Ever met a dean who’ll teach you to “give an unforgettable dinner party and not have 27 nervous breakdowns at the same time” and even allow you to “exploit their contacts” by joining them at a private plantation? Then you haven’t run into Lee Manigault and Suzanne Pollak, founders (and deans) of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits.
The local hostesses both cook and entertain with a passion (Pollak even co-authored Entertaining for Dummies and The Pat Conroy Cookbook) and founded their academy last July to “help people realize the value and meaning of home life,” they say.
To that end, they’ve lined up monthly classes that often take place in residences around town, though field trips have included a “Beer Brewing with Broads” course at COAST. No matter where the lessons are, you can be sure they’ll evolve (or devolve) into a party. A session on hosting a killer cocktail fête turns into just that, and everyday cooking instruction ends around the dining room table.
Want to sign up for May 16’s “Refrigerator Jams and Pickles” or June 27’s back-to-basics “Summer School”? Don’t be tardy, they’ll sell out fast. Visit charlestonacademyofdomesticpursuits.com.
