Virtual Cooking Classes while Social Distancing

Given that most Americans are staying in, buying groceries to cook at home is also on the rise. According to a new report from marketing firm Hunter, 54% of Americans say they're cooking more right now, while 46% say they're baking more. But where do home cooks turn with questions or for helpful tips from the pros?

Like so many other things in the age of COVID-19, local cooking classes are moving online. Going digital with their classes allows chefs and caterers to continue to operate their businesses, while following government regulations, and remain (virtually) connected to customers who are practicing safe social distancing at home. In some cases, these online experiences are even connecting customers to each other, creating a sense of community. And best of all, once the class is over, participants have a delicious dish to enjoy.

JAX COOKING STUDIO
Due to coronavirus-related restrictions on gatherings and restaurants, Jax Cooking Studio has shifted its classes online. Unlike some of the other offerings, however, these classes are available on demand, allowing the viewer to pause the video, rewind it to repeat a step or rewatch the entire class at a later time.

The classes themselves are free, with an option to purchase the ingredients and pick them up at the studio. Jax Cooking Studio is also offering prepared meals for pickup.

Currently, there are two options - pizza dough and chocolate chip cookies - with more, including an Indian meal and cupcake decorating, in the works. Classes will be taught by the Studio’s staff and visiting instructors.

Watch the classes and order ingredient kits here.

LEARN FROM CHEFS
Jax Restaurant Reviews is partnering with a number of local chefs for a series of virtual cooking classes that aim to support local chefs and connect people while they’re at home.

Interactive classes start at $10 a person and includes a recipe card and access to join the live cooking class. Once people register for a class, they can either order all the ingredients they need and have them delivered to their home prior to the class (for an additional fee) or shop for them on their own.

Chef Dennis Chan of Blue Bamboo kicked off the series with a class on “Chinese Takeout Classics,” featuring lo mein, dumplings and spring rolls. Other chefs include Josh Agan of Routes: Culinary Travel, Rosaria Cammarata of Gyo Greens and This Chick Can Cook and Kenny Gilbert, known for his barbecue and Southern-style cooking.

View the class schedule and purchase tickets here.

CHEF'S GARDEN CATERING & EVENTS
Jennifer Earnest co-owns Chef's Garden Catering & Events with her mother Liz, and her husband Chef Jamey Evoniuk. Together, they also manage the cafe inside the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. Once events started to get cancelled, the trio decided to get creative, and offered a meal delivery program and virtual cooking classes.

When registering for the classes, people have the option to purchase their own ingredients or to have a kit delivered to their home, with everything prepped and portioned for two people. Alcoholic beverages that pair with the meal can also be added, such as sangria for a class on cooking paella. Classes are conducted over Zoom, so participants can connect not only with the instructor, but with each other, giving the class the feel of a dinner party.

Dishes for upcoming classes include paella, coq au vin and handmade pasta. There’s even one on pizza-making for kids. The classes start at $45 for the kit, or $10 to skip the meal kit and just join the demo, with a recipe card and instruction delivered to your email 24 hours after the class.

Learn about upcoming classes and register here.

A. CHEF'S COOKING STUDIO
In mid-March, Chef Andrea Rosenblatt’s Chef’s Cooking Studio, announced that it was cancelling all of its cooking classes, due to COVID-19 related concerns.

Since then, the studio has been doing free Facebook Live “Q&A with Chef A” sessions on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30am. Some of the sessions are themed, such “Chicken at Home” (joined by Chef Dennis Chan of Blue Bamboo Restaurant) and “Bread At Home (Chef Rosenblatt gets a lot of questions about this topic). She created these sessions to say thank you to - and stay connected to - the community.

People can submit questions prior to each session, and find previous ones on the studio’s Facebook page. Additionally, Chef Rosenblatt has been adding recipes to the studio’s website. View the schedule and tune in here.

ITALIAN COOKING LESSONS
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Chef Diana Testa of Italian Cooking Lessons had been teaching throughout Jacksonville, in venues that included private houses, clubhouses, retail shops and private venues. She’s since switched gears, and is conducting virtual classes for those who want to learn how to “cook like an Italian” during the quarantine.

Currently, Testa is offering both group and private online pasta making classes. The group classes are $40 for two sessions, and excludes the ingredients and materials attendees will need. The private lessons are limited to one family, and are $125 for one 90 minute session, excluding ingredients and materials.

She is also offering one hour virtual Italian language lessons, for those who wish to learn another skill.

View the schedule and register here.