( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Founder Lisa Kyung Gross Publishes “The League of Kitchens Cookbook”
ENSPIRE Contributor: Gabrielle Maya
Immerse yourself in the latest virtual and in-person NYC-based cooking classes led entirely by immigrant women. Lisa Kyung Gross created and founded the League of Kitchens and introduced an enriching culinary experience in the instructors’ homes and kitchens. The League of Kitchens is an innovative and widely acclaimed cooking school that empowers immigrant women to share family recipes, culinary expertise, culture, and stories through intimate, hands-on cooking workshops in their homes and online. Known for their signature tagline, “Cook like a Grandma,” The League of Kitchens supports diverse traditions of women worldwide and offers new exclusive merch.
People know The League of Kitchens for its diverse cooking school experience and home-like welcome. Instructors hail from Mexico, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ukraine, Greece, Afghanistan, India, Argentina, Japan, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, India, and Nepal. 14 exceptional home cooks reside in The League of Kitchens cooking instruction. They have been featured in “The New York Times,” “The Wall Street Journal,” “Oprah Magazine,” and more. Here are the following classes that they offer:
- Mexican Spring Online Workshop with Angie ($60)
- Uzbek Taste of Spring In-Person Workshop with Damira ($150)
- Indonesian Immersion Spring Workshop with Shandra ($195)
We talked with Lisa Kyung Gross, who shares how the creation of The League of Kitchens became a reality, along with information on how cooks can participate. She told us what participants can expect when booking a cooking class, including information from The League of Kitchens Cookbook.
How did the idea of The League of Kitchens come about, and what efforts did you make to set it in motion?
My personal experiences inspired me to create the League of Kitchens. My mother, a Korean immigrant, came to the US in the early 1970s, while my father is a Jewish New Yorker of Hungarian descent. Growing up, my grandmother would cook excellent meals for our family but always told me to focus on my studies. Because of this, neither my mother nor I learned the cherished family recipes we loved so much.
In my early 20s, I began to learn how to cook for the first time and fell in love with recreating recipes from my childhood. Unfortunately, nothing tasted as good as my grandmother’s cooking, and by then, she had already passed away. This sparked my desire to create a way to learn from family recipes and grandmothers who had been cooking for years.
After earning my MFA and contemplating my next project, I decided to find cooks from around the world and learn their home recipes, fostering cross-cultural learning, connections, and exchanges through culinary experiences. I started with a small pilot, initially an art project with an art institution. Despite the extensive effort in finding the right instructors, the positive experiences of both participants and instructors led me to think, “Why not create an unconventional cooking class?” This marked the beginning of The League of Kitchens Cooking School.
How do these renowned cultured kitchen cooks participate in The League of Kitchens?
All of our instructors are immigrant women who are exceptional home cooks. They teach their family recipes to small groups of students in their homes, acting as teachers and hosts. We find our instructors through various methods, and they undergo intensive paid training. While all are skilled cooks and hosts, some are new to teaching cooking classes. They offer multiple classes over several months, both in-person at their homes and online. They also conduct private events for companies and organizations, using our event space in Chinatown and other locations.
Take us through the experience of booking one of the cooking classes; what can newcomers expect?
When someone signs up, they choose a class and register online. Once registered, they receive the instructor’s home address, information about the instructor, details on the class, the cuisine, and the neighborhood. Students arrive at the instructor’s home on the workshop day, which can sometimes feel awkward due to the unfamiliar setting. Each class begins with a warm welcome of homemade lunch, snacks, or beverages.
The instructor then introduces themselves, share their story, and explain the recipes and dishes they’ll make together. Students and instructors cook, eat, and share stories for the next two to four hours. By the end of the class, everyone departs with hugs, feeling as if the instructor has become a new aunt. These intimate home-based classes create a unique atmosphere, fostering cross-cultural experiences and connections.
What can readers look forward to when purchasing The League of Kitchens Cookbook?
With our new cookbook, readers can look forward to capturing the experience of being in one of our classes. Any recipe you cook in the book is like being in a mini cooking class. Each recipe is very detailed with details from the instructor, where we capture the small nuances and tips and tricks that instructors use in their homes, which makes the difference between something turning out good vs. exceptional. Each recipe shares cultural context on how each dish should be eaten and with what, along with stories, memories, and advice on becoming a great cook.
Do you have any other cuisines from around the world that you want to explore and add to The League of Kitchens?
There are so many! I am always on the lookout for new instructors. I hire based on meeting exceptional individuals and connecting with them. Depending on who I meet, I am always open to incorporating new cuisines into The League of Kitchens Cooking School.
On November 12, 2024, this coming fall, “The League of Kitchens Cookbook,” the highly anticipated cookbook from founder Lisa Kyung Gross, will bring its instructors’ cherished recipes and traditions to homes nationwide. The League of Kitchens Cookbook, apart from more conventional cookbooks, is committed to cultural context, culinary detail, and listening to the wisdom from experience. Each recipe goes beyond mere ingredients and instruction; it’s enriched with personal stories, cultural and family traditions, and the secret tips, tricks, and tiny details that elevate a dish from good to extraordinary—those little nuances that make something uniquely amazing and delicious.
Lastly, if you are interested in any merchandise, here is a current list of what products you can purchase under the tagline “Cook like a Grandma”:
- “Cook like a Grandma” crewneck ($45)
- “Cook with Love” apron ($35)
- “League of Kitchens” tote bag ($30)
To start and find a cooking class, visit https://www.leagueofkitchens.com/ or follow their Instagram. To preorder The League of Kitchens Cookbook, click here. You can purchase their merch by viewing their shop.
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