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Wandering Spoon

 

Mailing List & Contact


To be notified of upcoming classes, please send your email address to:

mailinglist (at) wanderingspoon.com

For private classes or inquiries, please contact me at:

classes (at) wanderingspoon.com


About Thy


Thy Tran is a San Francisco-based freelancer and makes a happy living teaching, writing, cooking, traveling, listening and, most importantly, eating. Trained as a professional chef, she established Wandering Spoon to provide culinary writing and instruction.

Her 18 years of food industry experience across a variety of disciplines — fine-dining restaurants, culinary academies, the test kitchens of magazines and newspapers, cookbook publishing and sustainable agriculture — provide a wide and deep view of the food world.

Thy is also the founder and director of the Asian Culinary Forum, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about Asian cuisines.


What Students Say


“Several of us have tried various recipes from your handouts — and EVERYONE enjoyed the class. Thank you!”

— Emily D.


“Thy’s food is truly sensational. When she taught at my cooking school the students and I were blown away by her generosity of spirit, as exemplified by the thorough product identification session she presented right up front. This boosted everyone’s confidence, leveled the playing field, and set the stage for an unforgettable and rich experience. Don’t hesitate to take a class with Thy! She’s a gem.”

— Linda C.


“Thy is an extraordinary food educator. She makes complex ideas and food history readily accessible to diverse audiences. Thy has deep knowledge of the history of food and incredible poise. Her enthusiasm is infectious.”

— Jared B.


“I had the good fortune to have a solo teaching session with Thy, devoted to my longtime fear of cooking fish. Over the course of three hours, we did one of everything: some skillet-fried filets, a roasted whole fish, another smoked in banana leaves, a little poaching here, a little grilling there, Asian treatments, Mediterranean treatments. Then we fed it all to about ten of our friends.

      Along the way, Thy gently cut through the technical ignorance behind my aquatic anxiety. I'm not opening any seafood restaurants just yet, but that brief session certainly got me past my terror of the deep.”

— Tim P.


“In addition to being an articulate and charming individual, Thy's encyclopedic knowledge of all things culinary (and her ability to express herself with clarity and humor) is an inspiration to anyone interested in food and culture.”

— Joshua L.


“I've taken two cooking classes from Thy, one on Vietnamese food, specifically banh xeo, and one on homemade noodles. Both were a lot of fun, and I learned some new techniques about how to make a crepe in a wok and how to roll out and cut hand-made noodles. The best part was eating the dishes at the end. Thy's recipes are exceptionally good.”

— Dianne J.


“Before being a part of one of your cooking classes over the summer for youth, I was not nearly as skilled at cooking as I am now. I came to your classes as a beginner with only an interest in cooking and not much skill. In a fairly short amount of time, I developed knife skills, learned basic cooking techniques, and gained experience preparing different dishes from classic ones such as spaghetti and meatballs, to the more extravagant ones such as creme brulee. I also had the opportunity to meet youth with the same interests as me and I became close friends with some along the way.”

— Emily W.



 


Private Cooking Classes



It’s my pleasure to teach cooking classes in the comfort, convenience and real-world context of your home kitchen. Whether you’re just starting out in your first studio with basic equipment or have an expansive, professionally appointed kitchen, I can help you build skills, expand your international repertoire, and gain culinary confidence.

After a short consultation, I’ll advise you on the best classes based on your specific interests, the space available, and the type of event desired.


A typical class will include an introduction with discussion of important ingredients along with demos of new techniques. During the class, I circulate between stations and offer one-on-one coaching with each student-cook. A sit-down dinner after class is typical, though heavily technique focused classes, upon request, often result instead in lots of staples to freeze (stock, sauces, etc.) Everyone goes home with a complete recipe packet, often with supporting charts and diagrams.

My most popular classes include:

  1. •Knife Skills

  2. •Basics of Wok Cookery

  3. •Traditional Asian Vegetarian Cuisines

  4. •Regional Vietnamese Cuisine

  5. •Southeast Asian Seafood

  6. •Dumplings

  7. •Introduction to: Korean, Japanese, Regional Chinese, Malaysian/Singaporean, Thai or Vietnamese

  8. •Chicken Butchery

  9. •Handmade Noodles

I’m also happy to design a custom menu or series that will include the flavor profiles and techniques that interest you the most.

Please contact me with inquiries if you’re interested in private sessions with your family or friends.

Happy cooking!

Thy

(for private class inquires, please contact me at: classes (at) wanderingspoon.com)


Sample Classes and Fees


Class expenses may vary according to menu selections (such as the seafood specialties) and equipment needs. To give you a sense of the range of costs, here is how a breakdown of different types of classes that I have taught. A phone conversation is often best for determining the menu, schedule and fees. Afterward, I will send you a detailed proposal with all details for your own special class.

Knife Skills Tutoring

Newlyweds received, along with kitchen equipment, a 3-hour private consultation to learn how to use all their new tools. We emphasized understanding the wide range of blades in a complete set, and a larger than usual recipe packet included simple dishes that highlighted the capabilities of their specific appliances.  $360


Dim Sum Birthday Party

Four friends learned how to make har gow and siu mai in a home kitchen during two hours of instruction; I brought all equipment and ingredients.  $420.


Creative Team Building

To celebrate and prepare for a new international client, a company hosted a Singaporean cooking class for 12 people covering 4 different traditional dishes. Special curriculum allowed for creative independence while ensuring free flow between interactive stations and presentation of food at a precise service time. Dinner afterward. Rental kitchen, 5 hours. $2,200.


Condo Party

A large apartment complex offered a Vietnamese cooking class in their entertaining area to celebrate the redesign of the common kitchen. There were 18 residents preparing 5 different street food specialties and 6 others were invited to dine with them, 24 total for dinner. I sent a complete shopping list, and condo staff purchased all ingredients from a nearby market. $1,750.