Along with a few Experience Columbus staff members, I recently participated in a hands-on cooking experience with chef Tami Cecil at Woodhaven Farm in Johnstown, Ohio (about 25 miles northeast of Columbus). Chef Tami , who trained at the Culinary Institute of America and formerly worked for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants , runs the 10-acre farm where visitors work together in teams to prepare gourmet meals.

When we arrived, super-energetic Chef Tami greeted us with big hugs. She gave a quick tour of her large, professional kitchen and explained that our theme for the day would be "comfort food with a twist." We’d be making pork tenderloins, mac and cheese, asparagus and for dessert, chocolate molten cake.

Sounded yummy, but since we had a wide range of "cooks" in our group - from those who cook everyday to someone like me who is better at eating than cooking, I wondered how the food was going to turn out. Everything was absolutely delicious and we all had a great time.

The group with Chef Tami

Chef Tami’s sense of humor definitely kept things upbeat and I learned great cooking tips along the way. Now, I’m hooked! Who would have thought a day on a farm in Johnstown would be so much fun?

See it for yourself before you visit - Chef Tami recently started filming her own cooking show that airs on ONN (full disclosure: Experience Columbus is one of the cooking show sponsors). During our visit, we were filmed for a future episode you can check out on ONN, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m.