When Chef Sharp first reach out to me about this idea for a class, it was mostly a joke. The more we thought about it, the better the idea of teaching a “How to cook in an Airbnb” virtual cooking class became. This class will address the challenges of cooking with limited equipment in the kitchen of a rented house/apartment/condo, a situation you may very likely find yourself in the next time you book and Airbnb or Vrbo. The cooking techniques that will be presented in this class can be executed in any kitchen with a stove and an oven. Boiling, braising, en papillote, roasting, composing salads, and making simple desserts are also skills that you may not already have in your repertoire, and after this class you will be able to apply those skills in any kitchen scenario.

This class will also cover how to shop when staying in a new place. And if you are planning to travel and cook some meals in a new country, joining this class in a no-brainer!

The idea came from my own experience of cooking in situations with limited and unfamiliar equipment, the goal being to give some of the tips and tricks for making the most of your resources that goes beyond just feeding yourself.

But secondarily, being in an airbnb implies that you’re traveling, perhaps in a new and exciting foreign country.

I have enjoyed the shift from staying in hotels to staying in airbnbs, because having a kitchen means that I can expand my culinary adventures beyond just eating out. Going to the markets and experimenting with some local products is a great joy and very rewarding as a chef .

The real goal of this lesson is to teach you some simple but universal culinary templates that are easy to execute, giving you the confidence to cook with new and unfamiliar ingredients. This course will be a little choose your own culinary adventure, where I will provide the structure, theory and technique while you will fill in the blanks with ingredients.

-Chef Sharp

Chef Sharp will be demonstrating all of the techniques, however, I think the best approach for this class is to pick 2 or 3 of the techniques to cook along with in the class. I will definitely be making the simple desserts because I completely lack that skill. For the other techniques, just observe and execute the next time you are in an Airbnb!

This is also a perfect class for anyone that wants to start cooking more at home but still feels a little intimated in their own kitchen.

What you will learn in this virtual cooking class

• How to plan

  • What to look for and what to look out for

  • Chef Sharps airbnb checklist

• How to shop

  • Essentials to buy

  • Market strategies

• Dishes and cooking techniques this class will cover

  • Composed salad

  • Boil it in a pot

  • Braising

  • Cooking “En Papillote”

  • Roasting

  • Simple desserts

    
    
    

Remember, this is a choose-your-own-adventure virtual cooking class. Don’t get intimidated by all of the options, just choose what you like for cooking along live in the class.

The Menu

• Composed salad with roasted beets, roasted cauliflower, nuts, greens, yogurt dressing

• Salad with greens, fruits, nuts, cheese, and balsamic dijon honey dressing

• Fish cooked en papillote with shrimp, clams, fennel, and/or corn and compound butter

• Foil roasted mushrooms

• Foil roasted potatoes

• Braised beef* with pasta, polenta, or sweet potatoes

• Spatchcocked chicken with compound butter, root vegetables, and herbs

• Caramelized fruit over ice cream

*the beef will finish braising after class has ended

Date: Sunday, May 22nd

Time: 7pm EST/4pm PST

Price: $30 per household

Platform: Live & interactive virtual cooking class via Zoom

The Teacher: This class will be led by Chef Daniel Sharp. Chef Daniel grew up in California, has worked at Chez Panisse, and was the Director of Culinary Operations for The Meatball Shop Group. He has been on Chopped (and won) and competed in the Chopped Champions tournament. He also once cooked a giant meatball on the Rachel Ray show. They said it was 6 pounds, but legend has it it may have been a ten pounder! He has been spending a lot of time the last few years traveling through Mexico, and most of that time has been spent in Oaxaca. This is the 5th class he has taught for us, and he will be joining us live, via zoom, from Oaxaca.

Equipment Needed:

Aluminum Foil

Parchment paper (optional)

Mixing bowl

Knife

Cutting Board

2 baking sheets or roasting trays

I like nordic ware baking sheets

Braising Pot

I like lodge dutch ovens

Sautee pan

Ingredients: (exact quantities will be sent within 24 hours of signing up for the class)

Disclaimer — you don’t need to make all of the dishes in this class. Just pick a few to cook live and cook the rest at another time. These are the ingredients for all of the dishes.
Cauliflower
Beets
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, or pistachios)
Red Onion
Soft herbs (parsley, tarragon, chives, and/or cilantro)
Yogurt (plain, European or Greek)
Greens (Wild Arugula, Watercress, Frisée, or Purslane )
Spices (cumin, fennel, and or coriander)
Olive oil
Lemons or limes
More Greens (Spring Mix, Mesclun, Arugula, Baby Spinach)
Crisp fruit (apples, peaches, or pears)
Dried fruit (apple, apricot, cranberries, or figs)
Cheese (blue cheese, goat cheese, parmesan, or cheddar)
Honey
Dijon mustard
Balsamic vinegar
Fish filet (1 per person (salmon, snapper, sole)
Shrimp or clams (optional)
Fennel
Corn
Butter
Shallot
Garlic
White wine
Mushrooms (Oyster, crimini, button, portobello, and or wild mushrooms)
Onions
Waxy potatoes (new potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or red bliss potatoes)
Spices (paprika, garlic powder, and/or onion powder)
Beef (Chuck, round, shank, or oxtails)
Carrots
Celery
Tomatoes (fresh, canned, or tomato paste)
Hard herbs (rosemary, thyme, and/or bay leaves)
Red wine
Beef stock or bouillon cubes
Flour or cornstarch
Sweet potatoes, pasta, or polenta (suggested side for the braised beef)
Whole chicken or game hens
Root Vegetables (carrots, onions, parsnips, butternut squash, fingerling potatoes, and/or sweet potatoes)
Bananas or apples
Sugar
Butter
Cream
Cinnamon
Ice cream