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Turn up the heat with an at-home cooking class party
Whether you love to cook or love to party, at-home cooking class parties that combine culinary instruction with dining and drinking are growing in popularity for groups of all sizes.
The appeal lies in the fun, social nature of these soirées, where you and your guests learn a thing or two about cooking while creating your own feast. At the end, guests sit down and enjoy their accomplishments together.
Personal chef Pritha Mehra, co-founder of The Mystic Kitchen, began leading cooking classes in the area about four years ago. Raised in Calcutta, India, Mehra specializes in her native vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian cuisine.
She said there's been an increase in interest in at-home cooking classes during the past two years. Initially, she was doing one party every three or four months. Now it's one every two or three weeks.
"People like [having the party at home] because they get to spend more time with their guests," she said. "There's more time to socialize and it's a warm atmosphere. It's generally a very good time."
Mehra, a petite woman with short black hair, hosted a recent class on healthy vegetarian Indian cooking for a group of six at her home in Falls Church. She chopped and prepared the ingredients the night before and printed out recipes for the students to follow.
With Indian music playing in the background, each student had a turn as the chef for an individual dish under Mehra's instruction. They made authentic Indian staples like vegetable pulao, shahi paneer and mango raita using only the freshest ingredients and spices.
"Fresh ginger, there's nothing like it," said Mehra, who does most of her shopping at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and local farmer's markets. She gets her recipes from family members still living in India.
Another reason why at-home cooking classes are becoming more popular is because people want to make good use out of their new and remodeled kitchens.
"The homes are getting bigger, the kitchens are getting fancier, and people don't know what to do with them," Mehra said. "I go to some of these homes, and the kitchens are untouched."
The Mystic Kitchen has done classes -- which generally cost $60 per person and run three-and-a-half hours -- for book clubs, birthday parties, bridal showers and mother-daughter get-togethers. Her clients are primarily Fairfax County residents.
If you're looking for an alternative to the traditional catered dinner party, consider hosting your own cooking class party as a fun option.
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