If you are living in Boston, you may be interested in learning more about some of the local art centers, culinary institutes, fitness and dance studios, or any of dozens of other locales that offer residents the chance to learn new skills, meet new people, or develop new interests. These courses can be a great way to get out of the house and explore the city, and you can learn new practical skills along the way. These are just a few of the classes that CourseHorse has aggregated to help residents of Boston find the training seminar that fits their needs and their schedules.
Read on to find courses offered by Off the Beaten Path Food Tours, Every Body Balance, Ultimate Tango, The Digital Photo Academy, Scott's St1Carving Classes, The American School of Flower Design, RoLa Languages, Milton Art Center, Art School 99, and The League of Kitchens.
Food Tours at Off the Beaten Path Food Tours
Like any city, Boston has a rich and vibrant culinary scene, and the city houses hundreds of the finest restaurants, bakeries, breweries, and other food establishments in the country. Off the Beaten Path Food Tours aims to make this culinary culture more accessible by hosting regular events that tour various Boston locales to introduce residents to everything the city offers. These tours emphasize local businesses and aim to support small culinary institutions in Boston. These tours are also a good way to explore the city and discover new places you might have never been able to visit. General location tours and tours focus on specific foods, including vegan options for people looking to discover hidden gems in Boston’s vegan community.
If you want to participate in one of these tours, consider the Harvard Square (Cambridge) Food Tour. On this tour, attendees will visit a collection of restaurants in Harvard Square, one of Boston’s most illustrious historical districts. While most people (justifiably) associate Harvard Square with the university that gives it its name, the district is also home to some of the city’s finest restaurants, pubs, and eateries. Its culinary tradition is so well-established that Julia Childs once called Harvard Square her favorite food neighborhood. This tour is an excellent way to experience the city, regardless of whether you live in Boston or are coming as a tourist. The rotation of visits will change with every tour, so Off the Beaten Path doesn’t publish the itineraries too far in advance, meaning that attendees will be in for a surprise as they tour the culinary offerings of Harvard Square. Since the stops rotate and menus are in flux at different locations, Off the Beaten Path can’t guarantee that there will be vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free options at any given stop on the tour. They do, however, ensure that vegetarian diets will be accommodated.
If you want to add something to your food tour, consider signing up for the Central Square Cambridge Food and Mural Art Tour. On this tour, students will visit scenic Central Square, home of Cambridge University, and will include a walking tour of the culinary and cultural hotspots on Massachusetts Avenue. Participants will be guided through many of Boston’s most enduring artistic mural sites, including the iconic Graffiti Alley, an open graffiti space whose layout and artwork change daily. In addition, students will visit some of the most iconic restaurants, bakeries, and food trucks that operate out of Central Square, providing students with an insight into another element of Cambridge’s rich history and cultural legacy in Boston. As with the other tours, the route will change with each tour, and the menus will be based on the restaurant’s availability. As with other tours, Off the Beaten Path cannot guarantee certain dietary restrictions will be available at all restaurants on the tour (though they can guarantee that you’ll see some stunning art).
If you are looking for a more focused tour of the culinary offerings of Boston, you may want to consider the Harvard Square (Cambridge) Chocolate Tour. This tour focuses on the sweet stuff, taking attendees on a curated tour of some of the finest artisanal chocolate shops, pastry shops, and bakeries in Harvard Square. Attendees will visit well-established local institutions, small new chocolate shops, and some of the region’s hidden gems. By attending this food tour, not only will you discover some of the finest chocolatiers in Boston, but you’ll also learn what goes into making artisanal chocolate and how small shops set themselves apart from the Herseys of the world. Voted Boston’s Best Chocolate tour by Boston’s local news media, this tour is a must for anyone looking to experience the best treats and culinary delights the city offers. While many chocolate shops offer non-dairy chocolates, owing to the rotation of stops and regular menu changes, Off the Beaten Path cannot assure that all stops will offer vegan chocolate options.
Fitness and Mindfulness Classes at Every Body Balance
Staying physically active and fit can have numerous positive health benefits. Not only are there physical benefits to staying healthy, but regular exercise and fitness training is closely linked with positive changes in mental health. Every Body Balance school understands this and seeks to make physical fitness training, yoga, stretching, and mindfulness activities as accessible as possible. Students who enroll in any of these classes will receive close, personal attention from licensed and experienced trainers. The course structure is designed to benefit students of all ages and skill levels. Whether you are looking for a sweat-inducing workout or a relaxing yoga session meant to encourage mindfulness, you can find the kind of fitness class you are looking for at Every Body Balance.
