Imagine you’ve been invited to a very special evening. Upon arrival, you walk into a beautiful space with terrace views overlooking a Central Park sunset. You’re greeted with a festive cocktail and invited to enjoy hors d’ourves while catching up with five of your closest friends. The entire place smells delicious — what are they cooking? Soon you’re being whisked away to the kitchen; this is where the fun really begins. You’re presented with a sensational three-course menu and before you know it, you and your friends are learning from an expert how to craft each course. Afterwards, you sit down to a stunning table setting where you’re served each dish you learned to prepare, with plenty of wine of course.
Sound like a dream? It’s not! It’s a Flirting with Flavors cooking party!
Cooking parties are hands-down my favorite type of event to host. In the few years I’ve been doing them, I’ve had so much fun getting to know people through cooking! I love to get people in the kitchen with me to show them how enjoyable cooking can be. So many of us (especially in New York) forget that. A little music and a glass of champagne always gets the creative vibe started.
Flirting with Flavors has hosted so many types of cooking parties— birthday cooking parties, brunch cooking parties, even Bachelorette cooking parties— and this week we hosted an Italian cooking party for 3 couples.. I couldn’t wait to teach the class; Italian food is all about slowing down and appreciating simplicity, which is exactly how I like to cook.
The party started with appetizers and cocktails before everyone headed into the kitchen to get cooking. Each of my cooking parties starts with a signature cocktail, so naturally Aperol Spritzers were the drink of choice. The best two-ingredient cocktail in the game! On the dinner menu was a Tuna Crudo with Orange, Olive, Radish, and Lemon Aioli, followed by Wild Mushroom and Squash Risotto. For dessert we’d make a Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Blackberry-Orange Compote. How good does that sound!?
Admiring their Tuna art!
Tuna Crudo…yum.
Panna Cotta– so easy but so impressive!
This week’s partygoers had received a 6-person cooking party as a gift and finally had the time to cash in on it. Throughout the class we cooked our way through each course, learning the technique and history behind it all. One of the best parts about the class was that it was also a couples class (minus one sick spouse!), so each person learned new ways to cook for the other. Cute! After all the cooking was done, it was time for everyone to sit down in the dining room, relax, and enjoy the fruits of their labor over some wine.
Adam, Risotto expert.
If you’re still scratching your head for holiday gift ideas, cooking parties are truly one of the best gifts you can give. Not only are you giving a night of delicious food and drink, but you’re also giving cooking skills and recipes that’ll be used again and again. And GUESS WHAT? If you purchase a cooking party before the new year, I’m taking 10% off the price!
To gift a cooking party or to book your own, please email pa*@fl*****************.com. To see pricing and other details, click here!
