Every year millions of people get excited when their birthday falls on a Friday or Saturday. A Friday or Saturday birthday usually means dinner at a nice restaurant surrounded by your nearest and dearest friends. But yet billions of people have their birthday fall on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday! What to do when you want to celebrate a at home? The Chef & The Dish private cooking classes with chefs around the world make for a wonderful birthday celebration. Here are 11 tips to plan the best birthday celebration at home.
Psst: Don't miss scavenger hunt ideas and how to say birthday in multiple languages at the bottom of the article.
Plan Something Special
Does your wife love pasta? Maybe you visited Thailand and your husband can't get that green curry off his mind? Select a cooking class that speaks to your loved one, be it their favorite meal or destination. With classes offered by chefs who live in Italy, Thailand, Mexico, Morocco, Spain and more international destinations, you'll have the best Taco Tuesday birthday north of Mexico.
Let us in on the Secret
When you book your birthday cooking class, you'll meet with one of our Kitchen Assistants to get ready. Let your Kitchen Assistant know about your loved one's birthday. We will let your chef know to make it a special birthday class. If you have any special requests, just let us know. Our chefs are happy to buy a little dessert and light candles from their home country, alongside you, in the class.
Start the Birthday with a Secretive Card
Make a day of it! Give your birthday girl or guy a card that suggests you're going to have an amazing birthday at home. Suggest the cooking class or destination without giving away the surprise. If you chose a Thai class, write "let's Thai one on!" or if you're heading to Italy for a class, start the card with "Mi Amore". Heading to Spain for a Spanish birthday celebration? Wish your loved one a ¡feliz cumpleaños!
**See our whole list of how to say Happy Birthday in your chef's language at the bottom of this article
Have a Day Long Scavenger Hunt
A fun idea for a birthday at home is to give clues to find throughout the day. Send a text message during lunch that starts a scavenger hunt. For a Vietnamese cooking class perhaps you tell your loved one "Something smells fishy! Find an ingredient made with fish in the fridge and follow the next steps!" Put a note on the fish sauce with the next clue and instructions... "This country is the world's second largest exporter of coffee. Respond with your answer to get the next clue." When they respond with Vietnam, have them check the coffee pot for their next clue.
**See our whole list of scavenger hunt clues and questions to get you started at the bottom of this article. Each idea will start a themed scavenger hunt based on the region you choose for the birthday cooking class.
Buy an Authentic Dessert
Keep the birthday theme going with an authentic dessert from the country where your chef will be video calling you from. There are wonderful markets in every city that sell traditional baked goods. Perhaps you're taking a Japanese cooking class, pick up a Japanese cheesecake. If you're taking a Spanish cooking class, buy some churros to enjoy for the birthday dessert.
Don't Forget the Candles
While you're out, make sure to pick up candles. It's a birthday after all!
Give the Gift an Hour Before the Birthday Class Starts
An hour before the birthday cooking class starts, let your loved one know what you're up to! This will give them time to get excited to transport their kitchen! It also gives you time to get ready and enjoy the time preparing together.
RELATED: Highly rated cooking classes for a stay at home birthday celebration
Make a Regional Cocktail
No birthday is complete without a a cocktail. Each of our cooking classes come with suggested wine pairings, cocktail recipes and non-alcoholic drinks native to the chef's country. This is a wonderful way to kick off the birthday celebration!
Enjoy Your Birthday Experience
Once your birthday cooking experience begins, enjoy the time together and with your chef. This is a birthday at home you'll never forget. Two and a half hours with a private chef based in Spain, Vietnam, Turkey and more countries! You'll make a wonderful multiple course meal and one of the best dinners you'll have ever made at home.
Eat Dinner With a Themed Movie
Our cooking classes are virtual travel. Keep the birthday theme going with a themed movie playing in the background. Our Kitchen Assistants and chefs have movie recommendations that will be a perfect way to enjoy your birthday dinner.
End with a Sweet Treat
After dinner, surprise your loved one with that dessert you picked up from the market, and don't forget the candles! It's a wonderful way to end the perfect birthday at home.
RELATED: Cooking Class gifts for for foodies
Do the Dishes
Alas, all birthdays must come to an end. But before it does, make sure the birthday girl or guy wakes up to a clean kitchen. This is your final job to make sure it's the perfect stay at home birthday celebration.
How to Say Happy Birthday in Your Chef's Language
Depending on which country you choose for your birthday cooking experience, it's fun to learn the language of your chef. This is a fun way to build the anticipation for the birthday night at home.