Students interested in a robust fitness course may be interested in participating in the Strength and Flexibility Yoga course. This one-hour course offers a rejuvenating hatha yoga experience, and students are encouraged to participate regularly in these sessions. During the session, a trained yoga instructor will guide students through a series of exercises and poses aimed at helping students build strength and flexibility. In addition, time will be dedicated to mindfulness exercises like guided breathing meditation. This course is ideal for students without much yoga experience, and the class also offers options for live, digital attendance if you are interested in practicing yoga from the comfort of your home. If you are looking for other yoga options, Every Body Balance also offers a Good Morning Yoga course and a Gentle Evening Yoga course.
If you are looking for a Pilates course, look no further than the Pilates with Core Props course. In this one-hour class, students will receive a guided Pilates workout, emphasizing Pilate’s core philosophy of exercising body and mind simultaneously. Students will learn how to be more aware of their own breathing and the alignment of their spine as they stretch and exercise, with the aim of helping students become more aware of their own bodies as they train. Pilates focuses on core muscle development, so exercises will primarily work to develop the abdomen and torso muscles and help with the spine's flexibility. Not only will learning Pilates help with core muscles, but it is also a great way to improve posture and breathing as well as train joint flexibility, stamina, and coordination. If you are interested in other Pilates courses, Every Body Balance also offers a Gentle Evening Pilates class for students of all ages and experience levels.
Finally, students can enroll in a full body Barre class to work out their entire bodies. Barre is growing in popularity, and it combines techniques and principles from Yoga, Ballet and Pilates to offer a full-body workout that targets all of the major muscle groups. Blending Hatha yoga poses, Ballet bar stretches and Pilates breathing and flexibility exercises, Barre is an excellent way to get a complete workout while improving your breathing, posture, and state of mind. Barre is slightly more intensive than Pilates or Yoga, but this course is still an inviting and accessible place for new students to learn the art of Barre. This course primarily emphasizes stretching exercises and the use of the ballet bar, but students enrolled in the class will also learn applicable Barre skills and techniques that can benefit them in almost any workout routine. Students are encouraged to enroll in multiple classes and explore the different options available to them to find the right fitness program to suit their needs.
Argentine Tango Classes at Ultimate Tango
If you have ever wanted to learn how to dance, you may have considered learning a partner dance style like Argentine tango. This style of dance is becoming increasingly popular in American dance clubs, and since it is a very physical and fast-paced dance style, learning Argentine tango can double as a workout. Ultimate Tango is a dance studio that aims to provide students of all ages and skill levels with the training they need to become comfortable with this popular Latin-inspired partner dance. At Ultimate Tango, you’ll work with instructors who view Argentine tango as a complex language that dancers speak with their movements, and you’ll learn how you, too, can participate in the conversation. These classes are a great way to introduce yourself to the complex world of Argentine tango, and no matter their present skill level or long-term goals, they can find a course that suits their needs.
If you are new to Argentine tango or partner dancing, you can enroll in the Beginner Argentine tango Course (4 weeks). In this month-long course, students will learn the fundamental skills they need to start practicing their tango skills. This course aims to be as accessible as possible, so even if you have never danced before, you can get started with learning tango skills in only a few short weeks. Students will learn the history of Argentine tango, and they will participate in practical lessons and live performance demonstrations, ensuring that they get the hands-on training they need to become comfortable with Tango dancing. Since Tango is a partner dance, this is also a great place to go to meet new people and socialize with fellow inexperienced dancers, meaning that the stakes of the class will be low and students will be free to experiment with other first-time tango dancers.
Students who complete the Beginner Argentine tango class may want to enroll in one of Ultimate Tango’s regularly scheduled Practica Chiquita seminars. These are guided practice sessions during which students will have the opportunity to work directly with experienced tango instructors to develop their skills and get live dance practice. In these classes, students will not only have a chance to practice their tango skills, but they will also work with an expert tango instructor who can help them maximize the value of their practice time. This means that the lessons students learn in these classes can be more directly tailored to their needs and desires. This makes the practica chiquita seminars a great opportunity for tango students to build their skills and get the necessary practice they need to become more fluid and successful tango dances.
