What’s cookin’, good lookin’? Whether you’re a home cook, an aspiring chef, or starting from scratchyou’re bound to find a course that will teach you something new or enhance your skills in one of the many cooking courses on offer around Cairo.

NOTE- If you’re stumped for a Christmas present, signing up your loved one, or both of you, for one of the courses will be a great gift that keeps on giving.

#1- The Cooking School: For amateurs and professionals alike, this institution has something for everyone. Enrolling in one of their cooking for beginners programs, you can expect to be introduced to skills like proper knife use, plus, cooking vegetables and chicken to perfection. Their short courses, which include learning specific culinary techniques like making sushi rolls, mille-feuille, risotto, and Palestinian cuisine, are offered in one-day weekend sessions or bite-sized three-hour evening courses.

WHERE- Midtown Mall, New Cairo, Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG: Their most basic course, Cooking for Beginners, will cost EGP 550 to EGP 650 for a single session which runs for two sessions. Short courses with a more specific thematic focus range between EGP 700-EGP 3k. Weekend night courses will run you between EGP 700 and EGP 800.

#2- Mamushka: Founded six years ago, Mamushka has been trying to reshape people’s relationship to food by getting them to cook the food and eat it, too. The best part: All of the products and ingredients are locally-sourced — so you can find them in the supermarket when you want to cook at home.

NOTE- Their classes are not courses per se, but more like cooking activities, where attendees collaboratively prepare their food under the supervision of Mamushka’s experienced founders. You also get to select your preferred cuisine beforehand, out of which a menu is curated for your evening.

ALSO- Group reservations require a minimum of four people to book and can go up to nine. For bookings, contact Mamushka over WhatsApp at 01006614746.

WHERE- Diplomatic Towers Street, Maadi, Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG: Mamushka’s cooking session ranges between EGP 500-EGP 900 per person.

#3- Community Services Association (CSA): Tucked away in Maadi, CSA offers tailored cooking courses for groups guided by a panel of rotating chefs specialized in international cuisines. Workshop schedules are often guided by demand and have in the past included Chinese, Italian, Syrian, and Egyptian cuisine in their roster. Group courses, which take between 4-7 people, run once a week for four weeks and cover how to make about 12 dishes by the end of the course. Private courses can also be arranged upon request.

WHERE: Road, 4 No. 21, Maadi, Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG: Each 2-3 hour session in the month-long course, costs EGP 800 per person.

#4- Egyptian Chefs Association (ECA): This is for the pros: The Egyptian Chefs Association (ECA) offers a number of chef training programs geared to get your foot in the door of the food industry. Their basics of professional cooking program teaches students standard kitchen techniques that run the gamut from preparing their mise en place (fancy for ingredients) and cutting skills to braising and grilling. Enrolling in their professional pastry program will offer you the chance to take a deep dive into flour, sugar, fats, and chocolate, and how to professionally incorporate them into the baking process. Think pie crusts, ice cream, fudge icing and a growing waistline.

WHERE- 20 Salem Salem, Agouza, Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG: The ECA’s Basics of Professional Cooking – Level 1 course meets twice a week from 9am-4pm for a total of 16 sessions and will cost between EGP 12k-EGP 14k. Their Basics of Professional Pastry program meets four days a week from 9am- 4pm for a total of 16 sessions and will run you EGP 14.5k-EGP 16k.

#5- Mon Appetit Culinary and Hospitality Academy: Mon Appetit offers a variety of amateur and professional cooking classes that include baking, making fresh pasta, and Indian cuisine. If you’re looking for a crash-course on the basics of cooking, their three-day cooking for beginners workshop — where you’ll pick up knife skills, making stock, and cooking rice to perfection — is probably your best bet. For those looking to take their skills to the next level (and are possibly gunning for a career shift) their three-month Cambridge Training College-certified diploma is your best course of action.

WHERE: Palm Strip Mall, Building A, 1st Floor, Giza, Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG: Workshops focused on a cuisine or developing a specific skill set will set you back about EGP 1.3k per day. Professional training can go up to a whopping EGP 42.5k for a three-month long certified cooking course.

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