How in Washington they teach to love Georgian dishes

In the US, I have been living for almost 6 for years, and I treat cooking as a pleasant hobby, says a blog for VOA Nina Borisova. I cook when I want, sometimes I buy ready. I improvise when there is a desire, because in the local supermarkets you can find products and spices from anywhere in the world.

Photo: Nina Borysova

Sometimes I use services that bring home product sets with prescription cards, from which you can quickly cook interesting dishes and save time going to the store. In this country, there are a large variety of food options that are normally perceived and do not destroy the family budget.

I grew up in a typical Odessa family, where cooking was always the responsibility of the mother, and the father was involved exclusively in the most important kitchen moment of the year - the canning season. Acting as chairman of purchasing and spinning, he annually brought bags of vegetables and fruits from Privoz and tirelessly turned the can opener in the hot kitchen. Mom was involved in daily diet planning, prepared everything by hand and it was very tasty. Even though both worked five days a week, the kitchen was traditionally considered a woman's job. My father often reproached my mother for not teaching me this art, and I immigrated with only a very rough knowledge of cooking. Now I’m trying to catch up and sometimes attend cooking classes.

Photo: Nina Borysova

Previously, I had to attend only free demonstrations, which are often arranged in premium household stores, for example, in Williams-Sonoma, and coincide with traditional American holidays. I especially enjoyed the demonstration on how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey. The preparation of this dish is considered high art in the United States and requires an extraordinary level of endurance and a desire to touch the intimate parts of this bird without hesitation. Inexperienced cooks like me often buy the turkey already gutted and coated with all the necessary spices, which is much easier and more enjoyable.

In addition to free, in the US there are a huge number of more or less professional workshops for every taste. Often they are satisfied with restaurants and culinary boutiques, such as Sur La Table.

Photo: Nina Borysova

The latter offer 5-7 classes to choose from every month for $75 per person. This chain has many stores throughout the country, so joining the class is quite easy. The lesson lasts approximately 2 hours. This is enough time to cook the chosen dish under the guidance of a professional chef, and then taste it with other students. A great time spent, and no need to clean up after yourself - what could be better?

A few weeks ago, I first attended a similar master class. I chose Georgian cuisine, which has recently gained popularity in Washington, especially after the opening of the first Georgian restaurant last year.

Photo: Nina Borysova

For $ 50 each, eight culinary enthusiasts, mostly married couples and a few women, learned to cook khinkali, stuffed mushrooms and phali from spinach (such pasta with nuts and spices). The lesson was held at the professional kitchen at the Washington YMCA (a huge network of community centers that offer young people various services from gyms to cinemas).

Kneading dough and chopping aromatic vegetables and herbs is what you need after a busy day at work and tough Washington traffic jams. The magical combination of incredible aromas, physical labor that requires no intellectual concentration, and communication is a wonderful recipe for stress relief.

Our chef, an American, who had lived in Georgia for a long time and studied cooking under the guidance of real local culinary specialists in small mountain villages, sadly offered us tarragon, because in an institution where the lesson was held, drinking alcohol was prohibited. Influenced by her stories about hospitality and happy holidays of Georgians, I even planned a trip to this wonderful country for May of this year.

Photo: Nina Borysova

I strongly advise you to attend a cooking class if you have never been, but there is such an opportunity. I am sure that my mother would be happier if she could cook more often like this, for her pleasure and in a fun campaign.

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