Students looking for a more guided tango education will want to consider enrolling in one of Ultimate Tango’s weekly Short Sequences classes. Each course will cover one of fifty-two different, easy-to-remember dance sequences that you can add to your tango repertoire and utilize the next time you are at a dance club or in a practice session. Since each lesson covers a different short sequence, students can attend every week to learn a new bit of tango or they can attend whenever it is convenient for them to pick up a bit of knowledge here and there. It doesn’t matter if you are showing up every week or once every other month, you’ll be able to slowly build your tango skills by attending these short sequence classes. These classes also help students become more confident in their abilities by allowing them and their partners to perform more complex, detailed dance routines. No matter what your long-term tango goals look like, attending these short-sequence classes is a great way to get practice and training.
Photography Classes at The Digital Photo Academy
With the proliferation of smartphones, virtually everyone has access to a pocket camera that is more advanced than those used by professional photographers a few decades ago. This has led to millions of people becoming more interested in taking photos and learning the art of photography. If you are interested in taking your skills to the next level and beginning to learn your way around a proper DSLR camera, you may want to consider enrolling in a class offered by The Digital Photo Academy. This is a nationwide photography school that teaches onsite photography courses at some of the most impressive locations that America has to offer. These courses are designed to be productive for students of all skill levels, so it doesn’t matter whether this is your first live photography lesson or your fiftieth, there will be something that The Digital Photo Academy’s professional instructors can help you refine.
Students who are brand new to digital photography may not feel comfortable jumping right into a live, in-the-field training session. For these students, The Digital Photo Academy offers a Master Your Digital Camera Controls class that allows students to get expert instruction on the practical operation of their own cameras. This class is designed for students who have recently purchased a DSLR or point-and-shoot digital camera and are looking for someone to help them understand the features and functions offered by the camera. Students will receive tailored advice on how to use their specific device, and they will learn how to navigate the camera’s interface. Since this course is personalized to an individual’s digital camera, the lessons will be aimed at helping students learn how their specific device works and what professional photographers do with the camera's various features. This makes the course an ideal introduction to digital photography since the class doubles as a chance to learn the practical skills needed to start taking pictures in the field.
Once you are ready to take your skills into the field, you may want to consider enrolling in a class like Digital Photography Live In-the-Field @ Copley Square. In this live photography class, students will visit Copley Square in Boston’s Back Bay and spend an afternoon taking photographs and learning proper picture-taking techniques. Students will receive guided instruction from experienced photographers, and their lessons will be tailored to their individual needs and desires. If you are a new photographer who needs help learning the basics of framing a shot, your instructor can help you. If you have a lot of time in the field and want to experiment with unique lighting and angling techniques, your instructors can assist. Given Boston's wide range of architectural and natural scenes, The Digital Photo Academy also offers photo tours in places like The Arnold Arboretum, Old North Church, The Charles R Museum, and the Boston Waterfront, among others.
You can enroll in a private half-day or all-day Photography training course if you want a more focused training program. In these courses, you and up to one other participant can get hands-on private photography training in a three or six-hour session from a professional instructor from the Digital Photo Academy. Lessons will be tailored to meet your individual needs, so if this is your first photography course, you’ll get beginner-friendly instruction, but if you are an experienced photographer, you can get more advanced training and guidance. With some planning, these lessons can also be onsite training courses, taking students to any of Boston’s most famous landmarks, parks or locales to help give you on-the-scene training in professional photography skills. Regardless of your skill level or experience, these private photography lessons are a great place to become more comfortable with your camera and receive hands-on, tailored instruction to improve your artistic skills.
