In an age of gourmet food blogs, high-end ingredients, and artisan everything, cooking can seem more like an optional investment than an essential life skill. Thankfully, the instructors at The Cooking School at Irwin Street have found a way to change all that. During their classes, they pair easy-to-follow instructions with cost-saving techniques to make home-cooked meals both easy and affordable. Students learn through a hands-on approach, cooking as they go and feasting on their assignments at the end of class. In addition to full tummies, students leave with the skills and smarts needed to turn their home kitchens into meal time headquarters.