longer just an option for wealthy people," she says.

"When you add up the cost of gas, meals and tips at a restaurant, most people would rather spend about the same amount and eat comfortably in their homes."

DeCourcey will plan, shop and prepare five meals for four people for $350.

Entrées include everything from charbroiled swordfish with citrus salsa to raspberry barbecue chicken.

Spring lessons will focus on grilling and gardening tips.

During private lessons, DeCourcey, who is ServSafe certified, teaches clients how each person can play a role in the kitchen. ServSafe is a voluntary food safety training program that focuses on sanitation and preventing foodborne illness.

"In cases where a wife is a vegetarian and her husband is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, I help solve the problem, 'What's for dinner?'" she says.

Angie's List member Christine Okonak of Powell, Ohio says she was pleasantly surprised when her husband hired DeCourcey to cook for her family during a week he had to work late.

"It was my Valentine's Day gift," Okonak says. "Jaclyn spent an hour discussing with us the types of meals we wanted, and she prepared them all, leaving them frozen in neat little Rubbermaid containers. It was excellent."

Secrets to being your own personal chef

Anne Hayward, owner of highly rated Premier Concierge of Columbus in Worthington, Ohio, teaches clients how to be their own personal chef by preparing, packaging and freezing entrées.

"I also teach other secrets of the trade, such as how personal chefs are able to sneak vegetables into meatloaf and spaghetti sauce for children who won't eat vegetables."

Homeowners can also hire Hayward for "cook dates," which include the planning, shopping, preparation and packaging of 10 dinners for a family of four for $325, plus the cost of groceries, which is typically about $125. Each individual entrée averages about $12, she says.

"My clients have told me they have saved money hiring a personal chef," Hayward says. "They no longer eat out as much or buy food they never get around to preparing and then throw out."

Children can learn to cook, too

The North Market School of Cooking in Columbus, Ohio, offers hands-on classes, like those taught by Robin Davis, the food editor at the Columbus Dispatch, for $50 per adult class or $35 per child class.

Two LCD monitors and a roaming camera give participants a clear view of all the cooking action.

"Whether it's the adult learning techniques or the child getting into the kitchen, our classes take the fear out and put the fun into cooking," Davis says.

Young Chefs Academy in Gahanna, Ohio, tailors its cooking classes specifically to children, teaching kitchen safety, etiquette, menu planning and meal preparation.

Jill Jacobs, owner of the Columbus franchise, loves bringing diverse children together in the kitchen.

"You can be the sports nut, the artist or the scholar and still have one thing in common - everyone eats," she says. Classes range from $30 per workshop to $79 per month for a weekly class.

Kerry Everheart, a finance manager in Columbus, has enrolled her son, Ricky, in the Gahanna Parks and Recreation winter cooking classes and in the Young Chefs Academy. "He's learned that if you make it, you try it," she says.

Cyndee Whitaker, an office manager in German Village, also enrolled her daughter, Evie, 7, and her son, William, 9, whose diet once consisted of hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese, in the Young Chefs Academy.

"I feel a lot more comfortable about letting them cook things for themselves," Whitaker says. "I'm more relaxed with letting them help me in the kitchen, especially with the use of the oven."