Hallo, I am Anna, professional chef and your cooking instructor!
LET ME TAKE YOU ON A COOKING ADVENTURE
I’m a professional chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London. I've been teaching aspiring cooks for 10 years – first in London, then in Frankfurt, and now around the world through my online courses.
All my recipes are tried and tested by three picky eaters (my children) and my husband, who loves fine dining. My accessible, unique instructional approach incorporates simple skills, innovative techniques and classic recipes.
DISCOVER MY COOKING CLASSES
My childhood in St. Petersburg
I was born in St. Petersburg, where my early experiences with food were shaped by the practicalities of life in a time and place where ingredients were limited. During my childhood, meals were mostly made up of root vegetables and dairy products, with occasional treats like processed cheese and condensed milk. The variety and abundance of ingredients that I now take for granted simply weren’t available to us.
My mother, a hardworking woman, did her best to provide us with nutritious, creative meals within the constraints of what we had. It wasn’t easy, but she found ways to make the most of what was available. However, in those early years, it wasn’t about cooking for enjoyment. Food was a necessity—something to keep us nourished and strong, not something to savor or celebrate.
Given these circumstances, it seems almost unlikely that I would develop a passion for cooking. But over time, I found that even in the simplest meals, there was room for creativity. As a student, for instance, my signature dish was egg fried rice. It wasn’t gourmet by any means, but it was a meal I could prepare on my own, using limited ingredients and a bit of imagination. Looking back, it makes perfect sense—egg fried rice was both practical and satisfying, and it was my first step toward discovering the joy of cooking.
Berlin adventures
In my early twenties, I packed my bags and moved to Berlin, eager to embrace the independence and excitement of a new city. Those first few months of freedom were marked by an insatiable curiosity for food—every street corner, market stall, and restaurant seemed to offer something new and irresistible. I indulged in flavors I had never experienced before, and with every delicious bite, my belt had to adjust accordingly. The sheer abundance of ingredients, aromas, and culinary possibilities was exhilarating, yet also overwhelming.
With no family around to teach me the art of cooking, I turned to the next best thing—cookbooks. Determined to master the skills behind the flavors I had come to love, I read, experimented, and learned through trial and error. My first real challenge? Preparing a full meal for a friend, using a recipe from Rick Stein’s Seafood.
Whatever I did that evening must have worked—because that friend is now my husband, and to this day, he remains my most enthusiastic taste tester. No matter how wild my kitchen experiments get, he’s always ready to take the first bite.
Becoming a chef
Over time, my approach to cooking evolved. What began as a strict adherence to recipes slowly transformed into a more intuitive, creative process. I found myself experimenting with flavors, adjusting techniques, and eventually developing my own dishes. Along the way, my collection of cookbooks grew, each one a source of inspiration and knowledge.
At a certain point, I realized that my trial-and-error method, while invaluable, could benefit from a solid professional foundation. Determined to refine my skills, I enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in London, where I immersed myself in the art and science of cooking. Equipped with this formal training, I took the next big step—founding my first cookery school, a place where I could share my passion and knowledge with others.
Frankfurt for Cooks is borne
When I moved back to Germany a few years later, I knew that my passion for food and cooking had to become something more than just a personal pursuit. I wanted to create a space where people could come together, learn, experiment, and share the joy of cooking—just as I had experienced on my own journey. And so, Frankfurt for Cooks was born.
From the very beginning, the focus was not just on cooking but on the entire culinary experience. We ventured into Frankfurt’s vibrant markets, exploring stalls brimming with seasonal produce, fresh seafood, artisanal cheeses, and fragrant spices. Each ingredient had a story, and each shopping trip became an opportunity to discover, taste, and learn. Armed with baskets full of handpicked ingredients, we returned to the kitchen, ready to turn our market finds into delicious, home-cooked meals.
Cooking together in person brought a whole new dimension to the experience. It wasn’t just about following recipes—it was about understanding techniques, experimenting with flavors, and embracing the creativity that comes with hands-on learning. Whether someone was a complete beginner or an experienced home cook, every class was designed to be engaging, interactive, and, most importantly, fun.
Over time, Frankfurt for Cooks grew into more than just a cooking school—it became a community. A place where strangers became friends over a shared love of food, where laughter filled the kitchen, and where everyone left with new skills, inspiration, and a satisfied appetite.
I offer live cooking classes, private classes and market tours in Frankfurt, as well as online cooking classes available worldwide.
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