COUNTRY | LANGUAGE | TRANSLATION OF "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" |
Brazilian Birthday | Portuguese | Feliz aniversário! |
Dominican Birthday | Spanish | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! |
Hungarian Birthday | Hungarian | Boldog születésnapot! |
Italian Birthday | Italian | Buon compleanno! |
Moroccan Birthday | Arabic | عيد مولد سعيد! |
| French | Joyeux anniversaire! |
New England Birthday | English | Happy Birthday! |
New Orleans Birthday | English | Happy Birthday! |
Peruvian Birthday | Spanish | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! |
Spanish Birthday | Castilian Spanish | Feliç aniversari! |
| Basque | Zorionak! |
Thai Birthday | Thai | สุขสันต์วันเกิด! |
Turkish Birthday | Turkish | Doğum günün kutlu olsun! |
Vietnamese Birthday | Vietnamese | Chúc mừng sinh nhật! |
Full List of Scavenger Hunt Clues to Get You Started
Based on the country you choose for your birthday cooking class, below are ideas to help you surprise your loved one. These scavenger hunt clues will help make your stay-at-home private chef experience extra special by not giving away the surprise and making a full day of guessing what the surprise is! In the birthday card, or by sending a text message at the start of the day, use the below Clue to start a day long hunt to get your loved one to keep guessing what the stay at home birthday surprise will be.
COUNTRY | CLUE 1 | HUNT ANSWER & IDEA |
Brazil | This country is known for Pão de Queijo. Find one of the ingredients and follow the next clue. | Answer: Brazil Hide the next clue on a package of cheese in the fridge |
Dominican Republic | This country's flag is the only flag in the world that has this religious book. Find the book or text me the answer for the next clue. | Answer: Dominican Republic Hide the clue on a bible in the house or have your loved one text you the answer |
Hungary | This spice is the national spice of Hungary. Find the spice and follow the next clue. | Answer: Paprika Hide the next clue on your paprika spice bottle in the pantry |
Italy | Baroque and Neoclassicism both originated from this country. Find an ingredient in the pantry from this country and follow the next clue. | Answer: Italy Hide the next clue on a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano or imported Italian tomatoes |
Mexico | Every Tuesday, hashtags on Instagram celebrate this country's most famous food. Find an ingredient and follow the next clue. | Answer: Taco Tuesday Hide the next clue on taco shells in the pantry or taco sauce in fridge |
Morocco | The city of Chefchaouen is known for being this color. Find something of this color in the kitchen and follow the next clue. | Answer: Blue Hide the next clue on a package of blueberries, on a blue plate or other blue kitchen decor |
New England | These Boston brothers have created hugely successful singing and acting careers and now own a burger chain. Find something featuring one of them then follow the next clue. | Answer: Donnie or Marky Wahlberg Hide the next clue on a CD from NKOTB or a DVD like Sixth Sense, Boogie Nights, The Italian Job, The Departed or The Big Hit |
New Orleans | New Orleans is home to some of the best jazz music in the world. Play some jazz music and follow the next clue. | Answer: Radio, Record Player or Google Home Hide the next clue on the device of where you'd play music |
Peru | Peru has over 4,000 varieties of this. Find what it is and then follow the next clue | Answer: Potatoes Hide the next clue in a bag of potatoes |
Spain | Every year over 150,000 of these are thrown at an annual festival. Find what it is and then follow the next clue. | Answer: Tomatoes at La Tomatina Festival in Spain Hide the next clue under a bag of tomatoes |
Thailand | When you eat Thai food, it often comes with a wedge of this. Find the ingredient and follow the next clue. | Answer: Lime Hide the next clue under limes in your fruit basket |
Turkey | This poultry is known to make you sleepy because of the high amounts of tryptophan. Find what it is and follow the next clue. | Answer: Turkey Hide the next clue on turkey sandwich meat in the fridge |
Vietnam | Something smells fishy! Find something made with fish and follow the next clue. | Answer: Fish Sauce Hide the next clue on fish sauce in the fridge |
ABOUT THE CHEF & THE DISH
The Chef & The Dish has chefs around the world that you video conference into your kitchen for a private 1:1 virtual cooking class. Learn how to make pasta with a chef video calling you live from Italy, Pad Thai with a chef virtually in your kitchen live from Thailand. Together you cook, share stories, laugh and make a multi course meal together. Rated 'Best Date Night,' 'Best Gifts,' and "Best Cooking Classes" by WSJ, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Martha Stewart, Rolling Stone and tens more. Transport your kitchen for the day.™
