Since getting married, cooking has become a part of my everyday life. As I mentioned before, we don’t have a helper at home so my husband and I are pretty much on our own when it comes to cleaning the house, walking the dog and yes, even cooking. Gone are the days when I would wake up to a hearty breakfast or make requests for lunch or dinner (unless of course, my husband will surprise me with breakfast, which he does occasionally). I never thought twice about having a helper at home before (or not having one), but now, now I really cherish those memories haha.

But fending for ourselves isn’t all that bad. Because of our current situation Carlos and I have learned to work together, because if someone slacks off, the other one will be doing all the work (which will likely lead to a whole lot of crankiness or even worse, an argument–NOT WORTH IT haha). So usually if one cooks the other one cleans. I’m still not sure which one I like more, I guess its more cleaning than cooking. Though I am really trying my best to change that!

And so when my good friend, fellow newbie wife (also without a helper at home) Patty Laurel-Filart invited me to attend cooking classes with her, I was so in. I really felt like I needed to improve my cooking skills ASAP and not just rely on my go-to dishes from my Betty Crocker cookbook (its basically a circulation of country fried chicken, steak, mediterranean chicken and a bunch of salads). Honestly, I was never curious about cooking before, nor was I ever in the kitchen. But I guess desperate times call for desperate measures haha–just kidding, cooking is really something I wish to master one day.

The cooking classes are by a company called 25 MUSHROOMS. It is led by Sari Reyes-Jorge, who happens to be an AMAZING cook and teacher. These are no-frills kind-of classes that mostly cater to household cooks/helpers, but of course, if you want to join in to learn how to cook, you can totally do it. They offer a wide range of cuisines, like Japanese, Thai, American, Italian, and even wellness classes just so you can cook meals that are healthy but still yummy. The classes are taught in Tagalog (which I didn’t mind at all), and the dishes are all quite easy because the recipes are broken down to the basics–from where to buy the ingredients to how to actually cook it. Like if you attended the class without knowing anything about cooking, you’ll still be able to understand it. Haha so more or less, its for people like me and Patty! What I love about it is that its about everyday cooking and nothing else–these are actual meals you can add to your menu and not fancy-shmancy recipes you’d have to wait for an occasion to cook. You can ask questions if you’re lost, you can take photos of each step, so you know how each step is supposed to look like, and after cooking the food, you get to eat it (my favorite part).

It really is an easy way to get into cooking, and right away you’re cooking amazing recipes. I highly recommend it! Or if you don’t have time to cook and you’re lucky enough to have helpers at home, this is the best way to get them to cook delicious dishes everyday.

25 Mushrooms holds many classes every month, offering different cuisines for only P1,100 per head. In one class you’ll get to learn around 7-8 awesome recipes, including invaluable tips on plating, how to properly serve the food, and how to buy ingredients in the grocery or market. They have two branches: one in Valle Verde 5 and another in Merville Park, which makes it accessible to most of us. I personally learned a great deal from these classes, and Carlos says my cooking has improved. Of course, that’s good enough for me! But I will still try to hone and cultivate my cooking prowess–you’ll never know, one day I might be good enough to cook for family and friends. In the meantime, its practice, practice, practice for me! 

To learn more about 25 Mushrooms, check out their Facebook site:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/25-Mushrooms-Kitchen/265457242131