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Food Recipe Book R550.00
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Food Recipe Book R550.00
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R750p.p.
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From R750 p.p.
LOCATIONCape Town
SCHEDULEBooking Request
DURATION5 Hours
From R750 p.p.
LOCATIONCape Town
SCHEDULEBooking Request
DURATION5 Hours
Persian cooking class & shared feasting experience
Don’t know much about Persian food? Get ready to have your world rocked by Aliya Ferguson, whose Persian cooking classes and feasts will make you fall head over heels in love with the cuisine’s addictively aromatic, utterly unique flavours, bountiful portions and fascinating back stories.You’ll definitely want to come hungry for this one.
From R750 p.p.
LOCATIONCape Town
SCHEDULEBooking Request
DURATION5 Hours
Highlights
- Storytelling and learning about the special and exotic ingredients of Persian cuisine.
- Learn to make the most exotic, yet simple, fragrant desserts.
- Get a recipe book to accompany the experience, along with details of the suppliers you can buy the ingredients from.
- Beautiful wine from Arendsig estate in the Robertson Valley.
- Learn to make and enjoy the unique flavours of Persia.
- Send us your booking request for private group booking (8pax)
Overview
If it weren’t for her friends hassling her, Aliya says she probably never would have started hosting Persian cooking experiences at her home.“The genesis of it all was having friends loving the flavours of the dishes I made at dinner parties, and wanting to learn to recreate it themselves,” she says.
Raised in England by an Irani-Iraqi father and Danish mother, Aliya says that cooking and gathering around delicious food has always been a part of her daily life. She credits her Irani grandmother for passing down generations’ worth of indispensable cooking knowledge to her – skills she loves sharing with people on her blog and, now, in her home.
“Persian food has a completely unique flavour profile – there’s a constant play between sweet and sour,” she explains. “There are no refined ingredients; only loads of fresh produce and very distinct flavours. Dried limes, which add a very unusual but delicious bitter-sour flavour to stews; barberries, which just give you these bursts of sweet-sourness in your mouth; saffron, which Persian cuisine utilises in quite unexpected ways; the ubiquitous rose and orange blossom water… Oh, and we use herbs like vegetables, often adding heaps of fresh greens to stews.”
Aliya is the first to admit that the menus for her cooking experiences are quite ambitious (“They’re a bit like cooking marathons!”), but then again, that’s the whole appeal of Persian cuisine: the epic feast at the end. Once you’ve arrived at her inner-city home and enjoyed a glass of bubbly with your cooking comrades, she’ll set you to work with sous cheffing duties around her large kitchen table, while she gets on with the business of cooking in the open-plan kitchen.
The whole evening is like an interactive storytelling experience, where you’ll learn about the history and origins of the ingredients used in Persian cooking by tasting all of the components as you go. The menus inevitably vary, but you can expect to make a traditional Persian ‘Chellow’ (pilaf), which Aliya describes as “a mountain of beautiful saffron-soaked rice with crispy onions, barberries, toasted nuts”, an impressive chicken dish (the low-and-slow chicken, walnut, turmeric and pomegranate stew is to die for), some sides like a crunchy shirazi salad and yoghurt-dressed beetroot, and to clinch it all, two desserts (better hold thumbs the rose and walnut baklava and saffron-orange blossom ice cream is on the menu). For those that enjoy a tipple, wines from Arendsig will be poured – including a particularly delicious Shiraz, which Aliya will explain, has its origins in Iran. We think you might need to wear your stretchy pants to this one, folks…
Details
- Welcome drink
- Cookery book to accompany course
- Cooking lesson
- Dinner party with wine from Arendsig
- Water and cordial
- Transport to and from the venue. Please Uber if you intend to drink alcohol
- Come with comfortable shoes and practical, cool clothes you can cook in.
- A minimum of 8 bookings is needed for the experience to take place. If the minimum is not reached the experience may not take place, in which case you will be offered an alternate date, or a refund.
- Any date private bookings is possible by request with a minimum group size of 8 people. Follow the ‘Private Bookings’ button on the booking box to send us your requested date/s.
14h45 for 15h00: Arrive for a welcome meet and greet in Aliya’s garden, weather permitting, otherwise the front room.
15h10: Cooking in the kitchen accompanied by a glass or two. Making a starter, two main course dishes, several sides and two desserts.
19h00 – 19h30: Sit down to enjoy the meal and wine.
What eatsplorers are saying
Aliya is a delightful hostess and made us feel so happy, relaxed and comfortable in her home. We could tell how much work went into the preparation of all of that beautiful food, but she made it appear effortless, which was very inspiring.
Laura Lambert
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Persian cooking class & shared feasting experience
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Tracey Creer
28 July 2018I have had the pleasure of doing two cooking evenings with Aliya. Both occasions were loads of fun, inspirational and memorable. There are no half measures with Aliya. She puts in so much efffort, love and generosity into her courses.
I have since tried her recipes at a few of my own dinner parties and they’ve been a great success as well cooked up for the family.
Can’t wait for the next cook up.
Annalise
29 July 2018Our afternoon in Aliya's Persian kitchen and home was as if we were on a journey to another world, it was a fascinating lesson in history, culture, family values and delicious, authentic food and cooking skills. To learn about the ancient art of food preparation and Persian rituals opened my eyes and heart and I feel honoured to know her story.
Thank you Aliya for sharing your cuisine with us! It's my new favourite way to eat.
Hedda Baxtet
15 October 2018A magical and gorgeous evening with Aliya. Food was decadent and glorious made with love by Aliya. Interactive, casual, informative and totally delicious. Don’t miss this!
Val H
15 October 2018I would highly recommend this fabulous experience with Aliya who taught us so much about not only Persian food but also Persian culture. It was one of the finest and best cooking experiences ever.