Getting cheesy with it

Dave Brooks

Quickly taking their seats in the Purcell Murray campus’ auditorium,

students at a late January class were not greeted with heavy

textbooks, but several glasses of wine and a plate of cheese.

The two dozen students were participating in Purcell Murray’s

first culinary class this year, hosted by renowned wine and cheese

writer Laura Werlin.

As Werlin dispelled myths and taught her students how to

appreciate the finer elements of rare American cheeses, the students

sipped Riesling and peppered their lips with desert wine, all in the

name of learning to become better hosts.

“People are very intimidated by cheese, and that’s very

understandable,” said Werlin. “If you understand the basic styles of

cheese, you open yourself to a whole world of possibilities.”

After the cheese presentation, students were shown how to make a

number of cheese-related recipes including a pear and blue cheese

salad sprinkled with walnuts alongside a baked chicken dish, stuffed

with goat cheese and apricots.

“What I really enjoy about these classes is that you learn

something, they give you a cooking book to take home, and you walk

away completely full,” said Huntington Beach resident Jill Myers, who

participated in the class.

The cooking classes are just one component of the business model

for Purcell Murray, a Huntington Beach showroom for high-end kitchen

appliances and wares.

“By educating consumers on food, they in turn will get excited

about appliances,” said Purcell Murray representative Heather Storm.

“It helps spur ideas and maybe they will pass that along to friends

and family.”

Housed with dozens of high-end kitchen appliances, the Purcell

Murray showroom is neither a sales center or a retailer, simply

showcasing convection ovens and high-performing dishwashers from

retailers like Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau. Each year, the center

hosts dozens of cooking classes and demonstrations and is a popular

venue for appliance training.

After making an appointment, visitors are taken on a tour of the

showroom’s many products. Nothing is sold on site and visitors are

referred to a retail centers to purchase products. Purcell Murray

makes its money through distributing the appliances after they’re

purchased from the retailer. The Gothard Street showroom is simply an

information center for the appliances.

“We also provide ongoing education about the products. People can

call for technical help and can come back for further education

classes or one-on-one training,” Storm said. “You can call if you’re

doing a Thanksgiving turkey for the first time and need some help.”

The drive to remodel kitchens has been spurred by low interest

rates and the popularity of home refinance, Storm said. Even

celebrities use the center, she added. Renee Russo has been to the

showroom and Purcell Murray has helped outfit the homes of stars like

Quincy Jones.

Storm said the education component along with the appliances is

the center’s strongest selling point, and many customers often return

to learn how to cook new things on their appliances.

Purcell Murray is offering a Mediterranean cooking class on Feb.

17 with BBC food personality Anissa Helou. The class is based on

Helou’s travels through Spain, Italy and Northern Africa and features

recipes for regional plates sold on tea carts and by street vendors.

To book a reservation for the class or for a tour of the facility,

call (800)294-0644.