When summer starts to wind down, I start to think about all the things I love about fall: harvest vegetables, new fall clothes, burnt orange, rust and golden landscapes, kicking through mounds of dry leaves, and cool, crisp nights. Since the cooler weather means back to school for many, and this pattern is so ingrained in our consciousness, many people decide to follow suit by taking a night class, whether it be to perfect your photography skills, art classes, learning a new language or improving your culinary skills. To me, fall is the perfect time to take a cooking class since you’ll be learning new skills for upcoming Thanksgiving and holiday entertaining. Read further to find out where to take cooking classes in Toronto in fall and winter 2018.
Aphrodite Cooks
Aphrodite Cooks is headed up by Chef Vanessa Yeung who began as a caterer. Yeung graduated from the Stratford Chefs School and honed her culinary skills as an apprentice at Toronto’s Scaramouche Restaurant. While providing personal chef services, she became the private chef of former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour. Vanessa has appeared on food television shows such as Foodies, Fearless in the Kitchen and Toronto Dining. Aphrodite Cooks offers two cooking classes in Toronto: Couples; and Cooking and Food Workshops. Couples classes are $195 plus HST per couple while Cooking and Food Workshops are $95 plus HST per person
Some of the Couples cooking classes offered in fall 2018 include Let’s Make Lotsa Dough; Spanish Tapas; Pasta for Pairs; Noodles and Dumpling with Beer and Indian Breads.
Cooking and Food Workshops in fall 2018 include:
Back to Basics, ($95 plus HST per person), where you’ll learn basic recipes such as roast chicken, tomato basil sauce and basil pesto.
In Seafood Butchery ($115 plus HST per person), you’ll learn to clean and descale a fish, clean shrimp, shuck oysters, cook mussels and clams, clean and cook squid and learn how to tell when seafood is fresh. You’ll be preparing Baked Whole Sea Bass, Grilled Chipotle Marinated Shrimp, Raw Oysters with Cucumber Mango Salsa and Fried Calamari with Aioli.
In the Vegan Comfort Foods Workshop ($85 plus HST per person), you’ll learn how to prepare Caesar Salad, Vegetable Soup and Vegan Bolognese, Squash Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Black Bean Brownies.
Aphrodite Cooks is located at 201 Weston Road, Suite 101, 416-738-0754.
The Chef Upstairs
The Chef Upstairs doubles as a private dining venue and a cooking school. You can rent the restaurant for an intimate private dining event for your family, friends or colleagues where you choose the chef, menu, wine and décor. Cooking classes are small with a maximum of 16 people and involve assisting a chef prepare a menu using fresh, local, organic ingredients that is paired with wines. At the end of the evening, you’ll enjoy the meal while taking the skills, tips and experience with you to make the same meal at home.
Some of the cooking classes offered in fall 2018 include Italian Fall Harvest, Fall in France, Thai Cooking Class, Spanish Tapas, Moroccan Vegetarian/Vegan and Food Lovers Five Course Seafood Cooking Class. Classes are three hours and take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Regular classes are $99 plus HST per person while Food Lovers Classes are $125 plus HST per person.
The Chef Upstairs is located at 516 Mount Pleasant Road, 416-544-9221.
Cooking Classes at The Market Kitchen
Learn to cook in the gorgeous Market Kitchen at St. Lawrence Market. Several cooking class series are offered including the Saturday ‘Market Fresh’ classes held during the day and the ‘Dinner Party’ classes held during the evening. Classes are relatively small in nature with a maximum of 18 people. Saturday ‘Market Fresh’ classes are $60 plus HST per person while the ‘Dinner Party’ classes are $90 plus HST per person.
Saturday ‘Market Fresh’ classes offered in fall 2018 include Knife Skills; Make & Take Fall Pies; Homemade Pasta; Breaking Down Chicken; Make & Take Salsa & Tomatoes and Chinese Dumplings. Read about blogger Diana Condolo’s experience at the Make & Take Fall Preserves class.
Toronto District School Board Learn 4 Life Cooking Classes
Don’t overlook the cooking classes offered by the Toronto District School Board through their Learn4Life.ca program. The program offers a wide variety of affordable cooking classes that take place at high schools across Toronto. Most classes are three hours long. Below are some of the cooking classes offered in fall 2018:
- Mediterranean Cooking – Learn to prepare classic Mediterranean dishes, appetizers, and desserts that can be modified for vegetarian and gluten-free diets. Cost is $318 for 11 weeks. Class is available at Danforth C&TI, Newtonbrook SS, Richview CI, and Western Tech.
- Go Veggie – Learn the benefits of a plant-based diet and receive nutritional advice on becoming a healthy vegetarian while learning how to cook vegetarian meals. Cost is $172 for 11 weeks. Class is held at Overland Learning Centre.
- Indian Vegetarian Cooking – Learn how to prepare rice, breads, dhals, vegetables and pakoras. Cost is $333 for 11 weeks. Class is held at Central Tech and Thistletown CI.
- Chef on the Run – Learn to make wholesome meals that are ready in 30 minutes. Classes are $242-$328 for 11 weeks and held at Burnhamthorpe CALC and Sir Oliver Mowat CI.
- Culinary Skills – Learn cooking and baking skills through demonstrations and hands-on practice to create curries, stir fries, Mediterranean, Caribbean and North American dishes. Classes are $234 (7 weeks) or $328 (11 weeks) at Burnhamthorpe CALC and Cedarbrae CI.
Do you know of other options that we should include in here to take cooking classes in Toronto? If so, please mention them in the comment section.