St1Carving Classes at Scott's St1Carving Classes
If you are interested in learning a new artistic technique, one that is less commonly taught than drawing or painting, you may want to consider enrolling in a course at Scott's St1Carving Classes to learn the art of sculpture and stone working. Stone carving is a complex and challenging art form that can feel inaccessible to aspiring artists since it requires expensive tools to be done in a reasonable amount of time and with some precision. Scott’s St1Carving Classes offers residents of Boston the opportunity to work in a professionally equipped stone carving studio and receive instruction from professionals who can guide them through carving their first stone piece.Â
For students looking to get accustomed to the world of stone carving, Scott’s St1Carving Classes offers a St1Carving Saturday course. This one-day class gives students the chance to enter the workshop and spend their morning and early afternoon working on a carved piece of artistic stone. This is a freeform design course, meaning that beginners and experienced stone carvers alike will stand to benefit from the course. Experienced students (including students who have taken this course a few times) will have access to the studio space while beginners will be able to work directly with the professional instructors running the Saturday class. Students will be given a brief safety briefing and then be free to work on their own piece (you can use the school’s available stones or you can bring in your own stone if you would). By the end of the class, you will be able to take your completed stone piece with you and either return on a later date to continue your work or put a completed piece up on display.
Students looking for a more immersive training experience can enroll in the Summer Weekly St1Carving Class, which runs for nine weeks from June to August. In this course, students will visit the studio every week and learn everything from the basics of using a chisel to the intricacies of the filing process. Advanced students will have the opportunity to dedicate consistent workshop time to more complex projects over the course of the summer, while beginners will learn the art of stone carving and have the chance to create one or more vibrant alabaster pieces. This course is a chance for students who know that they want to work on elaborate or complex stone carving projects to get the time and instruction that they need to start on the path to accomplishing their goals. No experience is required, and by the end of the course, students will be prepared to start working on all manner of elaborate stone carving projects.
If you are committed to creating long-term stone carving projects, you may want to enroll in a five-week or ten-week studio session block. These packages will ensure that students are able to access the studio space and have the time and opportunity to work on their stone carving projects. In these sessions, students will have the opportunity to plan a long-term project or work on a series of shorter projects over the course of their sessions. They will be able to work alongside professional instructors who can help guide their project to completion or they can work at their own pace to complete their finished carvings. These courses give students the freedom to pursue their stone carving goals with the assistance of Scott’s St1Carving Classes' professional instructors and fully stocked stone carving studio.
Floral Design Classes at The American School of Flower Design
Founded by world-renowned florist and designer Michael Gaffney, The American School of Flower Design aims to provide high-quality flower design education and training to students nationwide. These courses are open to students of all experience levels, and the courses range from introductory classes for students interested in trying their hand at hobbyist floral design to advanced classes aimed at helping students get started on setting up their own floral design business. These classes will help students learn the art of various styles of floral design and allow them to build their own vibrant flower arrangements (which they can take home with them at the end of the course). By enrolling in one of these classes, students can pick up a new creative hobby, learn how to start a side business or set themselves up to open their very own flower design studio by utilizing Gaffney’s well-established floral design techniques.
Students who want to learn the basics of flower design or who are only interested in seeing if the art is right for them should consider enrolling in the Flower Design Sampler course. This course introduces students to the basic theoretical design principles that underscore modern flower design. Students will be introduced to the basics of modern American and European flower design styles and get hands-on training working with real flowers to make their own arrangements. Once students are done with the course, they will be able to take their arrangements home with them (including the materials used to construct the containers for the flowers), and students will receive instruction in the art of keeping flowers alive longer so that they can impress others with beautiful floral arrangements that will stay colorful for weeks. This course serves as an ideal introduction to the world of flower design for students still on the fence about whether or not they want to start learning professional floral arrangement skills.
If you are confident that a more professionally focused course is right for you, you may want to consider enrolling in the Introduction to Flower Design course. Over two sessions, students will learn the basics of floral design in the American, European and bridal design traditions. These lessons will include hands-on design demonstrations in which students create between 8 to 10m sample arrangements to put into their design portfolio. In addition, students will learn how to prepare floral arrangements to survive longer and maintain their natural beauty. Students will also receive practical guidance on properly sourcing and purchasing flowers in bulk. By completing this course, students will have the experience and knowledge to start working with clients and making professional floral arrangements. Students who complete the course will also receive a signed copy of Gaffney’s floral design book to reference in their own work, and they will get to keep many of the tools and supplies they used to build their sample arrangements.
