therapy though cooking

so i just had to go and see the new movie julie and julia yesterday, and it was fabulous! i may be speaking as a novice foodie, myself, but i LOVED it. there were so many parts that i could relate to, which in my present state really helped me to gain some perspective on my current status in life.

i wish i could have identified more with julia child's story, living a fabulous life in paris, revolutionizing the culinary world by making french cooking accessible to americans. but to be truthful, it was the life of julie powell, a self described cubicle worker who found herself drowning where julia child's book pulled her out of the ocean, that i found myself relating to. my favorite part was when julie was speaking with her husband, and she said something to the affect of: no matter what kind of day i've had and when nothing has gone right, i know that i can come home and mix egg yolks, chocolate, cream, and sugar and make a delicious chocolate cream pie. cooking was therapeutic to her. it was a way to escape, and something that she could depend on.

this got me thinking...what if someone offered individual cooking classes as an alternative to stereotypical therapy? i think there would be some merit to it, as it can re-enforce life skills, such as following instructions and encourage creativity, and what better medium to communicate with others than over food. is there anything else that can bring people together like a good meal? do you think people would pay for this type of recreational therapy as opposed to traditional one on one sessions?