What’s Cooking at EQ spotlights classes from the cooking school at the Party Source, as well as visits to some of our favorite restaurants and watering holes. You can print recipes, watch or listen to how recreate some of these mouthwatering dishes and libations, and learn more about where to purchase some of the more exotic ingredients. Plus you also register for more classes at EQ right here. Just click the calendar in the sidebar to the right to see upcoming classes and register to attend.

To learn more about classes at EQ, watch this short video or read about some of our instructors below.

EQ Staff

Amy Tobin, Culinary Director
A Michigan native, EQ at The Party Source Culinary Director, Amy Tobin moved to Cincinnati from Chicago, with her husband and two children. A former contributor to Cincinnati Magazine and Cincinnati Wedding, Amy’s career has included the roles of interior designer, caterer, cooking teacher, and cooking school director. As the director, and ultimately owner, of Culinary Sol, Amy shared her love of cooking with television audiences for 2 years on “Cooking with Sol featuring Amy Tobin”. She currently hosts of “Amy’s Table: A Girls Guide to Living” on Q102 and “Amy’s Table” on Cincinnati Public Television, CET. A culinary consultant to several national food brands, Amy focuses on simple yet delicious recipes because she believes that “great cooking should be great fun”.

“High-end food is great,” she says. “But that’s not how I cook at home. I show people how to create simple, approachable stuff, but with a degree of style to it.”

Michelle Wylie, Assistant Culinary Director
As a teenager, the only trouble Michelle stirred up was in the kitchen. Her mother taught her the basics of cooking and she began to spend much of her time baking. As an adult, all of her professional experience has centered around food – from cooking to cookware. As EQ’s resident “Martha” it comes as no surprise that her hobbies include cooking, tabletop decorating, sewing, gardening and home decorating. Michelle wants “EQ students to experience the most perfectly executed cooking class possible: demonstration or hands-on style!”

Jay Dickerson, EQ Instructor and Class Assistant
When Jay Dickerson was eight years old he was hungry for a burger. Mom was busy so Jay grabbed a chair and stepped up to the stove. He’s a firm believer in the premise that if you buy a man a burger, he’ll eat for a day but if you can cook your own, you’ll never go hungry! Jay wants all EQ students to leave EQ with the confidence to play with their food, to create and enjoy. In addition to cooking, Jay does a little creating of his own – libation style. Jay is a master of creating new and interesting drinks for our Girl’s Guide to Cocktail series. He loves to drink so come join him!

Jacob Perry, EQ Instructor and Class Assistant
Jacob’s first interest in cooking and food came from eating tuna salad made with “real” tuna. As Jacob delved into developing his culinary skills, he found Classical French cooking to be his passion – and white chocolate! Jacob’s overall food philosophy is to take the classics and give them a twist. At EQ, he aspires to provide each and every student the ultimate cooking experience in hopes that they will use the skills and knowledge attained during the class to recreate that experience at home.

Guest Instructors

Philippe Audax, Executive Chef, University of Cincinnati
Chef Audax has food “in his blood.” His father was chef for the governor of Paris at the Invalides and his uncle was the chef at Le Cercle Militaire, both in Paris. Philippe was also influenced by two of Paris’ greatest chefs, Jean Jorda of Maxim’s and Guy Legay of the Ritz plus two of his culinary teachers, Jean Planche and Jacques Sylvestre, who created virtually all of the culinary programs in Europe. Philippe has since worked at the White House in Washington DC, the Hamilton Princess Hotel in Bermuda, the King Cole in Dayton, the Bluefin Grille in Providence, and the Five Seasons Country Club in Montgomery. He currently serves as campus Executive Chef at the University of Cincinnati. Philippe prefers to share recipes with his students that can be reproduced at home for family and friends instead of “complicated recipes that nobody will ever look at again after class”. When Philippe goes back to France he eats “country food” such as Cassoulet and Choucroute Garnie. “I really love that country greasy food so bad for you, but so very good for the soul.” That fits perfectly with Philippe’s philosophy that we should all enjoy “A little bit of everything in moderation,” but, “Fat is your friend.”

Paul Dagenbach, Executive Chef, Encore Bistro and Bar
Originally from Cincinnati, Paul graduated from the Greater Cincinnati Culinary Arts Academy before going to work at The Palace at the Cincinnatian Hotel for more than 10 years. Following the Palace, he moved to Ray and Nadines in Lexington before returning to the Queen City in 2003 as Executive Chef at Sturkey’s of Wyoming. He continued in that position when Sturkey’s became the Encore Bistro and Bar in May of 2007.

