Reader asks: Where are the cooking classes? Christina Romero, left, Robert Thomas, Tiana Sloan with her son Wesley Lusk and others watch the instructor roll out the dough during a holiday dessert making class at Cookology. The recreational culinary school offers cooking classes, parties and private events. (Photo by Evy Mages for The Washington Post) You ask, we help. The Going Out Guide staff received a question yesterday that asked if we knew of "any places in the D.C. and Arlington areas that offer short cooking classes 2-3 hours that aren't super expensive? I'm looking to purchase two cooking class tickets as a gift. We responded and thought we should share with you our best ideas to fit the cooking class bill. We have a couple of suggestions for you, though I should note that many of the major cooking schools around town price their classes in right around the same range, between $65 and $85 a person. Cookology in Northern Virginia is on the less-expensive end (with classes priced at around $65). It offers classes are geared toward the novice chef, couples, bachelorettes, etc. It's a good option if your gift recipients aren't the type to invest in their own food dehydrator. You can read a story we did about the school here. The others in the area include Culinarie in Washington , and L'Academie de Cuisine in Montgomery County, both of which are on the pricier end, but are established and geared toward real foodies. If you're looking for something more affordable, I'd suggest keeping an eye on Living Social and Groupon and our Capitol Deal sites; they frequently offer classes and foodie tastings and demonstrations at a discount. Living Social, in particular, has a whole space in Washington that's ideal for classes, and regularly brings in Washington chefs to teach them; I've managed to score a seat to one for around $50, tax included. Finally, The Food section maintains a list of cooking classes -- the list is for the season that began in September 2011, but it should give you an idea of personal chefs, community centers and caterers offering more intimate classes or at-home courses, which are frequently lower-priced. Check it out here. Thanks for writing and good luck!