Owner of The Food School, Anna Kulka, prepares to demonstrate to her cooking class the next steps in making a Thai dish in the SoKY Marketplace Commercial Kitchen. Her love of teaching goes beyond the school system where she once taught, but now teaches others about different cuisines and cultures. “Teaching, food, and international people are all my passions,” Anna said.
The two of them moved primarily for his job, but they had friends living there and wanted more of an affordable place to live.
Fast forward a few years and their son Samuel was born. She didn’t think it made sense for her to continue working a full-time, 9-5 type-of job with her newborn now in their lives, but was now on the lookout for what to do next.
Anna demonstrates how to properly roll and place a traditional Bosnian dish to Marie (left) and Beth (right) during her Bosnian cooking class. This dish, pita, is filled with spinach, feta and cottage cheese. However, people can fill it with whatever they choose. “My hope is that this [The Food School] will help tear down barriers between people and make everyone more comfortable interacting with people outside of their own culture,” Anna said.
“We [Anna and her friends] started kicking around options,” Anna said. “I could tutor! I love tutoring. What could I offer? Another friend said, what if you taught restaurant Thai? Like, where we learn to make Thai food and learn a few Thai words? Soon enough, a crazy idea on somebody’s back porch became a business.”
The Food School, which officially launched in September 2024, offers hands-on cooking classes that showcase a different culture in each class and Anna works alongside her food partners and assistant, Hannah Hudson.
“We are not a culinary institute,” Anna said. “We are just a bunch of home cooks learning what dinner looks like from around the world.”
Anna sets up some advertising materials at the Community Connection Event at Staples in Bowling Green, Ky. on Monday, March 10, 2025. This week-long event happens every few months and is designed to bring local businesses, food trucks, and the Bowling Green community together for a time filled with networking, shopping, and food. This was her third time at this event.
Much like everything else in her life, building relationships and connecting those in her community are extremely important.
“It’s helpful and very important to find ways to connect even across cultural and linguistic barriers,” Anna said.
While the SoKY Community Kitchen was undergoing renovations earlier this year, The Food School was relocated at the Warren County UK Cooperative Extension Service Office. This didn’t stop Anna from teaching. During this class, participants learned how to make traditional Brazilian dishes such as chicken stroganoff, pão de queijo and brigadeiro. “This is our [his family’s] second time coming,” Food School Participant Adonis Gonzalez said. “I enjoy what we make here and it tastes good.
I was, and still am, totally surprised at how many people turn out for these things. At one point, I found out that someone heard about us on a local radio station! I have absolutely no idea how that happened, but I’m grateful.
- Anna Kulka
More than anything, I want them [The Food School participants] to have a good time experiencing something new. My hope is that this will help tear down barriers between people and make everyone more comfortable interacting with people outside of their own culture.
- Anna Kulka
One day when Anna was out at her friend’s house, she met the person who would become her German Food Partner, Manuela Pegues. Manuela is a single mother of two kids and a teacher at a local elementary school in Bowling Green, but her love for teaching doesn’t stop in the school system.
She allowed Anna to learn from her so she would be able to teach an authentic German meal at The Food School. For each new Food School menu, Anna Kulka begins by connecting with a community member who wants to share a dish from their culture.
Manuela was teaching Anna how to properly make schnitzel, Austrian potato salad and spaetzle while she was at her house. “I take copious notes, many pictures, and ask lots of annoying questions,” Anna said. “The goal is to learn exactly how to do whatever it is they do. I go home and then attempt to re-create the meal following my notes. Then I bring them a sample for their review.”
Manuela blesses the food they just made in her home. Similar to how the Food School class ends, Anna sits down after making the meal to eat and enjoy the company of others. “This is an opportunity to learn a little bit about the culture these foods come from, as well as culturally appropriate methods for eating them,” Anna said.
“On the debut of the menu, I always prefer if the food partner can attend in person to give us essential feedback for how the food turned out,” Anna said.
The final result of the schnitzel that Anna and Manuela made. They also practiced making Austrian potato salad and spaetzle also described as very short egg noodles. Traditionally, the dish is served with fermented red cabbage, but due to the time limit of the classes, they had to replace that side dish with spaetzle.
“We’re big dreamers and dreaming of the day that we get to have a place in The Square,” Anna said. “It would be so beautiful if The Food School was one of those businesses that Bowling Green was proud of because it’s celebrating our unique makeup as a town. It would be so cool to have our building and partner with other organizations that support refugees and the broader international community.”
While practicing for her Salvadorian class at her house, Anna double checks that she has all the supplies she needs to start cooking. Since Dustin works during the day and they have to find someone to watch Samuel, the Kulkas plan out their weekly schedule to make sure they’re on the same page when it comes to meals and eating together. “We have been blessed by some amazing neighbors, friends, and a babysitter who is able to help at the drop of a hat when I need to do something I cannot manage with a small child,” Anna said.
The Food School Assistant, Hannah Hudson (left), and Anna practice making pupusas for one of their Salvadorian classes at Anna’s house. "Once the Food Partner signs off on the quality of the dish that I produce,” Anna said. “Then I will go and create a lesson for the class for how a group of people might do this." During this class, participants also add crunchy curtido topping and spicy salsa to their final dish.
Anna with her husband, Dustin, and their son, Samuel. The Kulka’s are expecting their second child later this year. “If this business ends with the arrival of our second child,” Anna said. “I will be sad but have the sense that it did fulfill its purpose for the season that I needed it.”
- Anna Kulka
