Take private cooking lessons in Cape Town

Cooking Lessons in Cape Town

Cooking, the culinary arts as some are prone to call it, is very much on the radar of many folks, these days. Some people seem to be obsessed with celebrity chefs from all over the globe and tend to follow them religiously. From local South African favourites Jenny Morris (“the Giigling Gourmet”), Siba Ntongana and Reuben Riffel, people also follow Jamie Oliver, Nigella and Lorraine Pascale on TV or on one other of the social media platforms, like Twitter or Instagram. These and many lesser-known personalities have all contributed to making cooking a fun, very chic and popular activity.

Cape Town is a very cosmopolitan city and so, offers a mesmerising, eclectic mix of cuisines to suit almost any taste: A while back, the city even offered something called Eskimo Pie in the city. However, that was only an ice lolly.

It’s at the point when the eating-out allowance becomes a bit slim that it becomes a great idea to start a cooking class. Cape Town, one of the best places in the world, in terms of its quality food offerings, presents opportunities for you to sample a course in any one or combination of the following: Asian fusion, Indian and Korean cuisine, Italian cooking, Cape Malay, Creole and Caribbean, Moroccan and of course, some South African favourites. Your taste buds could also be titillated by some vegan options, festive cooking, flavour blending, gourmet burgers, international street food, meat meals, tapas and pastas. Very little has been left out. Truly a smorgasbord!

Punch cooking classes cape town into a Google search and a plethora of tasty options appear.

Let’s Start Cooking Right at Home

A great start to cooking lessons in Cape Town is to kick off in the historic Bo-Kaap, in the heart of the city. The population is predominantly Muslim, mainly descendants of Malaysian people brought to the Cape as slaves. This is where you’ll be exposed to Cape Malay cuisine either with Cape Fusion Tours or by doing the Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour. These are both half-day courses which include a historic walk through the area and a visit to the Atlas Trading Company, a supplier of rice, fine spices and rare products from across the globe. With whetted taste-buds you’ll then head to a close-by home to start cooking, Malay style. You’ll never cook or eat dull or bland foods again! You’ll return home skilled in making rotis from scratch, bobotie, samosas or traditional Cape Malay curry.

Want to learn to blend spices and create a curry mix which is unique? Then Masala Dosa should be your go-to place. After your first class, in the famous Long Street in the CBD, you will go home to make Puri bread, spiced green tea and Paneer. The great thing about these classes is that they can also take place in the comfort and safety of your own home.

• Stir up Some Fun

Want to have some fun while you learn? Try out Stir Crazy Cooking School which sets out to teach new entertainment and kitchen skills. Located in the Waterfront precinct in Cape Town, the school  offers some specialised courses such as weekend courses and singles evenings. New themes are introduced on a regular basis and classes are interactive and intimate. The range of courses are as interesting as they are eclectic. You can choose between completing a Basic or an Intermediate kitchen skills course. Once you’ve really gotten your teeth into it, complete the Wϋsthof knife skills and kitchen hacks course which helps you identify the various knives used in the kitchen by chefs. You will also be shown the correct way to use, sharpen and maintain your knives. Your knife-work will become more accurate and faster, while your meals will cook evenly and look professional.

Their artisan breadmaking course will expose you the time-honoured art of baking bread as you’ll be taken through an assortment of breads from around the world.

Also on offer is a 2-day baking course designed to hone your baking and dessert decorating skills. Return home as a fundi in French pastry making, treating your relatives and friends to syrups, glazes, compotes, croissants and a variety of other pastries.

The sessions at Stir Crazy can even be used as a team-building exercise where participants can sit back and enjoy a chef at work and assist him or her in the creation of a meal for the team to enjoy. In the past, sessions have included Cambodian and Vietnamese cooking, Dim Sum making, Moroccan cuisine and the creation of Banting meals.

• Try Out Top Nosh

Want to master preparing a host of different cuisines then reach out to Top Nosh. Their extended courses, four to six sessions, will take you through foods such as Mediterranean and sushi all the way to gluten-free and vegetarian cooking. Students can bring along wines and drinks which they can enjoy while preparing a meal.

• Other Dishes

Food Jams offers you a fun and delicious way to spend an evening, even whilst learning. Paired with a stranger, your will prepare a meal you may never even have heard of and present them to the rest of the evening’s participants.

In Fresnaye, the ginger and Lime Food Studio will help you create Asian, Thai, plant-based and healthy Mexican meals. You will leave the studio with a recipe book and a full belly, after, on occasion, having rubbed shoulders with a celebrity chef or two.

At Nadège Cuisine you will be exposed to recipes from Normandy in France and be taught to make classic French favourites such as coq au vin, tarte tatin, boeuf bourguignon, moules marinières, tarte flambée or crème brûlée. For a romantic dinner experience the “aphrodisiac menu” with your significant other.

On the lighter side, sign up for some fun and learn to make truffles and cupcakes at the Lindt Studio. More serious contenders can enrol for courses on chocolate tempering and décor moulding.

These are some of the tempting foodie courses available in Cape Town, but as may be obvious, this is only the tip of a massive iceberg.

Sizzle With Superprof

Online, Superprof has many experienced tutors who can help you quickly make progress with your cooking lessons. The average price for lessons is less than R170 per lesson. This price depends on whether your lessons take place at your home, online or at an outside venue, the experience of your tutor, as well as the frequency and duration of your lessons.

Amazingly, most Superprof tutors toss in their first lesson free of charge. There is also a messaging service which will allow you to contact the tutor directly and discuss whatever aspects of your lesson you wish.

Many of the teachers offer cooking lessons online and you can locate them by using the “webcam” filter located in the Superprof search engine.

There are no fewer than 60 tutors available for you to choose from, with a good many ready to expose you to good, earthy South African dishes. Click on one of their profiles and start comparing them, until you find the one that you would like the best. For greater peace of mind, there are also at least seven glowing reviews from highly-satisfied students.

It's definitely time to get out those wooden spoons, knives, whisks, tongs and measuring cups. The spices and their alluring aromas are awaiting your expertise! Let’s fire up the gas burner and get out that wok or potjie! Let’s get cooking!