Picture Perfect Cooking: Baking academies, bespoke workshops, cooking studios

Each time we watch a new season in Master Chef or see a friend post a gorgeous Insta or FB picture of some exotic Moroccan dish she cooked, we all want to be that person who can whip up a perfect recipe, don’t we? Bangalore is brimming over with people wanting to get their hands into kneading the dough, julienning veggies, learning to bake, saute, fry, try their hand at gourmet, and bring the whole world on their table for their families and friends to enjoy. The fact that many of us are traveling and experiencing cuisines from the world over, or want to learn new dishes so we can make wholesome food ourselves at home, is driving this craze further. The city’s growing expat population that also wants to learn various local cuisines is another growing segment. Catering perfectly to these whims and fancies of such Bangaloreans are the numerous professional cooking studios and classes around the city. State-of-the-art kitchen equipment and gadgetry, world-traveled well-trained chefs to teach, customizable itineraries, menus and classes, Insta-ready setups…they boast them all. At their beautifully done up Slurp Cooking Studio (www.slurpstudio.in) friends and chefs Sarabjeet Singh and Faseeulla Saifulla cater to all interest and intention levels  -- for those who just want to bond over cooking in a private class to a 4-week course for those maybe planning a  food start-up. With young working professionals, the weekend course is the rage, and a way to let off steam and unwind after a hectic corporate week. Couples make a beeline for cooking classes that allow “we time” therapy and even a Valentine’s Day surprise for partners. slurp studio Whether you are a family who believes that “a family that cooks together sticks together”, or a bunch of friends who just want to hang around together in the kitchen to experiment with a new cuisine and then eat what you have cooked over a glass of wine, or whether you are a corporate entity looking to get your employees into the team spirit with a cook-off or a team-building exercise…the reasons to be in the kitchen are apparently many. Manju’s Cooking & Baking Classes (www.manjuscookingclass.com), one of the oldest in the city, for example, entices people with the idea that you can make restaurant-like dishes at home, at a much lower cost. Kiddie birthday parties are a hot favourite too at these studios – kids get to bake and eat the cake too! Natasha Celmi (www.cucinamiabynatasha.com) a food professional and passionate home cook conducts culinary workshops or “cookshops” for both adults and kids through her outfit Cucina Mia at the many popular cafes and restaurants around the city, featuring vegan Mediterranean specials, or helping you whip up a healthy party menu. Manju's cooking   Cucina Mia Satish Venkatachaliah’s Something’s Cooking, the famous studio in Koramangala (www.somethingscooking.in) offers 8 cooking islands, each with their own cooktop, oven, chimney; they even have an open-flame traditional coal-grill BBQ setup. Basically, the works…all that you see on TV! Cooking class is no longer about making notes, but having a hands-on experience. something's cooking culinary arts If you are high on baking and want to bake your own bread at home, or learn to decorate cakes, Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts (www.lavonne.in) takes you to another “pro” level altogether. You could learn sugar art, or “be a baker in weeks” if you keep at it persistently over six weekends, or work harder for a diploma! lavonne academy of baking science To know more such interesting updates on cooking and baking, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download our magazine Spunky Indian for exclusive stories.