• Class cancellations must be received via phone or e-mail at least 48 hours in advance in order to be issued a class credit. No credit or refund will be given for cancellations within 48 hours of class for any reason.
• All class credits must be used within 30 days of issuance.
• Closed toed shoes required for all classes!

FOR FULL DETAILS VISIT OUR TERMS PAGE.

Chef Brad Spates studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He specializes in baking and pastry, as well as Asian cuisines. He has a passion for seasonal ingredients and teaching people the skills they need to turn them into amazing dishes. "The world is full of average food," Brad says. "I believe that every bite should be memorable. Great food should be cherished and passed on to others."

Chef Katie is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, where she earned degrees in both Culinary Arts and Nutrition Sciences.

Originally from Northern Virginia, she's thrilled to be back in the area to join the Cookology team as chef instructor for our kids' cooking programs, and lead our classes on healthy cooking for adults.

Growing up Katie always loved to cook, but it wasn't until she took a nutrition course in college that she considered making food her life.

From restaurants to catering companies, and even a stint as a corporate product research chef, Katie has years of experience in the culinary field, but her true passion lies in spreading the message of healthy eating. A self-proclaimed health food junkie, her goal is to get kids and adults excited about cooking and show them that healthy food is as fun to learn about as it is to eat!

Mary Watson's expertise has been recognized nationally. She has been the recipient of theWine Spectator award for the past 18 years, and has been featured nationally on NBC's Today Show and in countless regional and national consumer and food and wine publications. She is an active member of the Women Chefs and Restauranteurs, Knights of the Vine, Society of Wine Educators, and the Virginia Vinifera Wine Growers Association.

Mary has received the Gold Cluster of Virginia Award and served as sommelier for numerous events at the renowned James Beard House in New York City.
Mary was previously the award-winning sommelier for Landsdowne Resort and its popularOn the Potomac restaurant in Leesburg, Virginia, Benchmark Hospitality's east coast flagship property. She held the role for 16 years, garnering several awards along the way. Mary has developed an acclaimed curriculum of food and wine and culinary university classes, which provide an in-depth look at a variety of American and International cuisines and wines.

Maria Kopsidas is the creator and owner of Cookology. Prior to opening the doors to Cookology, Maria spent fifteen years leading marketing and communications campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, restaurants and charities including Discovery Channel International as publicist for India and Australia; Grocery Manufacturers Association, the largest and oldest food manufacturer association in the country, as manager of online communications; director of communications for an IT provider, and prior to opening Cookology, she was a sought-after marketing consultant.

Growing up in a Mediterranean family with philanthropists, cooks, cookbook authors, health experts and professional chefs on both sides, including a pastry chef in the White House, the idea of a super accessible, affordable cooking school was her dream. Starting in 2003, Maria took her marketing experience and love of cooking, food, health, and people and created Cookology. Finally, after six years of chasing her dream, working on her marketing career while raising a child, she secured an SBA loan, negotiated a lease, oversaw construction buildout, hired her staff, and opened the doors in February 2009.

If you would like to meet Maria to discuss Cookology expansion goals, or ways to raise funds to start a cooking school in Kabul, or help her raise awareness in US food deserts OR hear about how she is on her way to starting a new sport, she can be reached at info@cookologyonline.com.

“I want to start by saying, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” From my first phone call to you my experience with Cookology has been tremendous. As you know, our book club read Julie and Julia and we wanted to have a private Julia Child inspired cooking class. You were accommodating and wonderful to deal with. I bombarded you with phone calls, questions and special requests, but you were always patient and kind. Our group of 12 met this past Tuesday for a wonderful night of learning, fun and amazing food. Everyone enjoyed every minute. Chef Ian was entertaining, knowledgeable, skilled and patient with us. We learned many new techniques and had fun doing it! What could be better than cooking, eating, laughing with friends and not having to clean the kitchen? Thank you again and we are looking forward to our next class!”


–Jeri H. & Book Club Friends

“I was truly impressed with the meals that came home, and my daughter has never been so excited to cook! You all did a fabulous job with the kids! Thank you! And we cannot wait until she uses the recipes and her newly learned skills to recreate the food!”

–Jenny H.

“We had an incredible party at Cookology! My daughter and her friends had a great time! Thank you for helping make yummy food and a fun party, but mostly for making lasting and special memories of her turning 6!”

–Shannon B.

“I’ve been so impressed with the facility and staff. It’s a professional-grade kitchen, and one that’s kept very clean. I love the fact that you use natural ingredients and don’t take shortcuts, so that my son is being trained to create dishes from scratch.Equally important to me has been the staff; all very friendly. The chefs are excellent, creative, and know how to instruct the kids. They even email the recipes so the kids can recreate the dishes at home! We’ve been so pleased…I highly recommend them to anyone interested in improving their cooking skills!”"

–Jill P.

“Cookology was great fun! Cannot wait to do it again!”

–Scott Z.

“We took the basic Sushi class at Dulles and loved it. Kids took a camp class and loved it. Can’t wait to get back in there.”

–Dee M.

“My kids loved the pumpkin muffins I brought back home. They were asking for more!”–Silvana M.“Everything about it is just right on the mark,” Marty said. “The classes are fun and entertaining, you meet new people, get a great meal and walk away with a lot of useful skills.”–Marty M.“We were really just blown away right from the start. We had so much fun, and then we got home the very first night we realized we had picked up all these tidbits. How to heat up the pan, when to put the food in, how to properly season with salt and pepper…stuff that is really pretty basic, but makes a world of difference when you learn to do it right.”

–Mel M.

Read all about Marty & Mel’s experiences at Cookology on our blog!