Cooking Classes as a Team Building Activity?

Absolutely! If you are looking for a team building activity that is both memorable and fun, you have come to the right place.

Selfup cooking classes are designed to create a bonding experience over something everyone appreciates, good food. Led by top chefs in Boston, your team will be working together throughout the entire creative process. In addition to enjoying a gourmet meal that they all helped prepare, each individual walks away with a sense of accomplishment that he or she will want to recreate in the workplace time and time again.

Food, Glorious Food!

People from all over the world have been breaking the ice while breaking bread, ultimately acquiring the necessary skills to work together successfully. At Selfup, we take that principal to a whole new, mouthwatering level with over a dozen team building meal activities:

• Italian Dinner with Delicious Tiramisu - Have you ever wondered how those perfect, bulb-shaped morsels of mozzarella cheese were shaped? And those delicate, yet crispy Italian salad baskets infused that irresistible nutty flavor? Your team will learn all of the secrets to creating these delights and filling those edible baskets with a colorful Italian salad. Homemade pasta is the highlight of the meal. Think delicate fettuccine or rings of tortellini and pillows of ravioli stuffed with meat and cheese covered in homemade sauce. And what could be better to top off this hearty meal than with a delicate, yet robust tiramisu.
• Pizza Making - Who doesn't love pizza? Now picture learning how to create your own luscious pizza dough, and how to stretch fresh, chewy mozzarella cheese to shred for topping. After that, it will really be a team effort to choose from the numerous toppings available, and it will be a satisfying creative experience to remember.
• Asian Dumplings - Wouldn't you love to be able recreate the savory and sweet pork and vegetable blend of dim sum dumplings or the tender, spicy chicken and vegetable filled jiaozi dumplings? And those crispy potstickers filled with ginger pork and garnished with Chinese chives? Top it off with a wide range of sauces and drinks for a memorable team-building experience.
• New England Delight - Enjoy an irresistible array of hometown favorites even more with the added satisfaction of knowing you made them yourself. Imagine starting off with tender, sweet lobster chunks stuffed in a top-split sweet and salty mini roll. Bake some brown bread to enjoy with some buttery corn-on-the-cob. Continue down the sweet and salty path with some delightful crab cakes or change it up with some mild haddock stuffed with sweet crab meat. Balance it out with delicate, slightly sweet, steamed scallops. You can even learn how to make homemade potato chips! Creating and sharing comfort foods is a great way for your team to bond.
• Authentic Japanese Sushi - Even if many of your team members consider themselves sushi officiandos, the art of preparing it makes it a whole new experience. It's a delicate technique combined with understanding the value of the wasabi and ginger, and that makes it both an art and a science. Achieving that as a group is the ultimate team-building experience!

• Healthy Eating - Did you know that you can enjoy a delicious five-star meal without any guilt? In these cooking classes, your group can experience all that and more! Imagine starting off with the nutty taste of a lightweight farro salad complimented by fresh tomatoes and herbs. Then think about making zucchini noodles and complimenting their mild flavor with a flavorful avocado pesto with notes of basil, walnuts, and garlic and steamed shrimp. Yum!
• French Cooking - Yes, you can enjoy the authentic richness of real French food right here in Boston! You will start out creating escargot and enhance its naturally mild taste with garlic butter, white wine, and shallots. Together you will then move on to the main course, Filet au Poivre, creating a spicy glace with brandy to accent a prime cut of meat. And you'll get a taste of preparing a sugary, smoky Bananas Foster. Your team will be beaming with pride when this team building exercise is finished!
• Cuban Cuisine - Trying something new as a group really puts teamwork into practice. In this exercise, your taste buds will be tantalized with the flavors of the tangy and tart taste of pickles and mustard mingled with layers of smoked ham and pork tenderloin in a Cubano sandwich. Homemade potato chips are the perfect compliment. Then learn how to prepare a classic Cuban dessert, Arroz con Leche, which is similar to rice pudding enhanced with the warmth of cinnamon and other spices.

MEET THE CHEFS

Here at Selfup, we have recruited an all-star team of legendary chefs in the Boston area. They will be sharing their unique skills with your team and maybe a few of their culinary secrets, too!

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  Chef Rudy Donalson - Serving as both Head Chef and Chief Instructor at Selfup, Chef Rudy has 15 years’ experience running several high end restaurants in Boston's North End. He brings a level of expertise and enthusiasm to every team building activity he leads. Well-known for his authentic Italian cuisine, Chef Rudy has led countless classes sharing the art of creating homemade pasta complete with all of the irresistible fillings and sauces.

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  Chef Joe Maglio - Chef Maglio began his culinary arts journey after he completed his training right here in Massachusetts in 1985. He served as saucier at the prestigious Caesars Palace's French restaurant for seven years. He then traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada where he held the title of Chef de Cuisine with Andres French restaurant. In addition to leading a variety of team building events for Selfup, he also works as both an instructor and a consultant.

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  Chef Masa Oyamada - Born in Tokyo, Japan, Chef Oyamada has 20 years’ experience as an accomplished Japanese chef who has been featured several times in the New Bedford Guide. The beloved sushi chef at the popular Waterfront Grille is well known for his dynamite roll topped with spicy tuna. Chef Oyamada shares his mantra, "eat with eye", that teaches his students the value of excellent presentation. In addition to learning how to create healthy, delicious Japanese fare, his students walk away understanding that presentation is your first impression.

• Chefs Patty Chen and Marco Shulman - This dynamic duo have been married for over 20 years and have built an Asian dumpling empire. Born in Taiwan, Chef Patty began helping her mother make dumplings at the tender age of eight. She learned the importance of patience and hard work and has a real passion for what she does and teaching her craft to others. Together Chef Marc and Chef Patty have started several successful restaurants and make an unforgettable impression of the power of teamwork on all whom they teach.

Team building activities are a fun, creative, and memorable way to both motivate your employees and reward them for a job well done. They will learn better communication skills, increase their productivity, gain confidence, and improve their physical and mental health. These exercises will also identify leadership qualities that may have been overlooked. It is truly a win-win for everyone involved.