Local Flavors: The Food School

Story by Amelia Bowen

Teaching has always been at the center of what drives Anna Kulka. Long before opening Food School in Bowling Green, she spent years in the classroom as a middle and high school educator, leading courses in math, science, and a range of other subjects. Her path, however, has never been limited to one place. She grew up in Thailand and later lived in Panama and Spain before spending much of her adult life in California. Those experiences now shape the foundation of her current work. The idea for Food School took shape during a season of change. After the birth of her son, a traditional work schedule no longer felt like the right fit, but stepping away from teaching entirely was never an option. During a conversation with friends, someone suggested she could teach Thai. Anna laughed it off at first, joking that she only spoke “restaurant Thai,” but the idea lingered. What if people could learn about a culture through cooking? What if a class could feel less like instruction and more like an experience? That idea became Food School. Today, it exists in a space of its own. It is not a restaurant and not a traditional culinary class. Instead, it is built around participation and shared experience. Guests work in small teams to prepare a full meal, then sit down together to enjoy what they’ve created. The atmosphere is intentionally relaxed and approachable, designed to remove the pressure of perfection and replace it with curiosity and connection. Each menu begins with a story. Working alongside “food partners,” individuals representing each featured culture, Anna learns the dishes they cook in their own homes. She cooks with them, takes notes, and practices each recipe until the partner agrees she has it right. Only then does the menu make its way into the classroom. The result is a collection of meals rooted in lived experience, offering something more personal than a standard recipe. That authenticity is especially evident in the Thai menu, which reflects the region where she grew up. It offers a perspective that feels both personal and distinct, highlighting the depth and variety within a cuisine that is often simplified. At its core, Food School is about human connection. Having spent much of her life moving between cultures, Anna understands what it feels like to be an outsider and how powerful food can be in bridging that gap. Around a table, conversation comes more easily. People ask questions, share stories, and begin to understand one another in a way that feels natural. That sense of connection is part of what made Bowling Green feel like home to Anna. After years in Los Angeles, she experienced something new in Bowling Green: the ability to truly know people and feel part of a community. It is a place full of unexpected diversity, something that continues to shape the Food School experience. Every culture represented in class is already present here, woven into the fabric of the city. The community is not just an audience, it is a collaborator. From the individuals who help develop each menu to the local and international markets that supply ingredients, Food School reflects the people who call Bowling Green home. What continues to inspire Anna is simple. Watching a room full of strangers cook together, then sit down and share a meal. Seeing someone try something new and genuinely enjoy it. Those small moments, repeated over time, are what make it meaningful. Because at its heart, Food School is about one thing: bringing people together, one meal at a time.