At a Newton-based culinary studio, people are getting back into hands-on classes — an activity in short supply during the pandemic. After months of cooking in their own kitchens, Create A Cook’s doors are now open in Newton Highlands to customers for in-person culinary experiences in addition to virtual.
Yulia Govorushko, from Watertown, used Create A Cook’s services for an in-person cooking class to reunite her family during COVID-19 and celebrate her husband’s and her birthdays.
“Cooking food together gives the experience of feeling close and connected, and in times of COVID this was a unique opportunity to do something as a family and still feel safe,” Govorushko said. “It was like having our own private restaurant where we actually cooked and had fun while doing it.”
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Dana Fernandez, co-president of Zervas Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, used Create A Cook’s to host a private, virtual cooking class for parents.
The event included an American and an Italian menu, and 30 couples chose what they wanted to cook. Fernandez said she wanted to host an event couples could enjoy together.
“I think I was surprised at how interactive it could be, not even just with the couples and the instructors, but even between couples,” Fernandez said. “There was joking and chatting. It really worked, even though there were a lot of people on [the Zoom] at once. It’s kind of a stretch, but it did almost feel like we were together.”
Jake Watkins, culinary instructor at Create A Cook, said despite sanitization, social distancing, and mask protocols, the classes are still vibrant.
“It’s really interesting because I really did think that it was going to be a duller environment, but to be honest with you — and I teach both kids and adults — it’s honestly been the same,” Watkins said. “The kids even seem more excited to be in a class, to get that social time which some of them are missing out on in school.”
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When COVID-19 hit about a year ago, Create A Cook’s co-owners, Joyce Juskalian and Geeti Gangal, had to think quickly.
It was March 12, and they were getting ready for a busy weekend when they heard they would have to shut down. Juskalian and Gangal said they donated the food they were going to use for cooking classes, and then sat down to try and make a plan.
“At first, it really wasn’t about anything other than connecting with our customers and getting some virtual classes out there so people could just do something,” Juskalian said. “It wasn’t about making money at that point, it wasn’t about anything other than staying relevant, being busy and connecting with people.”
Eric Ullman, a culinary instructor, recalled an in-person kids’ class during the pandemic when they made apple pie. There was a little girl who didn’t have enough dough to cover her pie, Ullman said, and he enjoyed seeing how she handled a tricky situation.
“She made this beautiful lattice topping on top of the pie,” Ullman said. “The look on her face was just worth a million dollars. I put it up on social media.”
Not only do customers rave about the experience at Create A Cook, Govorushko also said the food was delicious even if it was something you didn’t expect to enjoy.
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“My daughter, for example, doesn’t like mushrooms, and we had a mushroom dish with mushroom topping,” Govorushko said. “She tried it, loved it and continued to eat it.”
Create A Cook has hosted many private cooking classes for families and individual cohorts. Watkins recalled a family that was especially grateful to experience something together.
“Restaurants have started to reopen, but those hands-on experiences are still struggling, so we’re a place that provides that,” Watkins said.
Gangal and Juskalian said they are glad to give people in Newton and beyond a place to connect.
“People may not remember the recipe they cooked, but they will remember the experience they had here,” Gangal said.
Jessica Stevens can be reached at newtonreport@globe.com.