Orange County Libraries Offer Free Cooking Classes

ORANGE COUNTY, Florida. – Do you like to cook? Do you like to eat Well, you can take cooking classes at your local library.

The Orange County Library System has been offering free cooking classes as part of its ‘Kitchen Corner’ program since 2014.

“We saw that there were a lot of great restaurants and local chefs in the area and we wanted to bring more adults into the library,” said Josh Shidel, Orange County Library System event planner. . “The chefs prepare the food there, you smell it, you taste it. “

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During the pandemic, Cuisine Corner went virtual. Chefs and restaurants like Hungry Pants are teaming up with OCLS to share recipes and cooking tips.

You can follow live online or refer to the video and cook at your own pace. The owners of Hungry Pants said the classes were a win-win for their new businesses and library members.

“The Kitchen Corner was a great way for us to market our business and people who are still hesitant to go out could cook the food at home,” said Joey Conicella, co-owner of Hungry Pants.

Cuisine Corner is so successful that the program has grown.

“We started Kitchen Corner Junior, developing recipes suitable for children,” said Shidel.

Before the pandemic, children and teens would gather at their local library and bake foods like waffles and spinach cupcakes.

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In the meantime, the courses are available online. Some classes encourage families to work together to create a dish at home. The chefs are live online, available to answer all of your culinary questions.

“It’s more about leading with flavor and creativity and we’re very happy to share that with people,” said Alex Marin, co-owner of Hungry Pants.

Whether you’re a foodie or not, the Orange County Library System has something for every interest.

“It’s not just books, it’s really about educating and enriching your life: culture, entertainment, food,” Conicella said.

Click here to see the Kitchen Corner class schedule. Classes are free and may require registration and a library card.

Some courses are also posted on YouTube.

The organizers of the Kitchen Corner do not yet know when classes will resume face-to-face at the library.

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