This story is part of our Back to School series. To see more stories like this, check out our Home Ec curriculum.
The temperatures are dropping, so turn on your oven, crank all four stove burners, break out your mixing bowls and master a new skill in the kitchen with one of these virtual cooking classes.
Gaynor’s offers the basics and classes for couples
Gaynor’s School of Cooking is offering a modified version of their Art of Fine Cooking Level I series starting Sept. 17. This class is the first step to cooking like a professional. It focuses on basic techniques including “sauteing, braising, roasting, and grilling.” After enrolling in a virtual class, you receive a shopping list so you can come to class ready to chop, mix, or saute your way to a successful meal. Gaynor’s calendar also includes a virtual Perfect Pastry Program for a weekend intensive experience that starts with Friday dough making and ends with you having made quiche, tartlets, turnovers, and a pie. For those of you who want to up your quarantine cooking skills in an attempt to recreate a pre-pandemic date night experience, their couple’s class instructs you in making an entire meal so all you have to do is fight over who will do the dishes.
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Phipps offers classes in everything from botany to bread
Phipps Conservatory’s lengthy fall online adult class calendar earned a place on our roundup of craft classes. There are some cooking class options we feel should get a shoutout, too. Registered dietician and herbalist Dina Ranade of The Herbal Bake Shoppe is offering a series of lunchtime classes focused on building a kitchen apothecary via the preparation of herbal syrups, gargles, jams, tonics and infused oils and vinegars — perfect for the onset of cold and flu season. Did the sourdough craze of this past spring leave you with inedible bricks of bread? Bread Basics with Mark Snyder of Cook2Eat2Live starts Sept. 14. Just in time to pair with all that fall soup you will be simmering.
Veda Sankaran puts an Indian spin on pierogies
You might remember Veda Sankaran of Jalsa By Veda from Episode 41 of The Slaw, where we spoke about her signature spice blend and the way her cooking philosophy combines her Indian heritage and her Western Pennsylvania upbringing. If you listened really closely, you might recall that she mentioned an Indian-inspired pierogi class towards the end of the episode. Sankaran is offering this class via Skype on Oct. 10. She is also offering an introduction to Indian spices and basic cooking techniques on Sept. 16. Classes (as well as her signature spice blend) are available in the shop section of her website.
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Not up for a class? Try a cooking kit from DiAnoia’s
Looking for a cooking project that is a little more casual? DiAnoia’s Eatery offers some take-home kits, including one for cacio e pepe. Kits come with a link to a video tutorial from their team. Just place your order and choose your pickup time, come home and make your meal. Keep an eye out for their make your own mozzarella kit in collaboration with Caputo Brothers Creamery — if it’s offered again, it would be a great way to use the last-of-the-season tomatoes. You can also order this mozzarella kit directly from Caputo Brothers Creamery and get it shipped to your door.
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Looking for more recipe ideas?
We’ve put together a list of the best Pittsburgh cookbooks, too.
📸 Header photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
