My wife and I attended a class at The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories and thoroughly enjoyed it. At the time I attended, I heard that they had outgrown their facility and would re-open at a new location. Our instructor was both enthusiastic and informative and we learned how to make the basic cooking sauces like hollandaise.
The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories is located in Santa Monica, in the recently renovated Santa Monica Place. It is conveniently situated between the food court and the ARClight theaters on the third floor. The school offers a variety of hands-on cooking classes for beginners to professionals.
I attended their media grand opening event which featured two concurrent classes. Attendees were able to select between a demonstration of summer salads or one featuring biscuits with fried chicken. Chef John Pitblado began by combining the dry ingredients to make the biscuit dough. In the other room, Chef Carol Cotner Thompson began her class on salads.
Chef John Pitblado working the flour to make biscuits
Chef Carol Cotner Thompson doing the prep
The classrooms are adjoined, spacious and full of natural light. They contracted with an architect who designs sound studios. As a result, you could see the action taking place in the next classroom, yet you could not hear any of the conversations. It was great for us because Pitblado could speak comfortably without the use of a microphone.
Pitblado seemed to be enjoying the demonstration. He was quite outgoing and engaging. This was apparent because the questions asked indicated that they were actually listening to him. When it came to making the fried chicken, he anticipated my question about “why not brine with buttermilk?” His answer, “buttermilk gives it a slightly acidic nature and I like the taste of the chicken to come through”.
He offered great tips for the beginning chef:
- Make sure the dry ingredients are chilled in the refrigerator. This will create a crunchy exterior.
- If the chicken is completely dry, the exterior will adhere nicely and the crust won’t fall off the chicken when you bite into it.
- When the chicken is cooked, place it on a wire rack with a baking tray. Place that tray into a 200 degree oven so that the chicken near the bone is completely cooked.
The finished result – A biscuit fried chicken sandwich
Everything in the classrooms looked brand new. Heavy duty commercial appliances were in the rear. Immediately in front of that was a demonstration table. Long tables and stools were situated between the front of the classroom and the demonstration table. Stainless steel pots, pans, and utensils hung on a rack. Kitchen Aid mixers lined the wall.
To take advantage of the extra space, additional retail items are now offered for purchase. Products offered include goods from Epicurean, Lodge Cast Iron, The Little Market, locally grown and milled flours from Grist and Toll, premium baking chocolates from Cordillera and Republica del Cacao, and additional classroom kitchenware is available for purchase.
The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories has an extensive catalog of classes. They include such classes such as sushi, macarons, vegetarian cooking, canning, flourless cakes, classes for kids and many more! They focus on teaching classic techniques and use locally sourced ingredients.
The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories, 395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA; 310.656.8800
http://thegourmandiseschool.com/