Before cooking my first meal in my little London kitchen, I took a private, personalised cooking class with the awesome Alex at Whole Foods Dedham. The best part? It was delicious. The second best part? It was only $20 for two hours. !

I requested vegan dinners and packable lunches that don’t require too much space or equipment. Alex had five recipes ready for me to learn, with the ingredients all ready to mix together.

On the menu:

Nutty Coconut Granola

Gazpacho

Curried Vegetable Stew

Smoky Spiced Chickpeas

Noodles with Quick-Pickled Vegetables

I learned about some magical ingredients, like smoked paprika and Borsari salt, which add instant flavour. Another tip was to mix peanut butter in with the curry. Sneaky!

Wholes Foods Dedham offers group and private classes, and other branches offer similar deals.

[Not a sponsored post; I’m just enthusiastic.]