• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 30, 2012

Don't expect cover shots of chiseled abs to be replaced by close-ups of pork loin in demi glace, but Men’s Health is striking out in a healthy foodie direction. The first Men’s Health Cooking School is scheduled to take place at New York’s International Culinary Center, formerly the French Culinary Institute, on June 9.

This is the latest in a series of epicurean offerings from the iconic men’s magazine, including the "Guy Gourmet" blog and how-to cooking videos for the iPad created for Men’s Health by well-known chefs.

The Men's Health Cooking School, which is timed to coincide with the magazine’s Guy Food Guide in June, will feature classes taught by four NYC chefs: Sullivan Street Bakery’s Jim Lahey, who will teach how to make homemade pizza; Tertulia’s Seamus Mullen, who will teach easy Spanish tapas; Kin Shop's Harold Dieterle, who will teach spicy Thai cuisine, and ABC Kitchen's Dan Kluger, who will teach seasonal American cuisine.

Participants will be rewarded for all their hard work with cocktails and hors d’ouevres created by the chefs. Tickets cost $40 a class or $120 for an all-day pass.

While food is an eternally appealing subject, consumer magazines in general have struggled to hold on to food advertising: according to the Publishers Information Bureau, total ad pages for food and food products dropped 17% from 12,670 in 2010 to 10,533 in 2011.

In the first quarter of 2012 Bon Appetit saw ad pages fall 21.6%, Cooking Light 18%, Eating Well 11.2%, Every Day with Rachael Ray 9.1%, Everyday Food 4.5%, Food & Wine 6.2%, and Saveur 28.6%.