Budding home cooks can learn how to create authentic Syrian and Persian cuisine this month at the latest online classes hosted by Virtual Community Kitchen.
The Virtual Community Kitchen is now run by Cyrenians, a charitable organisation that helps to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness.
The team at Cyrenians work with people who are at risk of becoming homeless and support them to transform their lives.
Now part of Cyrenians’ long-existing Good Food Programme – the Virtual Community Kitchen's services teach people about the benefits of growing, cooking and eating good food together in local communities, as well as offering educational and fun events.
This month there are two cooking classes - Syrian cooking with Noura and Persian cooking with Solmaz.
The Syrian cooking class takes place online on Saturday 16 January from 11am-1pm.
Describing the event, the Virtual Community Kitchen team said: "The wonderful Noura Selibi, who ran our sold- out Syrian supper clubs pre-Covid is back in the kitchen teaching you how to make her excellent Baba Ganoush and award-winning Baklava.
"Come and join us online to learn Noura’s secret for achieving that wonderful smoky flavour in her Baba Ganoush. Noura’s Baklava is packed with healthy nuts and has won her an award on the BBC Scotland show Flour Power."
The Persian cooking class will take place on Saturday 23 January, from 11am-1pm.
Speaking of this class, the team said: "Come and join us online on for a Persian cooking class with a Scottish twist.
"Chef Solmaz Eradat will be showing you how to cook a vegetarian Haggis Kookoo (a traditional vegetable flan with saffron) and delicious Yazidi cupcakes that are flavoured with rosewater and cardamom.
"Both recipes are vegan and so perfect if you are doing Vegan January and of course the haggis recipe would be perfect for Burns night on the 25th January."
All proceeds from the events will go towards supporting the charity's work that changes lives through food, including teaching people to cook on a budget, providing flat pack meals for people to cook at home and meal deliveries for those with no food or funds.
To find out more and book, please visit the Virtual Community Kitchen website.
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