Students looking to jump-start their professional floral design careers will want to enroll in the Flower Design Star: 1-Week Comprehensive course. Over the course of five full-time class sessions, students will work on more than twenty different design samples in styles including American, European, Asian, and bridal arrangement techniques. In this class, students will receive guided instruction on all of the most common flower design styles that customers will request, and they will get practical experience creating these arrangements. In addition, students will learn about the business side of the floral design industry, including a field trip to a wholesale flower market where students will learn the ins and outs of buying bulk flowers for their projects. The course concludes with students designing a complex wedding arrangement that mirrors the kind of work that they might be hired to do professionally. This course is an accelerated introduction to the world of professional floral design, and it is an ideal choice for anyone interested in turning their artistic interest in flowers into a career.
Learn a New Language at RoLa Languages
Learning a new language can have practical and intangible benefits, so students may want to consider spending some time trying to pick up a foreign language. RoLa Languages offers courses for part-time and full-time language learners, and their courses are designed to help students set and meet their own language learning goals. Whether you are planning for a vacation and want to learn a few common phrases, or you are a bprofessional-looking to start communicating directly with clients, suppliers or business partners across the globe, RoLA Languages can help you master the skills you are seeking. RoLa aims to be more than a language school, framing its instruction as a multicultural space where students can learn about the many vibrant and unique cultures that Boston is home to.
Students new to the world of language learning may want to enroll in a basic course such as the Spanish: Intro I course. This course is designed with complete novices in mind, and it aims to provide students with an overview of basic Spanish grammar, vocabulary, and simple conversational skills. This course will help students understand the basics of modern Spanish with an emphasis on helping them learn the common pitfalls that new speakers of the language fall into (like learning how gendered languages operate or Spanish’s uncommon tense system). All course materials will be provided to students via PDF, so while materials will be provided, students will need to bring a device to view the files or print them out. This isn’t the only introductory course that RoLa offers, as students can find options for learning French, Italian, Portuguese and Mandarin.
If you have more than a bit of high school Spanish and are looking to improve your skills or you have completed the Intro I course, you can enroll in the Spanish: Intro II class. This class provides students with a deeper dive into the more complex mechanics of Spanish, including lessons on irregular verb tenses, qualifiers and specific prepositions, and complex verb forms like the Present Progressive tense. This course is aimed at students looking to slowly build their vocabulary and understanding of the Spanish language for goals beyond simple conversational communication. In these classes, students will learn how to express complex thoughts in Spanish and how the language uses subtle linguistic features to communicate intricate concepts and ideas. This course is far more technically focused on grammar than the Intro I class, so students should know this. The class also comes with a free textbook. As with the Intro I course, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Mandarin options are regularly made available.
Finally, students wanting a deeper dive into their Spanish training can enroll in the Spanish Intro III class, which aims to set students up with the necessary skills they need to start learning advanced language skills and building long-term fluency. Students will learn to construct long, complex sentences with multiple prepositions, objects, and tenses. Then, they will learn how to work with stem-changing verbs and verb forms, reflexive verbs and comparatives and superlatives. These are all important aspects of building language skills. Students who complete this course will have received a thorough introduction to basic and intermediate Spanish vocabulary and grammar. This course will open the door for students wanting to enroll in advanced conversational, professional, and writing-focused Spanish courses, and students can practice these skills virtually every day. Students enrolled in the course will receive a free e-textbook, and training options are available in various other languages (the level III course is the capstone for some languages, while advanced options are available in others such as Spanish and Mandarin).Â
Kids’ Art Classes at Milton Art Center
If you are looking for everything Boston has to offer, you may not just be looking for things for you to do. If you have kids and want to introduce them to new activities or interests, consider exploring the options offered at the Milton Art Center. This nonprofit art education center has been a part of Boston’s artistic community for only a few years, but it is establishing itself as one of the most robust children’s art centers in the city. The school began in 2003 as FAVA (Friend and Advocates of the Visual Arts), a multipurpose art education center. As its owners observed few dedicated children’s art schools, particularly those that assisted underserved communities, they opted to move the school and rename it The Milton Art Center, refocusing its mission statement to emphasize children’s art education. Since then, the school has hired more than 50 volunteers and instructors working to make the school (and art education) as inviting as possible.
