Since the pandemic began, all of our lives have been upended. The isolation, the many changes we’ve had to make in our routines, and the endless cooking haven’t been easy for any of us.
I’ve started doing live stream cooking classes as a service to the Black Sesame Kitchen community and to the wider world in general. I hope to make a small difference by virtually being with you in your kitchen.
I hope you get something out of them — perhaps a few new ideas for home cooking, a tip or two that helps make your cooking easier, and maybe just some inspiration — in and out of the kitchen.
But I have to admit I’m also doing the classes for selfish reasons: I miss being able to connect with friends, family, and our guests at Black Sesame Kitchen. The classes have given me a reason to get out of my sweatpants — though I might still wear them in some of my cooking sessions! — and to share my love of cooking with you.
And the other reason I’m doing these classes is for Black Sesame Kitchen, the cooking school I founded in 2008. It’s been going through some rough times with the pandemic. While we are restarting operations, we’re gone three months without cash flow. Many eating establishment around the world are of course in the same position, and my sympathies go out to every business that is finding itself in a quandary: whether to pull the plug or sink more money into an operation that might not make it.
My team and I have gone through those decisions — and we’re committed to continue on. Fortunately, as a small team and a small business we haven’t had to lay anyone off, but it will be a long battle to full recovery. We’re hoping to break even by the end of the year.
The classes will continue to be free. But if you enjoy them and it’s within your budget, please consider donating to our cause: bringing people together around the world through food. And to offer you some awesome wine and dining next time you’re in Beijing. Donations can be made through PayPal, Venmo or directly by credit card if you email us with the amount you’d like to donate.
I’ll be updating this page with our upcoming classes, but in the meantime, please email classes@blacksesamekitchen if you’re interested in joining our community. Thank you for your support — it means even more during this challenging period.
Keep calm and keep cooking,
Jen