When my sister/maid of honour first asked me about what I wanted to do for my bachelorette party, it was hard to come up with something for the time of year that it would be in. Spring can be crazy cold here in Canada, so that took out most outdoor activities, including white water rafting, which had always been my dream bachelorette (I know, I’m weird). I wasn’t feeling like a big wild night of bar hopping, so that took out most traditional bachelorette themes…so I told her I wanted an experience. Something tangible to do with all my closest friends.
Up until the moment I walked through the door, I had no idea where we were going, or what we were doing and I’ll admit that I was a little nervous. Everyone who knew kept saying that I’d love it…which got me wondering what on earth she’d come up with.
It turns out that we were going to a cooking class at Aphrodite Cooks with some of my closest girlfriends, followed by a night out dancing in trendy Kensington Market and staying overnight downtown at a hotel room booked by my parents. It was the perfect night to let loose and have fun before the wedding. It just goes to show you that my sister knows me even better than I know myself.
She planned the whole thing, right down to figuring out the nut-free/gluten-free menu with the talented owner/head chef Vanessa Yeung.
The class was in a beautiful brick and beam building with large plank floors and decorated with fresh tulips and candles throughout. The table was so inviting and was perfect for everyone to sit around to talk.
They had a bar set up with punch and wine for the guests to enjoy throughout the evening. We all grabbed a drink and chatted while we waited for everyone to get settled in.
I was so excited when I saw the theme to the menu – Urban Italian. I lived in Little Italy in downtown Toronto for three and a half years, so I have a great love of all the incredible dishes from that culture. These all had a great modern twist on them and I could hardly wait to learn how to make them, especially how to make gnocchi from scratch!
Potato Gnocchi with Chorizo, Peas and Asparagus
Potato Gnocchi with Peas and Asparagus (vegetarian)
Marinated Wild Mushroom Salad
Shaved Fennel, Watercress, Radicchio Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Apple Crostata with Vanilla Ice Cream
{recipes are at the bottom of the page}
We knew this was going to get messy, so we tossed our rings in a bowl and rolled up our sleeves. We also got to wear some white aprons and they gave me a clean one to have everyone sign it after dinner. Such a thoughtful way to remember a great evening.
Everyone got a ball of gnocchi dough to roll and cut into soft little pillows. I’m going to need to do a tutorial for it on here someday soon because it really is WAY easier than I thought.
I’ve tried to make it before and it turned out tough and bland but these were perfect balanced with cheese and fresh herbs. They even had a station setup to make a gluten-free version too!
After the gnocchi was made, we were divided into separate stations to make the rest of the dishes. Each station was already setup with all the ingredients and tools needed, as well as a copy of the recipe for reference.
Our instructors, Vanessa and Angie MacRae were great in guiding everyone on how to make each recipe and offering tips along the way.
I could have hung out with them all day and just listened to their recommendations. Angie had her own TV shows, This Food, That Wine and Foodies, and has written a book. We loved hearing all about her stories of working in television.
Everyone got to work on the meal together. I tend to cook on my own, so getting to do it with all my good friends in a social setting was so much fun. I definitely think we need to cook together more often!
My cousin Anne was working the grill (while drinking punch) and Ashley got right in there rolling out the pie dough.
You better believe I was itching to get in there and mix up some stuff too, like this chorizo sausage. I never knew it was so easy to make it from scratch!
It was so much fun to chat with everyone while we prepped the food and learned more about each dish.
It meant so much to me to have friends come from all over to join us. The great thing about this activity is that everyone could join – whether you needed to be home early for kids/work, or wanted to stay out late and go dancing.
We all got to sit back and enjoy some wine while the chefs did the last of the cooking.
Before we knew it, dinner was ready and we all gathered around the table to share it family style, with big platters of gorgeous food that smelled amazing. Just looking at these photos again is making me hungry!
Potato Gnocchi with Chorizo, Peas and Asparagus
Potato Gnocchi with Peas and Asparagus (vegetarian)
Shaved Fennel, Watercress, Radicchio Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Marinated Wild Mushroom Salad (which was my favourite dish)
Dessert was a Apple Crostata with Vanilla Ice Cream, but I somehow missed getting a photo of it completed. It was so delicious and had a great rustic crust and a lovely warm apply jelly drizzled over top.
Thanks again to the awesome team at Aphrodite Cooks. They really made the evening fantastic and I couldn’t have asked for a better send off into married life. Be sure to check out their website and all the fun classes coming up.
If you’d like to try your hand at making any of these recipes, click here for a printable PDF of all the dishes we made. I can’t wait to make them again myself!
This looks like such fun!! I’ve always wanted to do a cooking class!