nyc: I am just a regular college student looking to learn how to cook during the summer since I have never really cooked for myself before. I am extremely excited to learn but I don't really want to go into some intense lessons where the students are preparing for some culinary careers. Although my mom is a great cook, she feels that it would be easier for me to learn by attending some real classes and then I could just learn some other things from her. And I also think it would be really fun to take some cooking lessons. Does anyone know a good and nice place around Queens or NYC?|||The Institute of Culinary Education, 50 W 23rd Street, offers what they call recreational courses. I think this is just what you're looking for. Good luck.|||Culinary Institute of Pittsburgh isn't in NY but very good school!|||Volunteer to spend summer vacation working for meals on wheels in your area or the local soup kitchen for the homeless or your local Veteran's Association. Just being around the kitchen and helping in any way you can will be an unforgetable experience you will never forget.|||Check a D,agostinos, the specialty food stores, post private or style of ,classes the best is to find a friend, thats from a differant background than yours ,and see if you can help prepare the sunday feast for the family .I helped a Fellow Voluteer to prepare Italion sauces and pastas to feed people that were going to paint a building, and cooked with a Irish Bar owner for the New Years and Other Parties ,then I cooked for th Army for six years|||How about the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY? They're probably ALL friendly once you can pony up the high tuition cooking schools charge.|||my girlfriend is a chef and she says that there is no such thing as a friendly place to go. watch out! pans may be thrown at head|||I think you can find this kind of school in Pakistan.