Head back to school this fall with delicious adult evening or weekend cooking classes. Whether you want to become a master chef in your own kitchen or just enjoy a fun night out, Vancouver鈥檚 cooking classes offer something for everyone.
Located in Vancouver鈥檚 hip Main Street corridor, NorthWest Culinary Academy in addition to their professional training programs offers amateur chefs the opportunity to take their skills to the next level. The 鈥淐ulinary Enthusiast鈥� course consists of eight classes held on Tuesday evenings from 6:15pm to 9:15pm and starts on Sept. 15th. The course covers essential culinary techniques including knife skills, stocks, soups, salads, sauces, poaching, pan frying, basic bread-making, hand-made pasta, and ancient grain cooking. At the end of each class, enjoy dining on dishes created that evening along with a paired glass of wine. Price: $850.08
NorthWest Culinary Academy鈥檚 popular 鈥淐ook your way around the Globe鈥� classes held on Monday nights start October 19th and run consecutively for four weeks. Learn how to expertly debone a chicken, filet whole fish and cook live lobster as well as how to turn each ingredient into a gourmet meal. At the end of the evening, enjoy the labour of your hard work with a glass of paired wine. Price: 4 classes for $399.99 or $119.00 individually. See website for full details. 2725 Main Street. (604) 876-7653
Photo Credit: Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
Vancouver鈥檚 beloved Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts is located at the gates of Granville Market and offers both fun Friday evening cooking classes as well as Saturday hands-on technique classes for the serious amateur. All of the classes are taught by the school鈥檚 own professional chef instructors.
This fall, fun Friday night classes include: 鈥淎 Wok-ing tour of Southeast Asia鈥�, 鈥淏ones and All-Butchery Basics鈥� and 鈥淵ay for Beaujolais鈥�. Each class ends with sitting down to enjoy a multi-course meal. Price: $130.00 to $160.00. See website for full details.
For those serious about learning the art of pastry and baking, PICA offers 鈥淏asics in 8: A Baking and Pastry Skill Building Series鈥� which starts Saturday September 12th from 10am -2pm and runs consecutively for 8 weeks. Price: $950.00
101-1505 West 2nd Avenue. (Entrance to Granville Island Public Market). (604) 734-4488
While professionally accredited courses are available, The Pastry Training Centre of 麻豆传媒映画is in high demand for their individual classes. Dreamed of making your own bread? Artisan bread classes will have you baking bread at home and contemplating opening a bakery. Other classes include Cake Decorating and the Art of French Macarons. Price: Individual classes from $225.00. See website for full details. 818 Renfrew Street. (604) 569-1680
Taught by professional chefs, UBC鈥檚 cooking classes have the added bonus of hanging out at the brand new Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre before heading off to class.
For the serious home chef, The Cooking Essentials Series starts October 6th and is comprised of five classes, held consecutively on Tuesday evenings from 6pm-9pm. Students will learn the foundations of cooking as well as culinary techniques. Price: $570.00 for the series of 5 classes or $137.00 per class. See website for full details.
Also in the fall, UBC offers 2 cooking classes series: French Bistro Cuisine on Mondays starting October 5th and Southern European Cuisine on Thursdays starting October 29th from 6pm-9pm. Each evening ends with students enjoying a multi-course dinner paired with wine characteristic to each region. Price: $450.00 for the series of 5 classes or $100.00 for individual classes. See website for full details. UBC Point Grey Campus: Food, Nutrition and Health Building. (604) 822-1444
For those who love fine dining, Dirty Apron Cooking School is a must visit. Former Chambar Sous-Chef, David Robertson along with his wife Sara, opened this state of the art cooking school in a beautifully restored heritage building in 2009 in downtown Vancouver鈥檚 Gastown neighborhood. Add to their sold out classes booked months in advance, a best-selling cookbook and a gourmet deli, the Dirty Apron is definitely Vancouver鈥檚 鈥渋t鈥� cooking school. Splurge- Dirty Apron Cooking School offers a gourmet night out where you participate in the making of the meal and is perfect for date night. If you book now, you might just be able to grab a spot before the Christmas holidays. Price: $158.00+ per class. See website for full details. 540 Beatty Street. (604) 879-8588
A 麻豆传媒映画institution, Gourmet Warehouse is a must destination for chefs, gourmands and home cooks. Their fun cooking classes are held on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-2pm. Gourmet Warehouse鈥檚 fall line-up includes: Turkish Kitchen, Cooking from a Modern Butcher, Canning and Crazy for Cookies. Price: $59.00 per class. See website for full details. 1340 East Hastings Street. (604) 253-3022
One of the best ways to learn to cook, is by reading and trying recipes from cookbooks. Barbara-Jo鈥檚 Books to Cooks, Vancouver鈥檚 only dedicated cookbook store holds special events through-out the year. Meet and hear from cookbook authors and enjoy cooking demonstrations. While not a cooking class, these magical evenings will have you inspired to cook at home with your new cookbook. Highlights this fall include cookbook authors, Nigella Lawson, Mireille Guiliano, Michael Roux and Delia Smith. Price from $65.00 including signed cookbook. See website for full details. 1740 West 2nd Avenue. (604)-688-6755
This delightful emporium in East Vancouver, is a go to destination for 鈥渦rban homesteading鈥�. In addition to selling supplies, The Homesteaders Emporium holds regular workshops. Their fall line-up includes canning, baking bread, curing meats, and making kimchi. Workshops range from $15.00 to $55.00 and are an affordable and excellent way to learn how to can, brine, bake and more in your own kitchen. Workshops are held on week-day evenings and on the weekends. See website for full listing of fall workshops. 聽649 East Hastings Street. (604) 568-7675
