ABOUT US
Jan’s on 4th Cooking School was created in 2006 by Chef Jan Laird and her husband, C.E. Jan wanted to share her love of cooking with everyone and created a cooking school that focuses on teaching cooking as a life skill. Chef Jan believes that cooking can better the lives of everyone by providing the freedom of creating a healthy home-cooked meal.
Jan and C.E. raised 7 children together before starting Jan’s on 4th. After the kids were grown, C.E. remodeled a 100-year adobe home on 4th Street in the North Valley of Albuquerque to be a professional kitchen and Jan started teaching classes. Today, Jan’s on 4th has a variety of services including cooking classes, catering, a custom bakery, and Personal Chef meals.
Jan Laird
Jan is a native New Mexican who grew up in Santa Fe. Jan moved to Albuquerque to pursue her college degree in Home Economics/Nutrition Education from the University of New Mexico. Jan put her culinary ambitions on hold while she homeschooled her children. In 2004, Jan became a certified Personal Chef and started preparing and delivering meals to her clients. Jan continues being a Personal Chef today and loves the personal interaction with her clients, especially the elderly.
With the opening of Jan’s on 4th Cooking School in 2006, Jan created a personal one-on-one approach to teaching students how to cook. Jan’s classes are hands-on, and teach anything from basic knife skills, to advanced kitchen technique. She loves doing cooking classes for beginners, kids and private classes for special occasions – in addition to her calendar of classes. Throughout her culinary career, Jan has been passionate about helping people of all ages grow in their culinary experiences whether food preparation, being confident in the kitchen or just enjoying exceptional food.
Outside of cooking, Jan loves to hike in the beautiful New Mexico mountains. She is also an enthusiastic cyclist, and loves spending time gardening.
Some of Jan’s credentials include:
Certified Personal Chef
Member of the USPCA (United States Personal Chef Association since 2004)
Degree in Home Economics/Nutrition Education, University of New Mexico
Successful caterer for over 30 years
C.E. Laird
Before becoming the baker at Jan’s on 4th, C.E. designed and built custom adobe homes. Since retiring from home building, C.E. has taken his attention to detail and creativity to the kitchen. C.E. is a self-taught baker who excels at perfecting every project set before him.
C.E. does all of the baking for Jan’s on 4th, including all of the cakes, pies, breads, desserts and custom ordering. The most popular cake by far is the Italian Cream Cake, a secret family recipe. C.E. also teaches the pie, baking, and dessert cooking classes with Jan. C.E. has passed on his wisdom of the perfect pie crust, and baking at high altitude to any student wanting to pursue their baking goals. C.E. also makes and distributes scones and macaroons to local coffee shops across Albuquerque.
In his spare time, C.E. also grows many of the vegetables used in cooking classes and catering from his garden. His onions, garlic, and tomatoes are also sold locally to restaurants. C.E. is a firm believer that the best ingredients make the best food.
