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Plate Nextdoor wants to bring cultural experiences to your home and workplace

Plate Nextdoor wants to bring cultural experiences to your home and workplace

26-Jan-2021
Whether you are looking for a new way to spend an afternoon or evening, or want to schedule a private team-building event, there is no better way to come together than over food, even in a virtual world.

When Supriya Shekar founded Plate Nextdoor about three years ago, the purpose was to create a platform for home cooks to socialize, exchange cultures and learn new cuisines.

“When a country has a racially and ethnically diverse population,” she says, “it becomes more important for people to understand each other's set of views to live and work in harmony.”

Plate Nextdoor offers opportunities to build communities and educate people on cultural diversity with virtual classes in food, art, music and more taught by a diverse and talented group of instructors.

The start-up, based in Boston, initially hosted in-home cooking classes and in-person events at luxury apartment communities. Now, more of the instruction is going online — and not just because of Covid-19.

The organization aims to grow its reach nationally, and eventually globally, bringing people all around the world together to experience unfamiliar cultures. With travel stunted because of coronavirus, but a cultural climate screaming for understanding, Plate Nextdoor’s work underscores the importance of education. The platform offers about 10 to 15 classes each month.

The class offerings also can be scheduled as private events to give workplaces the chance to host cultural exchanges in a fun atmosphere for their employees. The events — which can be virtual — will help build cultural awareness, understanding and introduce skills and techniques in the kitchen for everyone.

A complete list of global offerings this winter can be found in the E-Magazine featuring cultural and team experiences: https://online.fliphtml5.com/bjbjk/hcvv/#p=3.

“Culture represents not only ties, identity and tradition, but also creativity and innovation,” Shekar says. “That is why it is important that as many people as possible should have access to culture as creators or consumers.

“This involves all cultural expressions, not only traditional race and ethnicity forms but also modern forms such as pop music, art and design, beliefs, and lifestyle, for a progessive world.”

Instructors are recruited by a team of coaches who seek out chefs, musicians, storytellers and artisans with specific skills and a knack for sharing them.

Shazia Rizvi has been an instructor with Plate Nextdoor since its launch. Her expertise is in baking and desserts — her macaron class is one of the most popular offerings for the platform — she also teaches classes on empanadas and sushi rolling.

Making the switch from in-person to virtual teaching has been an adjustment, she says, but one the former teacher welcomes.

“I had to change my teaching methods, slow down a little,” Rizvi says. “I had to design classes to make them easier to follow.”

That meant simplifying or cutting down on the number of steps. But with more people getting used to video calls, it’s become easier.

In a class on Indian stuffed bread making from instructor Avantika Nautiyal, there were about five participants working on the recipe with her, virtually.

Nautiyal had a two-camera setup, so she could make eye contact with the students, but also have her workstation visible. The camaraderie and concentration was evident.

“We’re more connected than we would be otherwise,” Nautiyal told her participants while showing them how to knead the bread with just the right amount of water. Each held theirs up to the screen for confirmation.

The class offered storytelling about the significance of the dish in India, and the health merits of the ingredients being used.

Nautiyal says there is “no such thing as exotic food — most are home dishes from cultures we come from. … We must remember these recipes have been around longer than modern life. … without modern tools or techniques.”

There is no reason to be intimidated, she says. “Never walk into a class thinking (you can’t). … Each class is a glimpse into another culture, and at the end of the day, we’re all humans.”

Plate Nextdoor continues to expand its types of class offerings as it adds to its diverse lineup of instructors and their specialties. Courses have a cost and the ingredients list is posted ahead of time so participants can follow along.

“We want to create a platform not only to learn the traditions and cultures from the past but also to pave the way to the new ones,” Shekar says.

For a full slate of our cultural experiences, visit PlateNextdoor.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @joinplatenextdoor.

[By Andi Petrini, public relations manager for Plate Nextdoor, Jan. 26, 2021]