Cooking for the holidays is complicated. And when you add a heaping quantity of family, friends and Martha Stewart-induced expectations of a perfectly prepared, heartwarming holiday feast, you could find yourself hiding in the pantry, guzzling cooking wine and wondering why you ever thought it was a good idea to cook a turducken on your fire escape. If you are handicapped in the culinary arts - or as my politically correct friend states it, "differently abled foodie" - there is no shame in it - well maybe a little. A friend told me she confused soy sauce for wine, undercooked a dish and neglected to add water to boil rice.

Yikes.

I fancy myself a darn good cook, yet I cannot for the life of me make gravy that isn't lumpy. (Did I cheat and buy jarred gravy for Thanksgiving? You bet your ass I did.)

To avoid the glaring eyes, polite decline for seconds and giggles you might consider cooking classes. Bonus: I could make your mother-in-law squirm with discomfort, forcing her to search for new faults.

The following are local cooking class options for pointers and new ideas.

Bayview School of Cooking

A gourmet grocery store offering unique ingredients, products and a full line of organic foods, Bayview also features a first-class cooking school for the serious and not so serious cook in your house. Its instructors, visiting cookbook authors and restaurateurs teach one-night cooking classes throughout the year. With a focus on seasonally appropriate themes, BSC classes range in price from $25-$90 with a variety of themes. In the New Year classes focus on soups, fondue, squash and even La Petite Chef Academy giving kids the opportunity to learn a thing or two. Chef Will Taylor of Acqua Via will be making an appearance toward the end of January with several Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Each month BSC offers a wine tasting to kick your entertaining skills up a notch, adding wine pairing to your culinary stealth kit.

• Bayview School of Cooking, 516 West Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.754.1448 Check website for calendar listings: bayviewschoolofcooking.com

Toscanos Restaurant and Wine Bar

For more than 25 years, Chef Tom Pantley of Toscanos has been enlightening those who lack kitchen prowess. Roughly every other month, Pantley hosts demonstration-style classes at the country Italian restaurant in Puyallup. At 4:30 p.m. Jan. 13, you can expect a "Winter in Italy" theme class featuring a menu of cipollini in agrodolce (onions with honey and balsamic vinegar sauce), spicy greens with pomegranate and gremalata, fontina stuffed shells with fennel and radicchio; tomato braised lentils and stuffed Chianti chicken. The course is $60 per person and includes instruction, recipes plus wine samples and a five-course dinner. You'll walk away with a full belly and ready to add some Italian flair to your dinner table. You may even be able to pass this off as a date night in hopes of some of the instructions will stick.

• Toscanos Restaurant and Wine Bar, 437 29th St. NE, Puyallup, 253.864.8600

Primo Grill

Primo Grill has been serving up delightful, date night worthy Mediterranean dishes while maintaining an unpretentious, swanky appeal since the late '90s. Did you know they also host cooking courses? The Tacoma restaurant's winter class schedule promises to increase your Italian cooking skills with a "Making Fresh Pasta" course Jan. 12 and "Soulful Tuscany" Jan. 19. Class fee is $65, which includes recipes, instruction with your lunch and a glass of wine.

• Primo Grill, 601 S. Pine St., Tacoma, 253.383.7000

Reservations are needed for all these cooking classes.

OK, the holidays are at an end. The obligation to entertain family and loved ones has subsided. Now is the time to improve your cooking skills. The aforementioned venues offer informational cooking classes for those who want to sharpen their knife skills, learn the fundamentals of deboning a leg of lamb or plan a romantic dinner for two with more know-how than Rachael "Thirty Minute Mistakes" Ray. Hopefully though with a little help and inspiration you can delight your guest with your newfound know-how.

Ron Swarner contributed to this story.