Craftsy Taps Celebrity Chefs to Launch "Culinary All-Star" Series

DENVER, July 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Craftsy®, the preeminent online destination for passionate makers to learn, create, and share, today announced the launch of its "Culinary All-Star" series, a star-studded lineup of online baking and cooking workshops taught by celebrity chefs, Food Network stars, and James Beard award winners. Each workshop will feature HD video lessons, recipe demonstrations, interactivity and a live Facebook Q&A with the chef, providing Craftsy students unparalleled access into the minds of some of the biggest names in the kitchen.

The Craftsy "Culinary All-Star" personal chefs join more than 750 world-class Craftsy instructors, equipping creative enthusiasts with the confidence, tangible skills and quality materials not found in group cooking or traditional online classes. Craftsy will progressively roll out the first eight "Culinary All-Star" workshops throughout the Summer. Each workshop is carefully designed, planned and curated by the respective chef and Craftsy to provide an online private chef experience that empowers students to take any recipe and make it their own.

"Culinary All-Star" workshops available at launch include:

• Virginia Willis, Southern Classics at Home: Chef Virginia Willis is the author of Bon Appétit, Y'all, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all, and Lighten Up, Y'all, which received a 2016 James Beard Foundation Award of Excellence in the Focus on Health category. Students of her 'Southern Classics at Home' class will learn how to make juicy Southern fried chicken, tender buttermilk biscuits, classic sides and pulled pork.
• Alia Al Kasimi, The Flavors of Morocco: Renowned host of the Cooking with Alia YouTube series, Alia Al Kasimi shares her Moroccan cooking expertise with her more than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube and 303,000 fans on Facebook. Students of her 'The Flavors of Morocco' class will discover how to cook tagines, couscous, classic salads and more for authentic, from-scratch Moroccan meals.
• Jacques Torres, Mr. Chocolate's Ultimate Chocolate Cake: Renowned worldwide as Mr. Chocolate, Chef Jacques Torres is a James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year, Dean of Pastry Arts at the International Culinary Center, and recipient of the James Beard Who's Who of American Food and Beverage. Students will learn how to bake, fill and decorate a gorgeous chocolate mousse cake from scratch, gaining the technical confidence to make a bakery-worthy cake at home.  

Upcoming "Culinary All-Star" workshops:

• Ellie Krieger, Flavor Comes First: Healthy Meals that Taste Delicious: (August 1): Well-known as the host of the Food Network's hit show "Healthy Appetite," and now host of Public Television's "Ellie's Real Good Food," Ellie Krieger, a registered dietitian nutritionist, has received both James Beard Foundation and International Association of Culinary Professionals awards, and is a New York Times bestselling author. Students will learn Ellie's approach to well-balanced eating and achieve it for themselves through small, do-able changes that build on each other to ultimately lead to a healthier, more delicious way of life.
• Gemma Stafford, Bigger Bolder Frozen Desserts: (August 8) Each week, professional chef and baker Gemma Stafford shares trusted recipes and her passion for desserts with over 1 million fans across social media and YouTube through one of the top online baking shows, Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking. This workshop will showcase the sweeter side of the kitchen, focusing on the world of frozen desserts by teaching students how to make ice cream, gelato, sorbet and more from scratch, allowing students to make the exact flavors they want whenever they choose.
• Jocelyn Delk Adams, Make Mine Mini: Baking with Grandbaby Cakes: (August 22) Inspired by her grandmother, Jocelyn Delk Adams created her popular blog Grandbaby Cakes to display classic desserts and modern trends in an accessible way. She's now sharing this passion with Craftsy students, showcasing her sweet secrets for cupcakes, cakelettes, ramekin cakes, trendy mug cakes and much more. Each recipe will showcase Jocelyn's hallmark of Southern-inspired classics combined with modern flavors and flair.
• Rachel Hollis, Cook Once, Eat Twice: (September 12) Founder of the women's lifestyle brand The Chic Site, author of Upscale Downhome: Family Recipes all Gussied Up (available October 18), and mother of three, Rachel Hollis specializes in cooking for families. This workshop will help students make big-batch meals on the weekend and then turn the leftovers into delicious weeknight meals, helping save time and money while still enjoying unique and mouth-watering dishes.  
• Jacques Torres, Ultimate Box of Chocolates: (September 18) The second of his two classes, Chef Jacques Torres will instruct students how to temper chocolate, make several decadent chocolate candies, and assorted bonbons filled with different centers. He will demonstrate how to make an edible chocolate box to present all the handmade treats.

"For more than 40 years, I've nurtured my affinity and passion for hand-crafted chocolate and pastry to hopefully bring happiness to people around the world. Now, with Craftsy, my goal is to share this passion with other enthusiastic home cooks and spread our mutual love of chocolate and pastry even further," Chef Jacques Torres said.

Craftsy's platform provides passionate "makers" direct access to world-class leaders in their respective field, and since 2012 has given more than 10 million students access to these instructors anytime, anywhere on any device.  Students are able to stop and start lessons across desktop and mobile devices, pause and work at their own pace, share projects with fellow students and even ask the instructor one-on-one questions. Students also have lifetime access to all purchased workshops, and can customize their learning experience by pausing, rewinding and bookmarking segments/techniques making it easy to find them anytime they want. Additionally, crafters can reach out to fellow students to get feedback on their projects, resolve any difficulties and improve their final design, all through a simple and easy to use online platform.

"Our goal from Day One has been to bring the personal trainer mentality into the DIY world. The 'Culinary All-Star' series furthers this mission by connecting our students with some of the most respected chefs and experts in their fields, providing an intimate, one-on-one experience that empowers individuals to make something their own," said John Levisay, co-founder and CEO, Craftsy. "We want to show people a better, easy, fun way of learning, to master a skill that empowers them to take risks and be confident in what they're doing. These instructors join the ranks of more than 750 Craftsy instructors who are helping students make something that means something."

To learn more about the "Culinary All-Star" series and to begin a new kitchen adventure, visit: http://www.craftsy.com/clp/culinary-allstars

About Craftsy
Craftsy is the preeminent online destination for passionate makers to learn, create and share. With online classes, popular supplies and indie patterns, over ten million creative enthusiasts are taking their skills to new heights. Craftsy's online classes in quilting, sewing, knitting, cake decorating, drawing, painting, cooking, crochet and many more categories combine top-quality content, anytime convenience and the intimacy of an in-person experience with the world's best instructors. Members of the Craftsy community – whether neighbors or makers across the world – inspire and support each other with ideas, tips and positive feedback along the way. For more information, visit http://www.craftsy.com.

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