Easy Weeknight Zoom Cooking Classes <3
Here's what pasta (and more!) is on the calendar for September & October
Ciao ragazzi!
I hope you all are having a beautiful summer. (We still have a month left!) The highlight of mine was going back to Bella Italia in July. I went to Cortona, Rome, and Florence with my mom and dad and got to see some friends and former teachers from cooking school. Plus, I got to meet some Italians who are childhood friends of my coworker from Eataly! The world is tiny. We mostly visited old favorites, but the best new things we did were a cheesemaking tour at Podere Il Casale (a pecorino and goat cheese farm smack in the middle of Tuscany) and the world’s beefiest family-style lunch at Officina della Bistecca — one of the steak-focused restaurants by the famous butcher, Dario Cecchini, who had an episode on Chef’s Table. I also rode Vespas with my mother around Rome with Scooteroma Tours! I linked all of these things so you can check them out if you visit Italy. :)
The low point of my summer, on the other hand, has been my breakthrough COVID case. I’m grateful that my symptoms have been pretty mild, but I did lose my senses of taste and smell — the saddest and most bizarre experience! After a few flavorless days of crunchy toast and chili-sauce-doused noodles, my taste (and maybe 10% of my smell) returned for…
A virtual cooking class! WOO!
It was so rejuvenating to cook on Zoom with my friend, Anakaren, and her high school buddies — and being able to taste fresh pasta with creamy tomato sauce did not hurt, either...
Allora, with extra appreciative taste buds and a warmed heart, I am pleased to share with you my open-to-all Zoom cooking classes for the next few weeks!
As you’ll notice, these are all casual, low-key classes that allow you to soak up the joy of cooking on a weeknight. We’ll make one amazing dish together, and then you’ll be finished with plenty of time to eat, chill, and rub your happy belly before bedtime. I can’t wait!!!
Fresh Pasta: Pici al Fumo
Thursday, September 16
Between 4:30pm and 7pm Pacific, depending on the needs of who signs up!
My most popular dish to date! Pici is an easy, equipment-free, handmade spaghetti that’s nice and thick. Fumo sauce is from the tiny Tuscan town of Cortona, and it’s basically vodka sauce + bacon, garlic, and rosemary. Creamy, aromatic, as-spicy-as-you-want-it greatness.
Sign up: Email sara@saracagle.com and Venmo $25 per person to Sara-Cagle
Fundamentals: Carbonara (or Cacio e Pepe)
Wednesday, September 22
Between 4:30pm and 7pm Pacific, depending on the needs of who signs up!
I get a lot of requests for a carbonara class, so here it is! Pick your favorite pasta shape; grab eggs, black pepper, pecorino Romano, and guanciale (or pancetta/bacon); and we’ll cover what makes the perfect carbonara step by step. If you’re vegetarian, you can make cacio e pepe with us instead, since the technique is very similar! I’ll also go over how to make pasta alla gricia, which is basically carbonara without the eggs.
Sign up: Email sara@saracagle.com and pay whatever you want via Venmo to Sara-Cagle
Fundamentals: The Best One-Pan Chicken
Thursday, September 30
Between 4:30pm and 7pm Pacific, depending on the needs of who signs up!
This is the first dish I learned how to make in culinary school, and it is absolutely delicious! We’ll cook your choice of boneless or bone-in — but definitely skin-on — chicken thigh(s) in one skillet with the vegetables and herbs of your choosing. I’ll tell you exactly what I’m using (probably mushrooms and thyme), but I’ll also give you ideas and instructions so you can make it your own. This is my favorite way to get juicy chicken on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Sign up: Email sara@saracagle.com and Venmo $20 to Sara-Cagle
Fresh Pasta: Multiple Shapes + Pick Your Own Sauce
Wednesday, October 6
Between 4:30pm and 7pm Pacific, depending on the needs of who signs up!
You only need semolina flour, water, and your hands (no tools or machine) to make several beautiful shapes of fresh pasta. We’ll make the dough together, I’ll answer any questions you have about pasta, and then I’ll show you how to shape cavatelli, orecchiette, malloreddus, spizzulus, and more. I’ll send ideas and recipes for sauce, but you can also make or buy whatever sauce you like; I can even tell you what to make with the ingredients you already have on hand during class.
Sign up: Email sara@saracagle.com and Venmo $25 to Sara-Cagle
That’s all on classes for now! I’ll send another newsletter in a few weeks with more for the fall. As always, please feel free to send me suggestions for other lessons and let me know if you want to schedule a private virtual or in-person class.
One more thing…
I am hosting my first-ever pop-up dinner with my friend and creative-design extraordinaire, Kelsey Wisdom! We are so excited. Our menu is five courses — plus wine, spirit, and tea pairings — that all feature fresh corn from a local farm. We’re also partnering with small businesses like BjornQorn and Mulholland Distilling. It will be on Tuesday, September 14, on a lovely rooftop in Mid City, Los Angeles. Tickets are limited; reach out for more information if you’re interested!
Stay safe and eat well,
Sara