These virtual cooking classes in Charlotte can help ease COVID-related food boredom.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more of us in Charlotte and around the globe are cooking at home.
The thought of cooking every meal at home can be daunting, but chefs all over the Charlotte area have come to the rescue with a variety of virtual cooking classes.
Santhoshi Radhakrishnan of Santhoshi’s Kitchen offers online classes to help people learn how to prepare Indian cuisine.
Before COVID-19, Radhakrishnan held in-person cooking classes and, like many others, has had to pivot her operations to virtual.
“In my point of view, the biggest challenge is for the customers to find all the spices they need for the cooking class, because in Indian cuisine we use a lot of different spices. So to make it easy for my clients, I have posted the links to purchase the spices online. I also offer another option for the customers where I will purchase the spices and ship it to their address.”
Although the cooking class has been moved to virtual, she still aims to make it a personal experience with Indian cuisine, guiding attendees through the whole process.
“I will cook with the clients online so they can see how the dish is supposed to look in each stage,” Radhakrishnan said. “I will be virtually present with them until we cook all the dishes and answer all their questions.
She also expressed what she hopes her classes give to the community.
“I want to empower everyone to cook a delicious meal,” Radhakrishnan siad. “ I believe that cooking is a life skill. When you cook a healthy meal, you know what exactly goes in your food.”
Ready to get started? Here’s our list six of virtual cooking classes that will leave you with no choice but to try preparing a new dish.
(1) Be Friend Cooking
Virtual cooking classes
Cost: $100
These virtual experiences are offered via Zoom on Sunday nights. The Instructor gives easy step-by-step instructions for all skill levels. A few of the dishes include chicken alfredo fettuccine, spicy tuna rolls and basalmic glazed salmon and pear salad.
(2) Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen
Virtual culinary and baking camps
Cost: $10-$290
Sessions are ongoing all summer long. Join online for a series of cooking and baking classes with Chef Alyssa, who will guide you through each day’s recipes with detailed information with a pre-recorded video. Lessons include: Baja bowl, Southern barbecue and eclairs, to name a few. Chef Alyssa is planning 2-3 more live public virtual cooking classes in August, which will include a Thai theme, amongst others.
(3) Flour Power Kids Cooking Studio
Online cooking classes for kids
Cost: Email for pricing
The Raleigh-based Flour Power program has gone online and plans to expand classes in the fall via its franchise locations across North Carolina and around the United States. The classes are based on the idea that all children learn through hands-on discovery.
(4) Piedmont’s Bounty
Virtual culinary lessons
Cost: $45-$75
Piedmont’s Bounty features interactive classes, including a weekly virtual small group of 5-10 people and large groups of 10 or more, including corporate classes. Dishes include ricotta gnocchi w/ Italian sausage and warm corn-tomato relish, along with vegetarian options such as heirloom tomato eggs benedict and summer vegetable ratatouille with jalapeño cornbread.
(5) Santhoshi’s Kitchen
Classes based on Indian cuisine
Cost: $60 per person
The duration of the virtual classes are 3 hours. In that time, you will make a three-course Indian meal including dishes like: chicken tikka, vegetable kurma and payasam.
(6) SkillPop
A variety of classes that include culinary arts
Cost: $20
SkillPop creates environments where trying a new skill is social, accessible and engaging. Upcoming cooking-related classes include Cookie Decorating Essentials, Pie Dough from Scratch and At-Home Coffee Essentials.
(7) Unpretentious Palate
Classes focused on cocktails
Cost: $10
Learn from some of the best bartenders in town. Unpretentious Palate’s next Virtual Happy Hour guest is Amanda Britton. She’ll lead a session on mezcal on Aug. 20 at 6 p.m., where you can learn the various styles of the agave spirit and how to best use mezcal in classic cocktails. Half of the proceeds from ticket sales go to the guest bartender.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published July 14, 2020, and has since been updated.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 12:40 PM.
