'Let's put on a...culinary performance': Cleveland's Stir Studio Kitchen expands to Hudson

Stir Studio Kitchen, the Cleveland-based home of entertaining cooking classes, is opening a new location in downtown Hudson.

Charlie Denk first opened Stir in 2019 in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood and expanded to Chagrin Falls a year later.

Now, Stir is expanding to Hudson and starting classes in August. Stir will be located at 16 Clinton St., in the First & Main development.

Stir visitors are not only going to learn how to make a delicious meal but have fun, Denk said.

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"We're trying to get away from educational cooking class," he said. "We aren't some place to bring a notebook. Cooking isn't rigid. At Stir, you should feel like you’re having a party."

Denk said Stir is a unique cooking-class business. He doesn't sell merchandise because he wants people to feel like they're in their own kitchen. The recipes are accessible and accommodating to allergies and other dietary restrictions.

"We want to hospitable and memorable. We aren't sourcing our ingredients from some crazy market that you don't have access to," he said. "Everything we cook with, you can cook with too."

Stir classes focus on individual recipes to create a full meal. In August, Stir will teach guests how to cook a variety of international dishes from India, Italy and Asia.

This summer, Stir's seasonal dish is cornbread from scratch with honey butter, pork tenderloin dressed with shaved fennel and apple and a herb potato salad on the side. And to top it off, vanilla custard with peaches is featured for dessert.

Denk said he and his staff try to focus on adventurous and unique recipes that aren't local staples.

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"Even though we're from Cleveland, we try to stay away from pierogi," he said. "People in this area have an emotional attachment to pierogi. We'll leave that to your grandma, who probably has the best recipe."

Denk said the best cooking advice he follows is from chef and documentarian Anthony Bourdain: Have one dish that you cook really well.

"For me, that is Indian cuisine," he said.

This month, Denk and his staff will teach guests how to cook na'an bread, palak paneer, chana or chicken masala with a side of fragrant basmati rice. For dessert, a chai-spiced pudding.

"Part of being human is cooking and sharing what you create," Denk said. "Nothing is better than when someone connects you with signature dish."

Stir also offers private group classes and corporate outings. Private group classes typically cost $80 per person with a $600 minimum, according to Stir's website.

Guests can bring their own wine or beer for no additional charge.

​The public classes are limited to guests 21 and older.

Monthly schedule for classes are posted online at stirstudiokitchen.com. Denk urged those interested to sign up early as August is mostly sold out. But he said September classes will be posted soon.

"Hudson seems like a town with some energy to it with people who are ready to have a good time," he said. "Our M.O. is to bring a bottle of wine, crank up some music and let's put on a theatrical, culinary performance."

Reporter Molly Walsh can be reached at mwalsh@gannett.com 

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland-area Stir Studio Kitchen brings cooking classes to Hudson