Ready to embark on a new local food adventure? Make this the year that you pursue your wildest cooking curiosities and culinary passions — you don’t have to do it alone! All across Pennsylvania, there are interactive workshops and classes to help you learn how to make, taste and enjoy different kinds of food in supportive, fun environments.
Call up your most down-for-anything friend, and sign up for one of these skill-expanding food classes in PA:
Vituperio Bread Baking Studio Sourdough Master Class
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Did you miss the sourdough train during the pandemic? It’s definitely not too late to discover this ancient method of fermentation and baking. Check out one of the day-long workshops at Vituperio Bread Baking Studio, taught by owner and pro bread baker, Javi Montoya. The classes are held in-person at the Vituperio studio in Lansdale, or virtually, and each one goes in depth on the basics of how to create and maintain a sourdough starter and how to use a healthy starter to make all kinds of baked goods. These classes sell out fast, so don’t delay!
1820 West Point Pike, Lansdale; (215) 402 7084.
Mom-Mom’s Kitchen Pierogi-al School
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Making pierogi is a true labor of love, with each little dumpling stuffed and sealed by hand. While you can easily outsource this task to a professional, there’s something so satisfying about doing it yourself! Learn pierogi-making from the best at Mom-Mom’s Kitchen Pierogi-al School, a series of classes held on Thursday evenings at the Frankford Arsenal Building 39 in Northeast Philly. Each 2-hour class teaches you how to pinch, boil and cook pierogi (participants also get to take home what they make), and also includes a pierogi dinner and a complimentary sparkling wine or beer toast.
5401 Tacony St., Bldg. 39, Philadelphia; (215) 770-6698.
Philly Cheese School Cheese Basics Class
There are lots of cheese-related classes at Philly Cheese School, a classroom space in Philly’s Italian Market. But, if you’re newer to the cheese world, start with the basics! Each Cheese Basics Class, held multiple times per month, includes a plate of five artisan cheeses, plus crackers and pairings. An industry professional then guides each class through the basics of cheese, with the group tasting each cheese, one at a time. The instructor will share info about each cheese’s producer, style, pairing tips and more. Each class is about an hour long and is BYOB.
701 S. 9th St., Philadelphia; no phone.
Le Caveau Wine School
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This intimate, Frenchie wine bar in Philly (not far from Philly Cheese School, in fact), is a popular place to go for a glass of natty wine and a fancy hot dog. Hardcore wine fans also know that, on Thursday evenings, Le Caveau shape-shifts into a wine school, with a rotating monthly theme including four special by-the-glass pours. Upcoming themes include February’s Loire is for Lovers, and March’s Vinos Libres, featuring wines from Catalonia. To go deeper, sign up for one of the monthly Study Groups, a sommelier-led conversation, complete with wine and snacks, which meets on a Thursday evening, and is limited to 10 participants.
614 S. 7th St., Philadelphia; no phone.
Fishtown Pickle Project Pickling Classes
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If you think knowing how to make pickles is a superpower (we do!), but aren’t quite sure where to start, try one of the Pickling Classes offered by Fishtown Pickle Project. Usually held on Fridays and Sundays, these 90-minute classes are taught by the brand’s co-founders, Mike Sicinski and Niki Toscani, and cover the basics of quick pickles and fermented pickles. Each workshop include supplies and ingredients to make two jars of quick pickles, a jar of pickling spice, a reusable branded bag and a jar of Fishtown Pickle Project pickles. All classes are BYOB.
4500 Worth St., Philadelphia; (215) 515-6045.
Hale & True Cider Making Workshops
Twice a year, Kerry McKenzie, the owner and head cider maker at Hale & True Cider Co., offers hands-on cider making workshops that teaches anyone how to make cider at home. Each workshop is a one-night, three-hour affair, and is meant to help amateur cider makers achieve a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. Students will get to taste cider, learn about the history of cider, cider styles and apple varieties, and dig deeper into the step-by-step process of making high-quality cider at home. This includes starting a batch of cider with fresh-pressed, local PA apple juice! The next workshop is slated for May 2024.
613 S. 7th St., Philadelphia; (267) 639-4334.
Palcho’s Products Fermented Condiments Class
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Karen Palcho is an artist, herbalist, forager and educator in Berks County (read more about her here!), and shares her wealth of knowledge with the community through classes and workshops. In addition to botanical extract classes, she offers exciting fermented condiments workshops that look so fun. Each class offers students their own spacious work stations, and instructions on learning to craft fermented Worcestershire sauce, fermented hot sauce, fermented garlic, fermented lemons, turmeric-ginger sauce and Fire Cider. Students are expected to bring their own jars and basic kitchen utensils. Karen’s company, Palcho’s Products also hosts numerous private classes, like miso-making and farmhouse ale brewing; find more info here.
354 Fry Rd., Fleetwood; (610) 389-8316.
Horn Farm Center Foraging Walks
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Foraging is one of those skills that’s truly best-learned in the company of experts. There is a lot to learn, and mistakes can be dangerous! To safely embark on your foraging journey, join the experts at the Horn Farm Center for their monthly foraging walks, usually held one Sunday per month from 10 a.m. to noon. Each of these casual classes focuses on the seasonal abundance of wild edible and medicinal plants, with an emphasis on ethical foraging and ways of giving back the land.
4945 Horn Rd., York; (717) 757-6441.
Square One Coffee Public Coffee Tastings
You don’t have to be a bona fide coffee nerd to enjoy a coffee cupping; much like with wine tastings, the process involves slowing down, being present with the coffee and looking for aromas and deeper tasting notes. You can be lead through this meditative experience at Square One Coffee’s public tastings, held one Saturday per month at its Roasting HQ in Lancaster. The one-hour sessions are lead by one of Square One’s Coffee Educators, and are open to all.
1132 Elizabeth Ave., Lancaster; (717) 490-0021.
Caputo Bros. Creamery Virtual Cheesemaking Classes
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If you’ve always dreamed of making fresh cheese, Caputo Bros. Creamery is ready to help you get going! It’s now offering virtual cheesemaking classes (current options include burrata, mozzarella and provolone), so that you can benefit from their expertise no matter where you live. These classes include recorded video instruction, so they can be taken on-demand! See here for more info.
245 N. Main St., Spring Grove; (717) 739-1091.
Community Cultures Fermentation Classes
Dedicated entirely to teaching the magic of fermentation, Community Cultures has held workshops in the past about making soda, koji and miso, hot sauce and salsa, kombucha, kefir, wild cider and so much more! (Most classes are held at Vellum Fermentation, a PA-proud brewery in Pittsburgh). The 2024 calendar is still in progress, but stay tuned and follow Community Cultures on Instagram to see what’s coming up next. For more on the story behind Community Cultures, head here.
Threadbare Cider House Pizza Making Classes
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Making great pizza at home is one of those things that’s trickier than it sounds. Learn all the tips and tricks you need at Threadbare Ciders pizza classes, taught by Executive Chef Jahmai Suber. Each 90-minute sesh, usually held on Thursday evenings, will include instruction on how to make pizza dough from scratch; then, participants will get to make custom pizzas with an array of cheeses and seasonal toppings while enjoying a glass of Threadbare cider. Pizzas are enjoyed in the class, fresh from the oven, and students get to take home packaged ingredients so they can keep honing their pizza prowess at home.
1291 Spring Garden Ave., Pittsburgh; (412) 322-5100.
- Feature photo: Philadelphia Cheese School
- All other photos: Courtesy of their respective businesses
