Culture-Immersion Caucasus Cooking Classes with Feride Buyuran

Join Feride in her kitchen for 100%-participatory, hands-on cooking classes, always followed by a feast around the table! A unique culinary-cultural immersion you don’t want to miss! Classes take place in Long Beach, CA.

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Spice Up Your Plate!

Saturday, February 22, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Appetizers and tea will be served. Space is limited.

Ready for another hands-on culture-immersion cooking class? Welcome to Azerbaijan. Let’s spice up our plates and palates! This is not a demo class – we all participate! First, learn how to make the most stunning, brightly colored saffron rice pilaf  with sumac-marinated chicken. Move on to baking savory hand pies stuffed with turmeric-flavored walnuts and caramelized onions, from my grandmother’s recipe! For the sweet ending to our class – let’s make firni, a luscious, creamy rice pudding  sprinkled generously with cinnamon. And how about enjoying your creations with a glass of piping hot tea and a good doze of friendly chatter around the table?  You will learn a lot, have fun, and  make new friends! Guaranteed! Don’t miss this class! Bundle it up with another cooking class and receive a 10% discount (enter the discount coupon code at checkout: cookingclass10%).

REGISTER NOW!

What we’ll make (V is for vegetarian):

  • saffron rice pilaf with sumac-marinated chicken, sumakhli plov
  • breads with turmeric-flavored walnuts and onions, goz kokesi (V)
  • milky rice pudding with cinnamon, firni (V)

$75.00Read more

Feride's Cooking Classes

Who teaches the classes?

Yours truly Feride Buyuran. I focus on the food of the Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia) and Turkey. I am the author of the five-times award-winning cookbook, Pomegranates & Saffron: A Culinary Journey to Azerbaijan. I look forward to cooking with you! Come with appetite!

Where will the classes take place?

At my house in Long Beach, CA. Conveniently located near major freeways. Address will be provided upon registration.

What is included in the fee?

A 3 to 4-hour-long hands-on and 100% participatory cooking class, a feast/tea/socialization party at the end, all ingredients (high quality and organic when possible), and enlightening and casual experience in a home setting. Please arrive 10 minutes earlier to sign in and meet other participants.

Cooking Class with Feride | Cooking Classes Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange County |

We baked 5 breads and cakes in one baking class! Photo by Yakir Levy.

What is the class format?

All students receive printed recipes of the dishes to be prepared in the class. I begin the class with a brief introduction about the menu and ingredients. Then we proceed to cooking each dish together. Unlike some other cooking classes, where participants are grouped into teams and each team works on a separate recipe, in my classes everybody works on the same recipe before we move on to the next. Everybody participates! At the end of cooking, we all sit down and enjoy everything we’ve cooked, combined with a good doze of chatter and laughter.  The feast is always accompanied by a tea party.

How big is each class?

For the best hands-on cooking experience, I like to keep my classes small, with a maximum of 10 people attending at a time. A minimum of 5 people is required to start a class. Perhaps you have a friend you would like to bring along? Tell him or her about the class.

How many dishes will be taught in each class?

Depending on the length of preparation and cooking and difficulty of a recipe, you will be taught from 2 to 5 recipes in any given class.

Do I need to be an experienced cook to enroll?

No. My classes are designed for cooks of any levels, from novice to experienced.

What should I bring to class?

Nothing but your favorite apron (it is not mandatory). Wear comfortable cloths and tie your long hair. Classes are BYOB – you are welcome to bring your favorite drink to enjoy during the class. Also, if you prefer to take your food home, please bring your own container. You may also want to bring a pen along, to take notes on the recipes.

How far in advance do I need to reserve my spot in a class?

You can make a reservation at any time. However, because class size is limited, the earlier you register, the better.

What is the payment process?

You pay online with your credit card or PayPal to reserve your spot in a class. All classes are confirmed by email automatically upon completion of the registration. Please make sure to provide a correct e-mail address. Once you receive the confirmation, mark your calendar and you are all set!

What is your cancellation policy?

100% refund if given a 7-day or earlier notice prior to the class date and 50% refunded if given 72 hours notice or more. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made on the day of the class but we can reschedule your reservation for another class. Please Contact Me with your cancellation request. If you have an emergency situation beyond your control, let me know, we are all humans and I will understand. Please note that your reservation is transferable—if you cannot attend your class, you are welcome to send someone in your place without notice.

Do you offer quantity discount coupon?

Yes! But not on classes offered at discount already (such as special launch discount). If you register for 2 classes or more offered at a regular price (not sale price), you receive a 10% discount. Please enter the discount coupon code at checkout: cookingclass10%

We are a large group. Can we have a private class?

Sure. I can accommodate your request if you have a group of a minimum of 5 people. Please Contact Me and mention the class you are interested in. If you prefer a different day and time than offered, please let me know and we’ll work something out.

Can I get a signed copy of your cookbook, “Pomegranates & Saffron,” at the class?

Absolutely!

