Meet Don Dickey, Culinary Arts Instructor

Don has been interested in cooking from an early age and spent many hours watching and helping his mother prepare meals and learning how to entertain friends and family. Food was always at the center of each event.

After college (Engineering) and graduate school (MBA), Don realized that his real passions were cooking and teaching. It was only natural to combine the two. He bolstered his cooking and baking skills by studying under accomplished chefs through the continuing education programs of several towns. Courses included Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, and Mexican cuisines along with an equally wide range of wine appreciation courses at Manchester Community College. Specialized seminars in French puff pastry and others have filled in some gaps.

Don began teaching culinary arts in 1983 in the South Windsor public school system where he offered courses in craft breads and home-made soups from scratch. After marrying in 1985 he moved to West Hartford and has been teaching in the town's LifeLearn continuing education program since. Don now has teaching contracts with East Granby, Farmington, Glastonbury, Litchfield, Simsbury, Wethersfield, Windsor, Winstead, and Williams-Sonoma as well. Between adult ed programs plus scouts and dads at "Father-Daughter" cooking events, Don has enjoyed teaching over 230 courses, 650 classes, and over 2,500 students!

Other similarly talented culinary arts instructors will be working with Don to round out our staff. While all chefs can cook, we recognize that it takes a very unique skill set to be a good teacher as well. If you are a culinary instructor and would like to work for Party to Cook please contact us.