Zesty Basil

I was looking for a private, and intimate cooking class to enjoy with my girlfriend for her birthday, and came across Zesty Basil.

The class is vegetarian, but the recipes are delicious and you can't notice a difference. Shruti was incredibly accommodating, and arranged the menu beforehand, catering to any specific likes/dislikes. She even included some balloons, candles, and a chocolate cake as part of a birthday treat!

Overall, we had a wonderful time with Zesty Basil. Shruti is an excellent chef and her knowledge of the vegetarian food sphere is extensive, and she is fun and helpful. We learned several cooking tips, and enjoyed some delicious food, from feta and beetroot crostinis to fresh basil and mint pesto pasta.

I would definitely recommend this class to anyone in the New York/Hoboken/Jersey City area that is looking for a fun and private cooking class!

Shruti is a superb chef and understands the health specific needs immensely well.
I have been giving such a healthy vegan diet to my 1yr old son who is milk allergic only because of her
guidance and healthy meal combinations. Her blog is a must must visit if you love cooking for your family! can't wait to do a one on one course with you!!

I recommend Shruti without hesitation. She doesn't just give you knowledge, but also sets a tone that allows her students to experience her same passion for the culinary arts. The icing on the cake, no pun intended, is that the food you prepare is absolutely delicious! A class with Shruti is nothing short of memorable.

I traveled to New York during fall with my husband for our honeymoon. Although I had some experience in cooking I wanted to learn more about healthy and balanced cooking techniques. We also thought it was a fun idea to spend an evening cooking together and enjoy the meal we prepared.. I found very few (and expensive) options while looking for healthy cooking classes in NewYork, but thankfully I came across Zesty Basil in Jersey City which was a short commute from our midtown NYC hotel.

The class was really amazing, and as other reviewers note, Shruti is not only an amazing cook, she is an excellent teacher as well. The class was not just about recipes and making a dish but also about nutritional values of ingredients and techniques to preserve the most of it. The meal we prepared came out delicious! I specially loved her recipe of polenta with mushroom ragout, simple yet so delicious. I wish we were staying longer to take another class! 

A must do for everyone! Even though it's a home run cooking school, this is one of the best cooking classes I have ever taken. I went with my husband and we were greeted with a warm cup of green tea which was very comforting on the cold day. We started with introduction on what we were cooking and some basic instructions for the class. We spent next 2 hours enjoying the cooking and the super cool facts about food. I cook regularly but I had never given so much thought to why and which particular cooking method is better to keep the most nutrition of the ingredients preserved in the dish. This class definitely changed my cooking and eating habits for better. I will take another one soon!