Growing up, Chef Victoria Balas explored ethnic cuisine on many levels with her parents through diverse dining experiences. At nineteen, she married into a family with a strong Hungarian heritage and fell in love with her new family’s traditions and dishes. Then, through her work with a world relief organization, Balas experienced what she calls a culinary revival. “I traveled and met people from many countries, gained friendships, and learned their cultures,” said Balas. “I was so privileged to be a part of their hospitality, all the while watching and learning."
Balas began sharing her passion for ethnic cuisine through her blog, Culinary Immigration, and by passing along techniques and traditions to her own family. In 2016, with encouragement from her daughter, Balas transformed her passion for sharing ethnic food and cultures into teaching culinary classes. “Everything was born through my desire to discover ethnic foods, how to make them, and how to teach my family and others how to make the dishes,” she said. “I started off with foods from my family, like Hungarian food, Southern food, and Irish American food, but quickly found out that people are eager to learn about food from other cultures as well.”
The school’s name, Culinary Immigration, reflects how Balas sees the creation and development of the American culinary palette. “My family, my husband's family, and my son-in-law's family are all immigrants,” said Balas. “The way I see it is that American food is not simply American food… it's the world's food because it has been brought here by the immigrant. My Iranian and Egyptian friends don't change their way of cooking, they continue with their way of cooking. It's so wonderful to share in that passion they have for their food and for their families. They are so close-knit and I want to emulate that closeness because I’m so privileged to be a part of it.”
With a vast repertoire of ethnic culinary experiences, Balas offers a wide range of cooking classes with includes Greek, Russian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Hungarian, Middle Eastern, Thai, and Italian cuisines… just to name a few. Each class showcases a different cuisine and students who take a series of classes take a culinary trip around the world.
Students get hands-on experience during cooking classes by making all food from scratch, not simply watching it being made, and using the traditional techniques associated with each culture. “When I pick ethnic foods, I try to keep things very common and choose dishes that are well known,” she shared. “It doesn't matter what level you're at, because when you come to learn ethnic foods, you're starting on the same plane. Not every culture cooks the same way, so you're learning a new technique when you come to class. Students learn to make Italian pasta by hand, getting their hands into the flour and egg mixture, kneading it, and rolling it out with an Italian matterello rolling pin. I also teach how to cook to retain flavors and nutrients in the dishes and how to cut vegetables so everything cooks uniformly.” The variety of cooking techniques keeps classes exciting and engaging for everyone.
An important aspect of Balas’ culinary classes is a desire to connect people and build friendships through the shared experience of cooking and eating together. “I started the school because I wanted to share not only the foods from these cultures, but their commitment to their family and friends. I keep classes small so that people can get to know one another,” she explained. “We sit down at a table and we eat what we prepared together and it's so interesting to see community being built around that table.”
In addition to public classes, which are open to eight students at a time, Balas offers private sessions that are perfect for a group of friends or family, corporate team building, or a couple who enjoy cooking together. “Private classes are very popular and fun,” said Balas. “Classes can include up to 12 people, and they can choose their cuisine for the session.” Classes, which are for adults only, usually last two and a half hours, including enjoying the meal.
Sharing her passion for ethnic culinary delights also includes serving as a personal chef and catering private dinners for two to twelve people. She works with the host to develop a customized menu full of fresh ingredients and creative flavors, then travels to the dinner site to prepare and serve the meal.
To explore the many aspects of Culinary Immigration, visit culinaryimmigration.com or call 425-478-1081. Follow Culinary Immigration on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on class offerings and to enjoy a visual feast of dishes created during classes. Know someone who would enjoy taking a class? Gift certificates are available for all occasions, including Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and as a unique way to show appreciation.