Steve Hellmich, Candy Production Manager, Graeter’s Ice Cream
Known to many as the Graeter’s candyman, Steve is responsible for all candy design and production at the family run ice cream and sweets chain. Prior to Graeter’s, Hellmich was the Executive Chef and Food Service Director at the Cincinnati Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank where he frequently prepared meals for former Federal Reserve Chair, Allen Greenspan. He has also worked as a sous chef at the White House Inn and the Waterfront in Cincinnati, the prestigious Inn at Little Washington, and was a chef-instructor at his alma mater, New England Culinary Institute (NECI). Steve’s goal is to take some of the mystique out of cooking for his students and have them leave knowing they can recreate what he has shown them at home. According to Steve, “Cooking is not as hard as you think. It’s 90% common sense. Don’t be afraid to try something new, experiment and have fun-remember, it’s only food.”

Romuald Jung, Executive Chef, The Palace Restaurant
Hailing from Alsace-Lorraine, a region with some of the deepest cultural and culinary traditions in Europe, Chef Romy received his culinary Certificate d’Aptitude from the prestigious Academie de Rennes and has worked in various capacities in fine dining throughout the European continent. In 1994, while working under the tutelage of one of the preeminent culinary families in France, Jean Baptiste Troisgrois and sons, Chef Romy made the decision to follow in the great tradition of itinerant chefs. He began traversing the globe – from Africa’s Ivory Coast to the coast of Miami, Florida – to take his culinary expertise to new heights and further refine his self-described “simple and intense” gastronomical style. Chef Romy is currently the Executive Chef at The Palace at the Cincinnatian Hotel and continues to imbibe and experiment with the flavors around him. “Flavors are like dialects. They are diverse and plentiful.”

Todd Kelly, Chef de Cuisine, Orchids at Palm Court
Todd has worked in fine dining establishments in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was named one of Charlotte’s young stars on the culinary scene. He is responsible for creating the distinct, fresh and surprising menu for the AAA Four-Diamond rated Orchids at Palm Court, located in the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. Orchids has also been rated as one of the top restaurants in Cincinnati by Cincinnati Magazine and received a four-star (excellent) rating from The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Owen Maass, Chef, Encore Bistro and Bar
Originally from Cincinnati, Owen graduated from the Culinary Institute of America before working in New York at Aquavit and in Chicago at TRU and Green Dolphin Street. Owen returned to the Queen City to work at Sturkey’s of Wyoming as Sous Chef in 2004 and was promoted to Chef in May of 2006. He continued in that position when Sturkey’s became the Encore Bistro and Bar in May of 2007.

Scott Neidhard, Executive Chef, The Celestial
A 1995 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Scott’s impressive resume includes roles as Sous Chef of the Canyon Ranch Health Spa in Tucson, Arizona and the prestigious Olympic Resort at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe . Returning home to Cincinnati, he became Sous Chef at the Kenwood Country Club, the Radisson Hotel and then Executive Chef of Prime and Wine. He moved on to Mike Fink but it was his experience at Jimmy D’s Steakhouse in Montgomery where he first tasted menu freedom. Following an incredible learning opportunity with Certified Master Chef Udo Prambs of the Mobil 4 star rated L’Auberge Restaurant in Dayton, Scott made his way back to Cincinnati and The Celestial Steakhouse.

Jean Strasser
Jean and her husband spent five years in San Francisco where they shared many fabulous dining experiences. It was there that Jean worked with Judith Ets Hokin, a caterer and cooking teacher. That experience led her to create her own catering business, Tastebuds, which she has successfully run for nearly 20 years. Jean wants her students to “learn and understand that cooking does not have to be a chore; it’s such an easy way to enhance your quality of life and commune with friends and family.”

Yajan Upadhyaya, Chef and Owner of Cumin
Yajan considers Cumin a reflection of his life, merging the traditional and contemporary. Born in Bombay, Yajan was bitten by the culinary bug when he took a project designing an Indian restaurant for his father’s architectural firm after graduating from Boston’s Northeastern University. He soon attended Johnson and Wales Culinary School and, with the help of four business partners, opened Jaipore Caf� in Norwood, Mass; the Bombay Bar and Grill in Westport CT; and then Chola, in New York City and in Greenwich, CT. In 2000, after a lengthy visit to India for culinary inspiration, Yajan moved to Cincinnati and introduced the Queen City to Indian fusion cuisine with Cumin.

Gaetano Williams, Executive Chef, McCormick & Schmick’s
Gaetano brings 24 years of experience as an executive chef and restaurant operator to McCormick & Schmick�s Seafood Restaurant where he oversees the creation and execution of the restaurant’s constantly evolving menu. Prior to his current position, Gaetano spent five years as Regional Chef for Buca di Beppo, where he oversaw back-of-house operations for as many as 24 restaurants throughout the South and Midwest. Gaetano served as Corporate Chef for Sal’s Italian Ristorante where he oversaw 10 restaurants while in West Palm Beach, Fla. He also spent 13 years as co-owner and operator of four restaurants in South Florida. Gaetano is actively involved with the Midwest Culinary Institute.