Culver City: Take a Cooking Class at the New School of Cooking

The New School of Cooking in Culver City has a culinary showcase tonight. The open house features small bites and demos and this would be a great time to check out the school. They’re starting the next Advanced Professional Culinary Arts 6-month classes on July 29. So if you’re looking to learn to cook to eventually work in the restaurant industry or just brush up your skills to be the best home cook, this is the place to be. The New School offers classes for all levels.

I went a few weeks ago and got a chance to learn more about their wine, coffee, pastry and cooking classes. On this particular night, we heard from a wine professional, a barista from Handsome Roaster, a chef turned instructor who’s worked at many of LA’s best restaurants including Animal plus got to make truffles and other pastries with a professional pastry chef.

For the full-time professional class, only 16 students are admitted. Classes are held Monday through Friday and cost $18,000. The Professional Culinary Arts Program and Baking and Pastry Arts covers skills and knowledge of safety and sanitation, food science, food history, nutrition, butchery, pastry arts, cheese, preserves, agriculture, ethnic foods, wine education and technology needed for the culinary profession.

Advanced Professional Pastry Arts starts on August 18. The Monday, Wednesday and Thursday night classes run for $10,800.

This evening was led by Chef David Sykes who also showcased the butchery aspect of the classes. He said once you mastered something like rabbit, it’s really not that different to butcher a pig or a cow.

I particularly was engaged with Chef David who claimed his wife was better at making pasta but he made a pretty tasty batch for us to try later.

Every class ends with a meal. This evening we had the rabbit, pasta and roasted vegetables as well a wine tasting and coffee with the chocolates we made.

The professional classes are supplemented by several expert guest lecturers. Here is Erik from Handsome Roaster explaining the pour-over coffee technique.

I am not much of a baker since I find measuring a bit tedious so it was awesome all we really did was roll some truffles around in chocolate, fill up miniture peanut butter cups and filled a pastry tart. But if I was taking the actual class, I would give it my all– if I can get over butchering a whole animal, I can get a little dirty to make truffles.

Decorating truffles was rather calming.

If you want to check out the open house tonight, the New School is requesting reservations which are complimentary:

RSVP to Kira White at kira@newschoolofcooking.com or 310-895-6855.

 

 

New School of Cooking

690 Washington Blvd.,  Culver City, CA 90232  —  (310) 842-9702

© The Minty 2013