I am very lucky in that my girlfriend is essentially an amateur chef. While my version of cooking involves milk and cereal, she bakes breads, pastas, cakes, pies, pancakes, and more to the absolute nines. Part of the reason why our relationship is so balanced is that she cooks and I eat (I also wash the dishes, don’t worry).
For her birthday back in August, I purchased the two of us a slot to an in-person cooking class of her choosing taught by a professional chef at local Ottawa cooking studio, Urban Element. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, all of their classes have been shifted to an online format and announced earlier this month that they are having to close down their studio, effective Nov. 30.
A few weeks back, my girlfriend indicated to me that she was interested in the Mexican Comfort Food class where clients are walked through making tortillas, corn salad, and chili Colorado. Chili Colo-who? I had literally never heard of such a dish before, but my girlfriend being her chef self had allegedly always been keen to make this meal.
Now, Mexican food is not my favourite cuisine, I don’t really enjoy spicy foods and I detest the texture of beans, a common staple. But of course, this was her birthday gift and recipes she was interested in trying, so I went along for the ride!
The experience of this cooking class was unreal from start to finish. First, Urban Element delivered all necessary ingredients the day before, with everything labelled and measured to size; it was adorable. Teeny, pre-measured containers of oil, honey, and spices; tiny Tupperware’s of corn; and perfectly single-meal sized onions and peppers, along with a generous slab of beef came prepped and ready to go.
The next day, we logged on as chef Devin walked us through a 90-minute class of making homemade tortillas, corn salad, and beef chili from start to finish. They facilitated the class via a dual-screen, with one of chef Devin head-on and birds-eye-view of his cutting board, allowing us to see his precise cuts and chops.
I am pleased that I went into the class with an open mind, as it turned out to be an unbelievably scrumptious meal. Thankfully, no beans were included and we were able to omit the cilantro as we both have an aversion to the taste.
This was a really meaningful experience as we were finally able to use my girlfriend’s birthday gift and she got so much out of being taught by a professional. I, on the other hand, learned how to properly slice a shallot. In all seriousness, I loved being able to watch my girlfriend have such a fulfilling experience doing what she loves — plus, we have leftovers!
This was a wonderfully uplifting activity to partake in with a loved one, especially as winter looms and quarantine continues. If you’re interested in checking out some of the delightful local programming Urban Element has to offer, check out The Urban Element’s website for a full list of UE @ home classes!