About The League of Kitchens
The League of Kitchens is an innovative cooking school and immersive culinary adventure in NYC where immigrants, who are exceptional home cooks, teach intimate cooking workshops in their homes, and participants encounter a new culture, cuisine, and neighborhood with every experience. Each workshop offers opportunities for meaningful connection and social interaction, cultural engagement and exchange, culinary learning and discovery, and exceptional eating and drinking. The League of Kitchens has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Tasting Table, Saveur, Fast Company, Time Out NY, Serious Eats, Travel+Leisure, The Splendid Table, and the Leonard Lopate Show, among others. Conde Nast Traveler called the League of Kitchens "quite possibly the coolest foodie thing to do in NYC whether you're a visitor or local." We currently offer the following workshops: Argentinian, Greek, Lebanese, Bengali, Afghan, Trinidadian, Korean, and Indian. How do I sign up? Visit our website, select a workshop, and click “SIGN UP NOW.” Are all of the classes in people’s homes? Yes! Our instructors invite you into their homes for a unique and intimate home-cooking experience. How much do the workshops cost? Full-day immersion workshops are $149/person. Two-and-a-half-hour "taste of" workshops are $95/person. How are the workshops structured? Immersion Workshops:Each workshop takes place from 1-6:30pm on a Saturday or Sunday and includes 5-6 participants. 1:00-1:30pm — Light lunch and drink/orientation/intros 1:30-3:15 — Hands-on cooking instruction 3:15-3:30 — Break 3:30-5:30 —Hands-on cooking instruction 5:30 — Start dinner 6:00/6:15 —Dessert, clean up 6:30 — Depart "Taste of" Workshops: Each workshop takes place from 2-4:30pm on a Saturday or Sunday and includes 5-6 participants. 2:00-2:30pm — Welcome snack and drink/orientation/intros 2:30-4:00 — Hands-on cooking instruction 4:00-4:30 — Eat 4:30 — Depart How frequently do you add new workshops? We generally post workshops 4-6 weeks in advance. Join our mailing list or follow us on social media to be notified when we post new workshops. I want to sign up with 4 or 5 friends (and fill a workshop). Can you schedule a workshop specifically for us? Yes! We can work with you to schedule a private workshop of your choice on the weekend of your choice (for no additional cost). Do you offer gift certificates? Yes! You can purchase gift certificates on our website. Shortly after your order we'll email you a customized gift certificate that you can email or mail to the recipient. What is your cancellation policy? If you cancel two weeks before your workshop you will receive a full credit, which you can apply to another workshop. After that, you may send someone else in your place (we ask you to notify us in advance if you're doing this). In the rare event that an instructor needs to cancel last minute, students will receive a full refund. Can I return a gift certificate and get a refund? Gift certificates are non-refundable. I have food allergies and/or am on a special diet. Which workshops can I take? All our workshop menus include detailed descriptions of ingredients and list the most common food allergens to help you choose a workshop that works for you. You can also email us to confirm anything specific that’s not listed. However, the menus cannot be altered in any way to suit personal preferences, and participation is at your own risk. What is the skill level of your workshops? Each workshop is designed to offer something for all levels—from beginner cook to professional chef. Some of the cuisines we offer (like Korean, Greek, and Lebanese) are generally based on using fresh ingredients in straight forward preparations, while others (like Indian, Bengali, and Afghan) are much more complicated when it comes to techniques, spices, etc. You may want to take that into account when choosing your workshop. No matter what your level, you will learn something new in every workshop and go home inspired. I'm having trouble choosing between an Immersion Workshop and a "Taste Of" workshop. Which type of workshop is best for me? Consider choosing an immersion workshop if you would like a 5.5 hour immersive cultural experience that focuses on in-depth culinary instruction and covers a wide variety of recipes and techniques (4-6 different dishes). Immersion workshops include a light lunch and beverage, 3 1/2 hours of hands-on cooking time, a full dinner, and a booklet of recipes and culinary information. You may prefer the shorter, 2.5 hour "Taste Of" workshop if you are seeking less in-depth culinary instruction and are most interested in the eating, cultural, and social aspects of our workshops. “Taste Of” workshops include a welcome snack and beverage, 1.5 hours of hands-on cooking time (covering 2-3 dishes), a small meal, and a booklet of recipes and culinary information. I’d like to attend with my teenage daughter/son. Is this possible? At this time, all participants must be over 18. But if this is something that interests you, please let us know. We may expand in this direction in the future. How do I find the location of my workshop? What if I get lost? Once you register for a workshop, you will be sent an email with the exact address of your workshop, along with transportation directions. There will also be a League of Kitchens staff member on-call on weekends from 11am-7pm whom you can contact if you’re lost or otherwise need help. Who are your instructors? How do you find them? All our instructors are immigrants who are exceptional home cooks with a deep knowledge of their cuisine. They are warm and generous hosts and enthusiastic and inspiring teachers. All our instructors are carefully chosen and thoroughly vetted and trained. We work closely with community and cultural organizations all over the city to find them. Do you offer scholarships? Yes, we offer a limited number of partial scholarships. Please contact us for more info. Do you do customized programs for companies and organizations? Yes! Please contact us for more information.