Parents of young children (ages 4-5) looking to introduce their children to the art world may want to consider the Art Magic course. In this class, students will be able to experiment with a wide range of different tactile art projects, including bubble art, Shrinky Dink treasure chests, necklace making, tye-dye, kaleidoscopes, The Amazing Dancing Caterpillar, and many more. This course aims to help students develop a curious mindset and an experimental approach to art. Students will have the opportunity to try out the different art stations set up throughout the school, and they can begin creating their own pieces as they see fit. This class aims to teach students who art is present in everything around them and that exploration and curiosity are important components of being a successful artist.
Continuing with their theme of tactile artistic experimentation, students between the ages of 6 and 12 can participate in the Potions, Slimes, Magic and More course. This four-session experience will let students explore the intersection of art and science in hands-on activities that will see them working with the magic of various plant-based, non-toxic chemicals. Students will tie-dye a shirt to learn how the printing process works, work to create slime pets, and make their own magical everlasting flower. All the while, students will be learning about the science behind colors, chemicals, and the natural world, making this a great opportunity to introduce your kids to a wide range of fun activities and help them develop an interest in the world around them. This course will see students leaving the art center and playing outside, so parents are encouraged to ensure their children come ready and are dressed appropriately.
Finally, if you want to introduce your child to the world of art while also giving them the chance to play outside and explore nature, consider the Nature Art Explorations course. Open to students between the ages of 6 and 12, this four-session course will see students going out into the natural world and completing art projects that take advantage of all the natural beauty of Boston. Students will create their own botanical and horticultural pieces, including exercises in painting, collage, drawing, sculpture and the fiber arts. This multi-media art course will give students the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of different materials and approaches, letting them explore their options and find the mode of artistic expression that best suits them. Students will also learn about natural science and be introduced to lessons on botany, environmentalism and earth science. Children will also learn social skills associated with productive questioning and critique of the art they and other students produce.
Art Classes at Art School 99
If you are interested in the fine arts, you may want to consider enrolling in a class offered by Art School 99. Founder Alexandra Rozenman grew to notoriety as a Soviet refugee and political dissident artist in the late-80s. After coming to America, earning her MFA, and becoming a fixture of the city’s political artist community, Rozenman founded Art School 99 to train the next generation of artists. Knowing how important freedom of expression was to her artistic work, the school aims to help students find their own creative inspirations and muses as they work on various projects across dozens of media. The goal of Art School 99 is to make creative expression as accessible as possible, and they teach classes that will be of use to students of all skill and experience levels.
For many students, the prospect of enrolling in an art class can be intimidating. There is a lot of theory that goes into making art, and many artists (like Alexandra Rozenman) have formal training. To help students with this, Art School 99 offers an Art Lab course that aims to introduce students to the theories and practices associated with the fine arts. In this class, students will be introduced to essential aspects of art theory such as color theory, basic principles of composition, and the history of major artistic movements. Then, equipped with this knowledge, students will have the opportunity to start experimenting with this training to get a feel for the various approaches to artistic expression. This is a beginner-friendly course, so students with no prior art experience are welcome to come and begin their journey down a path of self-expression. Students must supply some materials, but the school anticipates that these will cost less than $10.
Once students are comfortable with their art knowledge, they can enroll in a practical skills training course such as the Painting and Drawing offering. In this class, students will be given the opportunity to learn the basics of painting and drawing with the guidance and instruction of professional artists. Students will receive a few focused lessons, particularly if they don’t have a lot of painting or drawing experience. Then they will be given free rein to start planning and executing projects of their own design. While the instructors will still be around to help provide guidance and assistance, the course will become far more open-ended, ensuring that students can create the project that sparks their interest and speaks most closely to them. The freeform nature of this course can be slightly intimidating for novice painters. Still, once you are comfortable with your own understanding of the fundamentals, it can be a great way to tap into your creative desires.
If you would like to take a more focused painting class, you can enroll in the Intensive Abstract Painting Workshop. This immersive painting class begins with a history and theory lesson emphasizing the development of trends within the field of abstract art (itself a complex and nuanced style). Students will then examine pivotal real-world abstract paintings to understand the process artists took to create landmark pieces within the genre. Equipped with this knowledge, students will then enter the studio and have the opportunity to create their own abstract paintings. Students will undertake several guided exercises designed to help them explore abstract painting concepts and work on deliberate painting techniques used to create the deliberate chaos often associated with abstract art. By the end of the class, students will be equipped with the techniques and skills needed to begin working on their abstract paintings at home or in the studio during another painting session.
