By Becky Streeter
John Bender with the Kitchen Technique is bringing a new flavor of fine dining experiences to Eau Claire. Centrally located at the Forage on S. Barstow St., Bender offers cooking classes and chef dinner events, as well as restaurant consulting. The Kitchen Technique’s number one goal is to build community through the sharing of education and great food.
As a child, Bender enjoyed dining at restaurants with his grandparents. He fell in love not only with the flavors and presentations, but also with the familial community memories associated with these meals. He dove into culinary arts and became an executive chef by the time he was eighteen. Classically trained in French cuisine and working for one of the most decorated Michelin star chefs, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and luxury Relais & Châteauz properties, a significant part of Bender’s 25-year-career so far was spent teaching. When Covid kept everyone indoors and the restaurant business suffered, Bender decided to shift gears.
The Kitchen Technique opened three years ago, infused with Bender’s love of education. “I believe there is a very scientific element in how you consume and taste things, and develop flavors,” says Bender. “For example, the baked potato seems non-impressive on its own, but why does it taste better when it’s cooked with salt versus not? Even if it seems very simple, something complex molecularly is happening.” These are the types of conversations Bender loves to have when talking about food.
Cooking classes are offered regularly at the Kitchen Technique. Bender provides all the ingredients and tools necessary, as well as the education. Class sizes are kept at 15-25 people so Bender can personally connect with every attendee. Ingredients are sourced locally when possible, and as natural as they come, even down to the milling of whole grains and the ph specific water used. Each class costs $75, is 1-1.5 hours long, and all ages and skill levels are welcome. You get to taste your creation, keep a printout of information so you can make the dish at home, and Bender does all the cleaning up afterwards!
A chef dinner is an upscale public event of a five-to-seven course culinary journey. Here Bender uses his expertise and presents a variety of dishes that appeal to the senses through texture and flavor. “And because I believe it’s important to know about what you’re eating,” says Bender, “I talk about every dish I bring out, how I conceptualized it, and how it got to the point where it is now on the plate.”
Bender says that restaurant consulting fell naturally in place at the Kitchen Technique. He states, “I want to see small businesses be successful. If you have a love for it, there’s a lot of reward in it, but it’s not easy. I believe I have a lot of knowledge to share and can be a very valuable asset.”
If you’re interested in signing up for a cooking class, enjoying a fine dining experience, or getting tips to help your restaurant thrive, visit the Kitchen Technique’s website thekitchentechnique.com.
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