Reviews
Hi Raquel,I had a blast! I hope to be able to do it again soon, you're so much fun, and I felt much more confident that I may be able to tackle a little more in the kitchen than I thought.
Best,
Megan H.
Group Cooking Class Student
Date of Posting: 15 February 2012
Posted By: Megan H.
Posted By: Megan H.
You are very welcome thank you for your patience and for the wonderful cooking class. It was excellent. It was a pleasure cooking with you!Date of Posting: 04 February 2012
Posted By: Samantha J.
Posted By: Samantha J.
Great chef, would highly recommendDate of Posting: 11 January 2012
Posted By: rizaldo
Posted By: rizaldo
Raquel, thank you for the picture and the course. We had a great time, learned a lot, and had a wonderful dinner. Happy new year, jgDate of Posting: 06 January 2012
Posted By: J Griffin
Posted By: J Griffin
I hired Raquel to come cook with my mom and me in her apartment. From the outset, Raquel's was extremely professional - she contacted me within a day of my inquiry, helped me pick out a menu to suit my mom's picky appetite, and made sure we had everything we needed. On the day of the class she spent about three hours with us - teaching us a ton about cooking (no small feat - I am married to a trained chef) and telling us all about her interesting life working with the school lunch program. The recipes were simple, yet delicious, and she taught us to cook without them - and to instead learn the concepts behind what we were doing.I would not hesitate to hire Raquel again and again, and to recommend her to everyone we know (within a day my mother had told at least 10 people how wonderful it was). Raquel is charming and relaxed, professional and full of cooking knowledge.
Date of Posting: 10 September 2011
Posted By: Beth B.
Albany, CA
Posted By: Beth B.
Albany, CA
I'm skeptical of finding services online rather than through friends. But my friends couldn't help with this one: I needed a chef for my daughter's 13th birthday party (10 girls cooking lunch at our home). I found 3 solid and appropriate kids party chefs online; I settled on Raquel because she appeared warm and funny and down-to-earth, as well as knowledgeable and skilled. Little did I know how truly terrific she would be. Raquel arrived with every single detail of the menu organized and provided for; she even brought her own oven mitts! She was relaxed, prepared, organized; she left our kitchen immaculate. And she can cook! The meal was superb and gratefully not dumbed down for kids. Raquel knew exactly how complicated to get without overwhelming young teens. For over 2 solid hours, she had them completely engaged with serious cooking and laughing all the while. I was awed by her professionalism and touched by her lovely demeanor. The party was a complete success and my daughter has only joyful memories of it as do my husband and I.Date of Posting: 17 April 2011
Posted By: Susan B.
New York, NY
Posted By: Susan B.
New York, NY
Raquel's classes are amazing. My boyfriend and I have taken 2 with her, and every time she is professional and fun! She is very flexible and can always make something out of anything. Very informative, very fun, you feel at ease in the kitchen no matter your cooking level. Taking her class is a must!Date of Posting: 12 April 2011
Posted By: Krista D.
Bellmore, NY
Posted By: Krista D.
Bellmore, NY
I purchased a 2-person private cooking class with Raquel as a birthday gift for my 12-year old cousin. We had an absolutely fantastic time. Raquel is a kind and patient teacher, and was very thoughtful about customizing her instruction for both my skill level (as a 30-something) and that of my tween cousin (a cooking novice) so we both got the best learning experience. From the very beginning, she was incredibly responsive to my inquiries and great at communicating about the nature of the class, helpful with menu suggestions, and super- accommodating about the fact that I was a vegetarian, while my cousin wanted to learn to cook a steak! She was really thoughtful about showing me shortcuts I could use in my super-small NYC kitchen, since I explained that I didn't have all the same tools at home as at my cousin's more well-equipped digs (i.e. how to make your own double-boiler). It is clear that Raquel is passionate about food and loves to teach, particularly teaching young people about healthy and sustainable eating. I would definitely recommend a cooking class with Raquel and A Pinch of Salt, for tweens or adults. It would also be a great anniversary or wedding present for a couple. I should also say that I did a lot of research before picking A Pinch of Salt, and her class was definitely one of the best-priced in private lessons in town. I hope to doDate of Posting: 20 March 2011
Posted By: Sara Z.
Jackson Heights, NY
Posted By: Sara Z.
Jackson Heights, NY
Raquel was the highlight of my daughter's 13th Birthday party. She led 12 girls through the prep and creation of a delicious and sophisticated dinner that went from her salsa and guacamole through three different kinds of ravioli and sauces and on to individual chocolate molten lava cakes. The girls learned everything from how to chop and dice and to roll out and stuff their own homemade pasta and they had a fun and funny time doing it. Raquel was thoroughly prepared for the whole meal and for the girls' energy. She provided ALL the ingredients for a great party.Date of Posting: 18 March 2011
Posted By: Kevin C.
Bronxville, NY
Posted By: Kevin C.
Bronxville, NY
My husband and I got a gift certificate to A Pinch of Salt for our wedding, and because of work and traveling, it took us a year to actually use it. I wish we had used it a lot sooner, because it was a fantastic experience. From choosing our menu, to having everything delivered via Fresh Direct the day of, to actually teaching us how to cook our meal by ourselves, Raquel was just amazing. In addition to being a great chef and a wonderful teacher, she was also extremely cool to just hang out with! I think that really made our night, because it could have been awkward if she had been a different person, but she has a great personality and seems to be able to talk to anyone. We also loved that the meals she teaches you to cook are not really that complicated, so we can actually recreate them ourselves now. She was wonderful from beginning to end, and even followed up with a Christmas card. We now have someone to go to if we need to buy wedding presents for our friends! Thanks Raquel!Date of Posting: 15 March 2011
Posted By: Patti H.
Manhattan, NY
Posted By: Patti H.
Manhattan, NY
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