In Palo Alto resident Sonali Patwardhan’s kitchen, a pinch of passion and a dash of curiosity turn everyday cooking into a whole adventure. With Patwardhan, students don’t just learn recipes — they stir up confidence and a love for food.
This experience is a part of Adding Spice to Life, a home-based cooking school Patwardhan founded in 2008 when, according to her, her love for cooking blossomed into a lifelong mission of sharing this joy with others.
A typical day for Patwardhan consists of setting up early in the morning for her cooking classes and later welcoming her students, who often come from surrounding elementary and middle schools, including Greene Middle School, Duveneck Elementary and Walter Hays Elementary.
These classes cover everything from cooking intricate dishes to learning how to make traditional plates. Each semester class focuses on a different season or holiday, such as Diwali, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Lunar New Year.
“We’ve had 1,000 kids go through my classes in 17 years, and it’s in my home, so when the kids come here and learn cooking, it’s like they feel like they’re coming home,” Patwardhan said.
As Patwardhan’s classes grew over the years, she continued to establish cohorts that now include a spring and fall group, each lasting around 12 to 14 weeks, followed by camps during the summer.
“There are a lot of kids who have come for three or four years, and I don’t repeat recipes with them, so I have to keep on learning, testing out new recipes and teaching,” Patwardhan said.
Where do all these recipes come from? Patwardhan’s dishes,which range from Lebanese to Mexican, reflect her own culinary explorations and are all unique.. She has gathered techniques and recipes from the various places she has visited around the world, showcasing her culinary diversity.
“I am a constant learner of culinary arts; in each country I go to, I learn new things and I come [to Palo Alto] to teach them,” Patwardhan said.
But it wasn’t until she began working in hotels that Patwardhan discovered where her true interest lay. During her training at the Taj Hotel in her hometown of Delhi, India, she found herself drawn to the kitchens more than any other part of the hotel.
“When we were training in the Taj Hotel in Delhi for six months, the kitchens were the most exciting for me,” Patwardhan said. “There was a lot of energy, a lot of things happening, a lot of movement, a lot of learning.”
Ultimately, this experience inspired Patwardhan to pursue culinary school. After moving to Palo Alto, she created Adding Spice to Life to share her cooking skills with her new community, fostering a sense of comfort and belonging in her kitchen, something Patwardhan strives for with each class she leads..
But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, things changed. With restaurants shutting down and people quarantined at home, Patwardhan recognized the significance of cooking and food.
That following summer, when the pandemic’s regulations began to ease and many were getting back to a more normal routine, Patwardhan found herself with a swarm of kids who signed up for her classes, eager to learn.
“I was so surprised that parents were itching to send their kids to cooking classes,” Patwardhan said. “That year, I had done more camps than any other year in my life.”
As the kids returned to her kitchen, the impact of her work became even clearer. Many students expressed their excitement for cooking, often telling Patwardhan how much her classes changed their summer.
“There were kids who came and said that ‘I thought my summer is going to be so boring and then Sonali, you came along, and it has been so exciting,’” Patwardhan said. “That was the moment I knew this is what I’m there for, and I just love what I do.”
As Patwardhan continues to provide opportunities for young aspiring chefs, she never forgets the kids she once taught, many of whom, according to her, have pursued more advanced cooking pathways.
“Kids who have gone through my program have also continued their food careers and have gone through Food Network and ‘Chopped Kids,’” Patwardhan said. “It was great to see that they continued [cooking] through the program.”
What captivates Patwardhan the most is how cooking provokes emotion and opens up a whole new world of discovery through food.
“Whenever anybody says, ‘Oh, just try it,’ and they [students] are like, ‘I don’t like this,’ they try it, and they love it,” Patwardhan said.
Patwardhan said cooking is more than just a skill — it’s a way to bring people together, try new things and build confidence. Whether it’s a camper learning a new dish or a student discovering a passion, she finds fulfillment in every moment spent in the kitchen.
“Everybody should be able to make their own meal and love what they eat,” Patwardhan said. “That’s what my goal is.”
