FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My fee is $80/hour for a three-hour session. The groceries are the responsibility of the client. I will provide a shopping list before we meet. Some clients prefer to pay a one hour provisioning fee ($80) and I show up with all the groceries we need for the lesson we choose. There is a small mileage fee for destinations outside Rt 128. In preparation for our session, I'll take what I learn about your needs into account and plan a set of recipes that meets your requirements. Recipes are yours to keep and I frequently have cookbook recommendations for you, websites that I think you'll enjoy, etc. All my clients are invited (but not required) to join my CookwithMe.Slack.com cooking team site. There I share recipes, tips, links and cooking clients often share their questions or their pics of their latest creations.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I explore what your likes, preferences, allergies, skills are ahead of time. This enables to me to pick recipes that employ the skills you're most interested in learning or improving. Are you looking for delicious but quick weeknight meals to help break the takeout habit? Have you always wanted to learn Asian dumplings or stir-fry? Eager to explore the Mediterranean diet? Looking to incorporate some diversity of flavors?
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I've been leading food and culture tours in Chinatown and the North End as a guide for Michele Topor's Boston Food Tours for years. I've cooked with private clients in their homes and also have taught at Boston Adult Ed and more recently Brookline Adult & Community Education. I've taught at-risk kids in afterschool programs and made an overnight baking adventure for friends' kids.