Online cooking classes

KITCHEN CAMARADERIE

SLICING AND DICING — My mom, Sonya Hanna, juliennes carrots and prepares other vegetables for Singapore noodles, while cooking class instructor Ashvee Kanwar gives directions over Zoom on the computer in the background. “With the lockdown, I was actually doing a lot more cooking for my family,” Kanwar says. “I wanted to share those family meals.”

COOKING CLASSES VIA ZOOM SPICE UP QUARANTINE ROUTINES

OIL CRACKLES and a spice-laden aroma sizzles to life as I flip small cubes of tofu in a pan. Behind me, my mom slices basil to top the dish we are preparing and laughs about how we almost ruined the meal at least three times. The rhythmic chopping of her knife and the sputtering of the frying pan are accompanied by chatter and instructions from the computer propped up at the corner of our counter — blending into a kitchen cacophony.

Over Zoom, cooking class instructor Ashvee Kanwar has guided me and my mom, as well as our fellow cooking class participants, through preparing delicious vegetarian dishes from lemongrass tofu to pav bhaji. Hers is one of many online cooking classes that have popped up during the pandemic to satisfy people’s desire to diversify their dining options even with so many restaurants shut down.

Ever since my mom signed us up for our first Nibble n’ Gobble cooking class in January to add something new to our quarantine routine, cooking Zooms have become something of a Sunday tradition.

Each cooking class experience starts in a somewhat unexpected way: with a trip to the park. A small grassy lot in Mountain View serves as the distribution location where Kanwar sets up shop to pass out the goods needed for each week’s meal. The convenience of the pick up system allows for my family to indulge in ingredients

KITCHEN CAMARADERIE

we generally don’t have stocked up in the For example, when Kanwar told us fridge, since Kanwar aims to include dishes to add the rest of our coconut milk to our from many countries and cultures. Kerala veg stew, my mom and I turned to

“We were all stuck at home sheltering each other wide-eyed with the realization in place,” Kanwar says. “The idea was to that we had added all our coconut milk as travel via your plate.” part of the first step.

Later in the evening, a group of With every mistake — from the simple around 15 families log onto Zoom and get to the more serious — Kanwar was there to to chopping, mixing, grinding and frying. reassure us our dish would survive or walk At this point in the pandemic, most every- us through some emergency operations. one has adapted to virtual events, and while But while our problems were varied, the off-hand chatting isn’t quite what it would one constant in all of our errors was that be in an in-person setting, the class runs they were followed by howls of laughter. smoothly with a constant stream of ques- And that above all is the joy of cooking — tions and directions. second only, perhaps, to the joy of eating.

“I was a little skeptical about making The 90-minute classes end with smilconnections on Zoom, but it has worked so ing faces and waves goodbye before closwell,” Kanwar says. “We have a little com- ing the computer lid and digging into the munity going now. … There are a couple beautiful plate of steaming food sitting in of families who have been cooking with me front of you — that is, if you have more right from the beginning.” patience than me and haven’t already been

If there’s ever a lull in the conversation, stealing bites for the last 20 minutes. Kanwar steps in to share the history of the While Kanwar misses seeing people’s dish — like how Singapore noodles origi- live reactions to tasting their food and nated in Hong Kong — or to tell us about eating as a group, she notes that the ather personal experience with the food from her travels. Anything that may be lost in com“We were all stuck at home sheltering in place ... The idea was to travel home element has quite a few benefits and plans to continue the online class post-pandemic. munity small talk is more than made up for in my laughter via your plate.” —ASHVEE KANWAR, cooking class instructor “They [class participants] are making it all by themselves, and discussion with that gives them the my mom. From the confidence of hansafety of our own kitchen with our micro- dling the ingredients, asking questions, phone on mute, we are free to make nu- using all their senses to actually experience merous mistakes and laugh at our culinary what they are making and then sharing the incompetence without embarrassment. meal with their family,” she says.

And yes, we have certainly made our Sitting down with my family at the fair share of mistakes. With sauces mixing, end of a class and sharing the stories she veggies sautéing and tofu marinating, it is told and the food we made makes for a all too easy to get a little lost. A cooking bright end to the weekend. And in a year class presents the problem of keeping up as, where monotony has become the norm, unlike a video tutorial, there is no pause or these delicious dishes and the experiences rewind button, and unlike a recipe, things that come with them add spice to our recikeep moving, even when you don’t. pe books and our days. v

LEMONGRASS TOFU — Soft and nutty, the tofu strikes a harmony of lemongrass, garlic and chili combining into a gentle overall taste. The onions and shallots lend depth, having soaked up the rich flavors more so than the tofu. As a complement and contrast, the peanuts add crunch to the otherwise soft textures, while basil brightens the dish.

ALOO TIKKI CHOLE — This dish is a culinary work of art with layers of flavors and texture from aloo tikki, chole, sweet chutney, mint chutney, red onions, cilantro and sev. The disk-shaped, spice-laden potato base of aloo tikki serves as a hearty ground to the meal with a light crunch and a soft, warm inside. The warmth is accompanied by a gentle but noticeable heat from the myriad spices of the chickpea curry called chole — accented by the punch of sweet chutney. On top, red onions and cilantro bring the freshness demanded by the heavier potato base.