At Jezabel’s in West Philly, cooking classes aren’t just about learning recipes—they’re about connection, culture and creativity.
For nearly a decade, founder Jezabel Careaga has been welcoming guests into her kitchen, sharing the art of Argentine cooking through hands-on experiences. This March, you can roll up your sleeves for empanada-making workshops, celebrate Women’s History Month with a special Mujeres Making Empanadas event, or master the delicate craft of alfajores.
First up, an Empanada Making Experience and Dinner will take place on Thursday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m. and includes hands-on instruction, all ingredients, and equipment.
Next, on Saturday, March 8 (11:30 a.m.), Careaga will teach a hands-on workshop, Mujeres Making Empanadas, which celebrates the “connection of women through this ancestral and timeless craft.” This particular event is in honor of International Women’s Day, and features a BYOB communal dining experience.
The classes are all held in Jezebel’s open kitchen and a private room, depending on the event. Careaga said the classes are a collaborative effort with her entire team.
“It’s important to have a good flow throughout the space,” she said. “That’s why we have different formats based on what each person wants to go to. Because we open the kitchen and we have a very communal setting, people feel inclined to participate and there is a comfort about being in this space, too.”
Careaga grew up making empanadas around the table with both of her grandmothers, her mother and aunts—a family tradition that she now shares with Philadelphians.
“The Alfajores (class) is very special because you come to the chef counter where we make food every day,” Careaga explains. “So that is really open—you’re coming into our kitchen. It brings back the memories of mixing the butter, the sugar and the flour with my mom when I was making the Alfajores growing up.”
The empanada classes are tied to her history as well.
“Empanadas have such a strong tie to the part of the country where I grew up making them as a group,” Careaga said. “I always think about the empanadas that you will have as a street food on a farmer’s market set up, or also the empanadas that we will make on Sundays with my family and my relatives.”
Careaga said her classes are an evolving, communal experience. “Some people know a little more, some people know a little less,” she said. “The people that come to the classes — they make it fun. It’s not the same class every time because we have different personalities, people with different backgrounds. The guest is part of the experience.”
For information about Jezabel’s or to purchase tickets to Careaga’s classes, visit jezabelsphl.com/events