Testimonials

“I had an incredible time cooking with Feride. She is a great cook, teacher and a very sweet person. She did an amazing job keeping our class fun and educational. The cooking class was very well organized, everyone had their own station with professional knives and other utensils. There was a great balance of teaching, hands on experience and socializing with other cooking partners. We had so much fun cooking together and making beautiful food from scratch. Moreover, after we cooked everything we sat down and enjoyed our creations. I picked up copies of the recipes and can’t wait to have friends over and make everything at home. I would highly recommend classes with Feride to anyone who desires to learn more about cooking.”

                                                                                                                                          — Ramina Magid

What a fabulous time we had with Feride Buyuran from AZ Cookbook at her baking class! I can’t recommend this class enough. Everything was amazing.”

— Cathy Arkle

Feride, thank you so much for this wonderful wonderful wonderful day.  It was the most enjoyable time!”

  — Susan Cannon

“Wow! What an amazing experience! Not only Feride is an incredible cook, but she is also a wonderful person. Her personality, skills, and creativity truly made our cooking class perfect. The class was extremely informative and, moreover, interactive. As you know, in some cooking classes participants don’t actually get their hands dirty and do the cooking. It’s just a demonstration in which chefs cook and we watch, taste, and smell. In Feride’s class, things were different – we learned about knife cuts, used other kitchen equipment and participated in the complete dinner preparation process. At the end, we were able to sit down to a dinner that the entire class made and enjoyed our efforts. The food was AMAZING!!! I will definitely take another class with Feride again.”

— Natalie Golovkova

“It was a wonderful experience.  I enjoyed it and am still talking about it. ”

                                                                                                                                                                  — Pam Gudish

“I thoroughly enjoyed Feride’s cooking class.  I attended a session with a vegetarian menu and it was nice to add new vegetarian-friendly recipes to my repertoire.  I tried one of them at home a week later to excellent reviews from my husband.  In addition to learning new recipes and cooking skills, it was a great evening out.  I already knew a couple of the attendees, but the rest were new to me.  We all worked together on the menu and got to know a little about each other as we prepared the food.  Sitting down to our delicious feast together at the end of class was a joy.  Feride is an excellent instructor and could answer any question we came up with.  She is not only knowledgeable, but gracious and fun.  I highly recommend her classes.”

                                                                                                                                                                  — Marilee Bryant

“Great cooking class with Chef Feride! What an amazing cooking and tasting experience my friends and I had last week! Not only you learn how to make food, but also you are there to socialize, network and team build with your friends and peers. And most of all, the food was delicious ! I really enjoyed how Feride’s Eastern European/Middle Eastern roots showed themselves in some of her choices. It gives you a real authentic experience that you won’t get often. We loved our experience, it was a fun group activity!  Feride was very friendly, professional and knowledgeable about all things food and beyond. I will definitely recommend Feride’s cooking classes to all my friends and family.”

— Nika Vekilova

“I’ve taken classes all around the world and Feride Buyuran’s classes are some of the best ever…deep into the world of Azerbaijan/Turkey and beyond. You will never be cheated on technique, cultural facts, and an absolute integral dance of that culture. Food is her passion, her way of relating to the world and the soul of it is more than inspirational. It is LOVE in the finest and passionate experience of the soul. She is an inspiration even to me who has been teaching cooking for over 14 years–and yet she keeps me on my toes, loving, wondering and exploring that which feeds our bodies, hearts, minds, and souls, is there and only there ….nothing else in the universe that can do that as does the foods/experience of culture and the love of it does.”

— Annette Gallardo

“Feride, we enjoyed the class so much and every student was lovely and interesting!  I hope to meet you all again in the future and we look forward to cooking many of your recipes.”

— Mirella Huber

Dear Feride, your bread-baking class was FAR more than any of us expected and I feel truly lucky and blessed to have spent an afternoon in your home, preparing and eating all the wonderful breads and foods of Azerbaijan.  You are gracious and lovely, and I thank you for sharing your home and your culture with us.  Beginning with the breakfast reception when we arrived, to the feta and honey with our feseli in between, and finally to enjoying the “breads” of our labor all together at the table — you two treated us to a most unforgettable afternoon. The best part was indeed sitting all together at the table, enjoying each other’s company and the magnificent spread that you prepared for us. I enjoyed all the delicious, wonderful foods you offered, and I thank you for all of it — including the Azerbaijani tea!

— Deborah Grayson

“We had a wonderful time! I made some bread last night in my improvised tandoor.

— Jonathan Huber

” I made the baklava yesterday to bring to an afternoon event and they were great!  I look forward to making dushbere with (a large group) of friends.

— Mirella Huber

“Dear Feride, thank you so much for opening up your home and teaching us about food from Azerbaijan and Turkey. You were both so generous and gracious, we had a really good time. I can’t wait to make the stuffed cabbage and baklava with my students! All the other participants were great, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

— Barbara Drucker

If you have any questions, please click Contact Me to email Feride Buyuran. Or, call 562 774 3144.