I Took a Zoom Cooking Class

On Valentine’s day, I took an online cooking class with a real Italian chef in Sorrento, Italy. We learned how to make Tiramisu and Gnocchi the traditional way. This experience was not only informative and fun, but it also was a change of pace from the mundane day-to-day I have had since the pandemic started! Here is what I learned. 

Firstly, gather all of your ingredients and do not prepare anything before class starts. My Mom thought we had to peel the potatoes and wanted to get a head start, but it turns out we did not have to and ended up doing extra work.

Be patient. It seemed that it took the chef half the amount of time as the rest of us to complete a step. Just remember that they are a professional and do this every day. Take your time and do each step correctly instead of rushing! 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Especially on Zoom, it is easy to miss a step or be confused by the instructions. Don’t be afraid to speak up or submit a comment when you are lost or confused. 

Finally, enjoy it! I turned my phone and all other distractions off. Being at home taking a class can lead you to not fully invest yourself in the activity as you would outside of your home. This class was the most fun I have had on Zoom ever and would definitely do another one. 

Below I have listed the recipes we made. They both turned out so delicious, and I was proud of myself for being able to cook such a delicious meal for my family. 

Tiramisu:

Ingredients: 

2 Eggs 

8 Tbsp sugar 

9 0z Mascarpone 

2 cups Coffee 

1 pack Lady Fingers 

1 cup Dark Chocolate flakes 

3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder 

Instructions

1. Separate egg whites and yolks 

2. Mix egg whites until stiff (should be able to flip bowl without the egg whites falling out)

3. Combine sugar and egg yolks 

   1. Mix until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light yellow and runny. 

4. Fold the mascarpone into the egg yolk mixture. 

5. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.

6. Get a container to assemble to Tiramisu 

7. Layer the ingredients

   1. Layer 1: Mascarpone mixture 

   2. Layer 2: Ladyfingers that have been briefly dipped in coffee.

   3. Layer 3: Marscarope mixture 

   4. Layer 4:Chocolate flakes 

(Repeat as many times as possible) 

1. Final Layer: Mascarpone topped with cocoa powder and chocolate flakes

1. Chill in fridge for 3-4 hours

Gnocchi: 

Ingredients

2 lbs Potatoes 

12 oz Flour 

1 or 2 Eggs 

3 pinches Salt 

1 bottle Tomato sauce

3 tbsp Olive oil 

2 cloves Garlic 

6 leaves Basil 

5 oz Mozzarella (Preferably fresh) 

1 cup grated Parmesan 

Instructions

Gnocchi

1. Boil potatoes with (or without) peels for 30 minutes 

   1. After boiling peel potatoes if they were not pre-peeled

   2. Crush/Mash potatoes 

2. Put the potatoes in a pile on the clean counter

3. Sprinkle the flour around your pile of potatoes

4. Make a hole on top of the pill of potatoes

5. Crack 1 Egg in the hole (add extra egg if needed) 

6. Add 3 pinch of salt

7. Break the egg yolk in the hole and mi

8. Kned the potatoes, flour, and egg together with your hands until a smooth ball forms

9. Cut the ball into slices (like break)

10. Roll the slices into a long snake/sausage (about the thickness of your finger)

11. Cut the snake/sausage into small bite sized pieces (gnocchi sized) 

12. Drop gnocchi into boiling water for 3ish minutes and then remove. 

Sauce 

1. Crush garlic and put in pan with olive oil

2. Add tomato sauce

3. Bring to a boil 

Assembly 

1. Add gnocchi and sauce together in casserole dish 

2. Cover with mozzarella and parmesan cheese

3. Add basil leaves (preferably chopped or torn into small pieces)

4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted

Enjoy eating!

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