Online Cooking Classes at The League of Kitchens
As amazing of a city as Boston is, sometimes, you may just want to stay in and remain comfortable while learning a new skill. This is especially true of skills that you may find yourself regularly using at home, like cooking (it is one thing to learn in a professional test kitchen and another to practice at your own stove). Suppose this sounds like something that interests you. In that case, you should consider enrolling in a course through The League of Kitchens, an immersive culinary education program that aims to help students learn how to cook from the comfort of their own homes. The League of Kitchens aims to be a multicultural cooking experience, and many of its instructors are immigrants who aim to share their knowledge of authentic culinary traditions with students. This means that students won’t just be learning recipes, they will be learning traditional techniques and preparation methods from real-world practitioners of dozens of global culinary cuisines.
For example, one course offered through the League of Kitchens is their Greek Cooking Online with Despina course. In this course, students will receive virtual cooking lessons from Despina, who will teach the class from her home kitchen. In this class, students will learn how to make recognizable, traditional Greek dishes, including keftedes (Greek meatballs), tzatziki sauce, and xoriatiki salata (a traditional Greek salad). Students will be asked to procure a list of ingredients beforehand, and they will spend the two-and-a-half-hour course receiving step-by-step instruction in traditional Greek cooking techniques from an instructor with decades of culinary experience. These recipes are all drawn from Despina’s family traditions, meaning that students who learn to make them will be making something truly authentic and special.
Suppose Greek food isn’t to your liking. In that case, The League of Kitchens offers a range of other opinions, including two different Persian cooking classes, Persian Cooking Online with Mab and Persianl Cooking Online with Mab 2. In these classes, students will learn a wide range of traditional Persian recipes they can prepare in their kitchens. In the first class, students will spend 2.5 hours preparing baghali ghatogh (dill-scented lima beans topped with poached eggs), which they will pair with zireh polo kateh ba tahdig (Persian rice with crispy tahdig). In the follow-up course, the menu includes aloo morgh-e beround-e Parvin joonam (a rich and fragrant chicken dish) alongside kateh polo zafran ba tahdig sibzamini (saffron spiced rice with a potato crisp). These classes are designed to teach students traditional Persian recipes using family techniques that students can replicate in their own kitchens. In both classes, students will receive a list of ingredients to collect beforehand, and they will receive step-by-step instructions to help make learning the new recipe a breeze.
Students can also enroll in the Japanese Cooking Online with Aiko and the Japanese Cooking Online with Aiko 2 classes. Each of these classes will see students working online with Aiko, an experienced cook instructor, to create classic Japanese dishes that can be replicated in a student’s home kitchen. In each version of the course, students will receive a shopping list of ingredients to have on hand, and they will spend the entire 2.5 hours of the course learning the fine art of Japanese cooking. Students enrolled in the first session of the class )ill learn to prepare oyakadon (a sweet and savory rice bowl with chicken, eggs, and onions), paired with gomae-ae (crisp-cooked green beans tossed in a sesame and soy dressing). In the second course offering, students will learn how to make Temaki Zushi (fresh and delicious hand rolls filled with sushi rice and vegetables and paired with a flavorful sesame dipping sauce) and Miso Soup (a traditional Japanese soup with silken tofu, mushrooms, and scallions made with miso and homemade dashi). Regardless of which class you opt to enroll in, you’ll learn about the rich history of Japanese food, and you’ll learn how you can become a part of that tradition.
Why Enroll in One of These Classes?
As you can see, many different options are available to Boston residents as far as these classes are concerned. No matter what you are looking for, there is likely to be a class for you, and there are many reasons why you should seriously consider enrolling in one of these courses. Many classes such as cooking courses, foreign language classes, and fitness classes, teach practical life skills that students can make part of their daily routines. Art classes offer students the opportunity to practice their creative skills as they create their own vibrant and beautiful works of art. Some of the classes even offer skills training that can be parlayed into a potential side business or career such as flower arrangement classes or even language courses. Plus, even if you ignore all of the practical benefits, these courses are still an enjoyable way to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people while learning new skills. Regardless of your reasons, you can find a class that fits your needs through CourseHorse.