Alba Carbonaro Johnson has been teaching cooking classes through Howard County Recreation and Parks for almost 20 years. Her students say her classes are welcoming and engaging. “Food connects us,” Johnson said. Photo courtesy of Alba Johnson

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When Chef Alba Carbonaro Johnson steps into a kitchen, she’s not just preparing food. She’s inviting her students into a story that stretches from the markets of Tunisia to the kitchens of Howard County.

Johnson’s cooking classes awaken the senses: the soft sizzle of butter hitting a warm pan, the bright snap of chopped herbs, and the earthy perfume of cumin rising from a simmering sauce.

At 75, the longtime cooking instructor radiates the warmth of a family matriarch and the curiosity of a lifelong traveler, creating dishes that combine her Italian roots with North African and Mediterranean flavors.

“Most of my recipes come from growing up with my parents and grandparents,” said Johnson, whose Italian family lived in Tunisia.

Ever y Sunday, her extended family gathered for long, noisy meals where everyone brought a dish.

“We’d share recipes with neighbors from other countries and religions. It became a mosaic of dishes, and that stayed with me.”

When Johnson’s family left Tunisia, she was only 14. They arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1962 without speaking a word of English. Her mother worked long hours, so young Alba took over the stove.

“My mother would call me and tell me what to do over the phone,” she said. “I learned early, using my own taste buds to make things work with the ingredients we could find.”

Couscous, for example, wasn’t easy to locate then, so her mother persuaded a neighborhood deli to import it.

“Now it’s everywhere,” Johnson said. “Back then, it felt like a miracle.”

From boardroom to cutting board

For years Johnson built a corporate career at Verizon, reserving her culinary passion for holidays and family gatherings. But after she retired in 2003, her husband made a suggestion that changed everything: Why not teach cooking?

“I told him, ‘Who’s going to come to my classes?’” she remembered with a grin. After she interviewed with Howard County Recreation & Parks, she said, “five minutes later they signed me up.”

That was nearly two decades ago. Today, Johnson teaches people of all ages. Her in-person and virtual classes through Howard County and at Mary’s Land Farm in Ellicott City draw hundreds of students from across the region.

“It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I only wish I’d started sooner.”

A recipe for connection

In Chef Alba’s classes, students chop, stir and taste under her gentle direction. She teaches more than the basics, though.

“It’s not just about recipes,” she reminds them. “It’s about culture and community.”

Her approach resonates deeply with older adults, many of whom are rediscovering joy in the kitchen.

“Most tell me they’re tired of cooking the same meals and want something fresh and healthy,” she said. “Everything we make is from scratch: no jars, no cans. Four courses in two hours, and they leave confident they can do it again.”

She especially enjoys working with people who say they can’t cook. “When someone tells me, ‘I’m terrible in the kitchen,’ I think, ‘That’s who I want in class.’ I want them to see they can do it,” she said. “We cook by hand, no fancy gadgets, so it feels less intimidating.”

Teaching skeptics

Among those converts is Christopher Winslow, 77, who attends classes with his partner, Karen Phelps, 76, both from Columbia. The pair discovered Chef Alba’s classes years ago in a Howard County Parks & Recreation catalog.

“We saw her name and decided to try it,” Winslow said. “We’ve been signing up ever since.”

At first, Winslow admitted, he wasn’t sure what to expect. “But she’s so welcoming,” he said. “She remembers your name, knows what you like to do, and gets everyone involved. I like to chop, so she puts me to work.”

Over the years, the couple has taken both in-person and online sessions. Winslow describes Chef Alba’s style as a mix of demonstration and participation.

“Other classes were just demonstrations. With her, you cook,” he said.

Phelps appreciates how easy and practical the classes are.

“The dishes she teaches are ones you actually make again at home,” she said. “Other cooking classes are fun in the moment, but you never repeat them. With Alba’s recipes, you do.”

Their favorite recipe? A holiday side dish of broccoli sautéed with golden raisins and breadcrumbs.

“We never would have thought of that combination,” Winslow said, laughing. “But it’s delicious. We’ve made it several times.”

Culinary travel and inspiration

Johnson’s teaching extends far beyond the classroom. Each year, she leads small culinary tours through Italy, most recently to Umbria and Tuscany, with plans to add Puglia.

“Many of my students come along,” she said. “They see the food, the people, the countryside, and suddenly they understand what I mean when I talk about simplicity and passion.”

In Italy, Johnson acts as sous-chef and translator for local cooks who don’t speak English.

“The students come home inspired. One told me he now makes pasta from scratch all the time,” she said proudly.

Cooking through the pandemic

When the pandemic shuttered community centers, Alba refused to let cooking and connection stop. She set up cameras in her kitchen and taught via Zoom.

“People were bored and isolated,” she recalled. “They cooked in their own homes while I guided them. I could see their pans, their hands, everything.”

Even after returning to in-person sessions, some students prefer virtual classes. “I still have mother-daughter pairs who cook from home,” she said. “It keeps them connected.”

Johnson’s corporate training helps her reach every type of learner. She spends a day or more designing each class to make sure it flows and fits her audience.

Her students range from beginners to seasoned cooks, but they all leave with a sense of accomplishment — and often, new friendships.

“There’s always chatter and laughter,” she said. “And when it goes quiet, I know they’re eating, and that’s the best sound in the world.”

Looking ahead

Even after nearly 20 years of teaching, Johnson is still innovating. She published a cookbook in 2023 and is planning a book on reducing food waste.

“We throw away too much,” she said. “If I have leftover vegetable scraps, I turn them into broth. If herbs look tired, they go in the pot too. I’d say I waste maybe five percent of what I buy.”

For her students, it’s not just what they learn: it’s how they feel. “She’s friendly, engaging, and genuinely cares,” Phelps said. “And she gives you the confidence to try something new.”

Winslow agrees. “Cooking with Alba isn’t just about food,” he said. “It’s about being part of something: learning, laughing and breaking bread together.”

For Chef Alba Johnson, that fellowship is exactly the point. “Food connects us,” she said, smiling. “It’s how we share who we are.”

For a list of Chef Alba’s upcoming classes, visit howardcountymd.gov/rap or call (410) 313-4700. For recipes, see easycookingwithalba.blogspot.com.