Join our next virtual Herald Cooking Masterclass from the comfort of your own kitchen

Many of us had to “master” our kitchen during the coronavirus lockdown — from experimenting with baking bread to cooking meals every day that did not come out of a takeaway box.

Knowing how to cook just a few signature dishes, some of us were often left without inspiration.

Fortunately, the Herald Cooking Masterclass is back in an interactive virtual format, promising another fun cooking series where participants can acquire cooking tips and tricks from the Capsicum Professional Chefs, who will guide them through inspiring new recipes.

The Herald Cooking Masterclass series has proven to be hugely popular among food lovers in the Nelson Mandela Bay region over the past two years of hosting the classes at the Capsicum Culinary Studio's Port Elizabeth campus.

The fun will now continue in front of a wider audience when the second virtual live Herald Cooking Masterclass takes place on Wednesday July 22.

Interactive cooking

Capsicum Culinary Studio Port Elizabeth campus principal Beryldene Bain said while the virtual event would change some things, the learning experience would be as interactive as participants had come to expect.

“Participants can look forward to new, exciting recipes with ingredients they already have in their pantry — using kitchen equipment they have at home. They will be able to enjoy live interaction with a professional chef from the comfort of their own homes,” said Bain.

Checkers is the new official partner of the Cooking Masterclass series, starting from July, and is excited to partner with The Herald and Capsicum Culinary Studio in support of the series. The lockdown has brought many challenges, but also many opportunities.

Through virtual experiences such as the Herald Cooking Masterclass, our partners at Checkers also look forward to learning new skills in the kitchen.

Since the start of the national lockdown, Checkers has seen a big increase in the sale of cooking, baking and braaiing products, and it’s clear that South Africans are using this time to get creative in the kitchen.

On the menu

And what’s on the menu for the second virtual Herald Cooking Masterclass? The July event will offer readers a hearty recipe perfect for winter — a butternut ravioli with a burnt butter sauce and a cream base.

Each dish in the series will again be perfectly paired with Three Peaks wines’ award-winning vintages, said Mount Vernon wine estate area manager Chantal Schoonbee.

“The butternut ravioli will pair so perfectly with our Three Peaks Unwooded Chardonnay — the creamy sauce and the peach fruity flavours of the wine get me excited already! The virtual event is a cost-effective way to experiment: sipping wine and cooking in your own kitchen, while staying safe,” said Schoonbee.

Twenty lucky participants of the live Herald Cooking Masterclass will each win a bottle of wine and a branded chef’s apron. The winning wine will be a combination of the Three Peaks red wines (Merlot, Pinotage, Cantata and Shiraz), which are perfect for cold, winter nights. In addition, participants who buy a bottle of Three Peaks wine will also stand a chance of winning a year’s supply of wine (12 cases of their choice).

The winners selected for the Three Peaks lucky draw will only receive their wine once the alcohol ban is lifted, as per the president's announcement on Sunday July 12.

During each live session, participants will have a chance to share questions and comments by typing and submitting via the live chat room.

How to register for the Cooking Masterclass

>> Click here to register for this FREE event taking place on Wednesday July 22 at 3pm.