Ever wanted to cook a meal just like what you eat at your favourite local restaurant?
These days, many Chefs and restaurants are adding cooking classes to their repertoire as home cooks want to expand their culinary horizons and dish up new temptations to serve family and friends.
Here are five venues where you can learn to cook like a Chef this Summer:
Learn the art of crafting traditional Napolitan-style pizza at a hands-on workshop at Pizza Meccania on Hawker Street in Bowden on Thursday, November 30. Begin with an Italian caffé, then dive into making pizza dough, perfecting dough portioning and hand-stretching for a delicate crust; experiment with toppings, cook your creation in 90 seconds and enjoy it with a glass of wine or beer.
You’ll take home dough, a traditional Margherita pizza recipe and have the chance to win a door prize; limited tickets are available for this immersive, enjoyable evening.
Head to Pickle in the Middle on Unley Road in Unley to discover how to make your favourite pickles and ferments at home with hands-on fun classes covering the basics of these timeless food preservation techniques from what pickling is and why it works, to an introduction to fermentation and how to make the best sauerkraut you have ever tasted.
Those attending the workshops make a jar of mixed vinegar-based pickles plus a jar of fresh sauerkraut to take home and Pickle in the Middle will also wheel out their own pickles to snack on as you work, such as mustard zucchini pickles which make their cheese ‘n’ pickle toastie so delicious.
Build your own kitchen repertoire and pick up tricks of the trade at Project Salubrious on Rowley Road in Burpengary with fun, hands-on classes led by Chef Kurt Lovell - a passionate food educator who loves helping others up their cooking confidence and know their food even better. In every class, you’ll learn to make a range of complementary courses and drinks from scratch, before sitting down to enjoy dinner as a group.
All menus are gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free and use local produce from favourite local farmers where possible; you’ll leave with a recipe booklet so you can recreate and perfect the dishes at home, delicious for everyone especially for those newly adjusting to a paleo lifestyle, or who want to be able to spoil loved ones no matter their dietary requirements.
Have you ever wanted to learn to make your own pizza dough from scratch? Well, you can with the Chefs from Bella Italia on Hunter Street in Newcastle City – not only will you learn how to make a beautiful pizza base to take home with you, but you’ll be tasting along the way! This authentic Italian ristorante delivers big flavours, great taste, wood-fired pizza and an amazing atmosphere with stylish surrounds of exposed brick, dark wooden table settings, softly glowing bulb lighting and a lively buzz of conversation.
Perhaps treat family and friends to a meal over Summer, starting with prawns with cherry tomatoes, capers, olives, parsley and Italian tomato sauce, served with housemade bread; before picking up a slice of pesto-based pizza, topped with pork belly, mozzarella, diced pork, rocket and balsamic glaze.
Bring the gang to Saludos on Dean Street in Albury for cooking workshops such as the art of plating and how to make a Spanish Basque baked cheesecake this Summer. On Saturday, January 13 you will be welcomed with a glass of sangria and spend the afternoon learning to make the cheesecake with Chef Loni; this famous dessert from the Northern Basque region of Spain, has no base and is cooked for a short time at a very high temperature.
You’ll cook your own to sample on the day and take home a tote bag including the recipe, a cheesecake tin and bottle of wine.
