Phipps offers lunch, dinner online classes for home cooks
As students cannot go to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Botany Hall Kitchen to attend classes, the classes are being offered to them in their homes.
Gabe Tilove, associate director of adult education and community outreach, said the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to cook at home for the first time — or more frequently than they used to — and it seemed like a good time for Phipps to help novice home cooks.
The classes advance the Phipps mission because healthy home cooking “supports human and environmental well-being,” Mr. Tilove said, adding both people and the planet benefit from it.
In early May, Phipps began offering the online classes in two formats — a webinar lunchtime class and dinnertime classes on Zoom — with the same instructors who used to teach at the Botany Hall Kitchen.
“Lunch and Learn” classes are 30-minute day webinars where students can watch a demo and submit typed questions to Mark Snyder, who also teaches cooking classes for Ryan Arts Center in McKees Rocks. So far the lunchtime classes have been on cooking with an Instant Pot and bread-making.
For now, his cooking classes are for beginners, but eventually he hopes to have advanced classes, including one on making low-carb yeast breads using vital wheat gluten.
Mr. Snyder calls himself a “techniques teacher more than a recipe
teacher,” although he does share recipes in his classes. He says mastering techniques will help people to adapt and use any recipe. He takes questions from students after class on his Facebook page at facebook.com/ cook2eat2live.
The lunchtime classes are popular, especially the ones on bread-making where more than 40 students have registered for some of them.
For the evening classes, students receive a grocery list once they register so they can be ready to cook along with the instructor. The class runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and dinner is ready when class ends.
Emily Larsen is one of the instructors for the evening classes, which are held on Zoom. She teaches the “Adaptable Dishes” series where students learn to make stir-fries, curries and ramen by switching up the meats or vegetables based on what they have on hand.
Students like this topic because you never know what ingredients will be absent from the grocery store shelves these days, particularly in the meat department, she said.
At first she found online teaching challenging because she’s accustomed to the instantaneous feedback of a classroom. Students are encouraged to leave their cameras on for her classes, if they wish, so she tries to monitor whether people have finished a step before she moves on.
But having gotten comfortable with online teaching now, she said she can see herself continuing teaching this way even after things return to “normal.”
Mr. Tilove said the evening classes are smaller because they’re on Zoom, where there’s more interaction. But some do have as many as 17 to 18 participants.
Teachers work from their home kitchens using whatever technology they have on hand. Ms. Larsen actually has three cameras — one over her stovetop, one for her cutting board and one that’s trained on her as she works.
Each class also has a facilitator who fields questions and relays them to the instructor so the instructor can focus on cooking.
“We’ve heard anecdotally that CSA sales have been through the roof this year because people are interested in having a secure source of fresh vegetables,” Mr. Tilove said.
So classes, such as a “Healthy at Home” series taught by Anthony Marino of Don’s Appliances in Robinson, will shine the spotlight on fresh vegetables. This way Phipps supports buying locally, Mr. Tilove noted.
Even post-pandemic, Mr. Tilove expects to see the Lunch and Learn online classes continue. For instance, the conservatory can’t host daytime classes during the flower shows when the place is packed with visitors.
Also, the online courses are offered at a lower price point, which some students find appealing. Lunchtime classes are $8 and the evening ones are $17.
Cooking classes scheduled through June 1 are:
• “Adaptable Dishes: En Papillote and Panzanella” with Ms. Larsen, 5 p.m. May 21
• “Lunch and Learn: Mastering the Instant Pot: Legumes” with Mr. Snyder, 12:30 p.m. May 26
• “Lunch and Learn: Basics of Bread: Ciabatta” with Mr. Snyder, 12:30 p.m. May 27
• “Healthy at Home: Homemade Pesto Pasta” with Mr. Marino, 5 p.m. May 27
• “Adaptable Dishes: Upgrade your Ramen” with Ms. Larsen, 5 p.m. May 28
• “Italian Cuisine at Home: Puttanesca and Orange Olive Oil Cake” with chef Justin Melnick, executive chef at Spello in Mars, 5 p.m. June 1.
Mr. Tilove said more classes will be added to the schedule. Summer classes that had previously been scheduled will be either converted to an online format or replaced if the pandemic makes it necessary. Courses in vegetable gardening, floral arranging, lawn care and other topics also are available.
To see the updated class schedule or to register: phipps.conservatory.org/ classes-and-programs/foradults/online-classes.
Visit a farm, virtually
Carnegie Science Center is offering new social media content to reach more people.
Among them is a Facebook Live segment called “Farm Friday,” posted at 10:30 a.m. each Friday at facebook.com/carnegiesciencecenter.
Ned Brockmeyer, director of farm programs at Hilltop Urban Farm, presents a 15to 30-minute segment that allows audiences to see the farm even though it’s a federal property that’s closed during the pandemic.
In the first Farm Friday, he showed how to grow an herb plant for the home windowsill. In the second live segment, three externs working at the farm led a story time about farming and gardening using children’s books.
Mr. Brockmeyer also has focused on soil quality and plans to teach one on preparing healthy snacks.
“There are endless amounts of stuff we could talk about,” he said.