COOKING WITH THE PROS
By Carole Dixon
For dineLA.com
For dineLA.com
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If you’re craving hands on cooking experience with some of LA’s top chefs, there are plenty of in-house classes on offer throughout the summer and into the late fall. Whether your goal is mastering a béarnaise or modern emulsion, or you’re trying to perfect a simple summer grilling technique or the ultimate fish taco, the following toques have the “epicurious” completely covered.
Michael Cimarusti of Providence has been teaching the successful “101 Cooking Class Series” at his Hollywood restaurant along with his chef de cuisine, Yu Min Lin. They share their knowledge of raw fish preparations that include sashimi, new style sushi, crudo and tartare. By the time you leave the two-hour class, you’ll also learn how to roll sushi with rice on a mat and which sakes to pair with the fish. For the class, “Simple Summer Meals,”try your hand at composed seafood salads, summer soups and chilled fish entrées. This August, the in-house pastry chef Adrian Vasquez will take on “Uncommon Ingredients in Dessert Making.”With this series, you will learn everything from starters to the main event, and a delicious ending with a twist.
Occasionally Neal Fraser will do private cooking classes for groups as part of Grace catering. The classes are hands on for the people who are interested, followed by dinner for the rest of the guests. Other options could be an outright demo, a taste-as-you-go class or a session watching Neal cook in the kitchen (for smaller groups of 10 or less). According to Fraser, “I like the interaction with a cooking class. I get to teach and learn about the guests at the same time. It’s the equivalent of having a kitchen in the middle of the dining room with the guests being my cooks.”
Fraser’s more casual BLD eatery holds charcutterie classes the last Monday of every month. The theme changes each time with a different purveyor or region, and some classes will feature special guests who will indulge you in the history of charcutterie and cheeses, taste profiles and wine pairing.
For home cooking to rival your Italian grandmother’s creations, Brandon Boudet at Little Dom’s in Silverlake will offer a meatball, spaghetti and sauce class by request. Boudet credits the softball size meatballs for being so juicy and delicious, using “a combo of beef and pork, which keeps them moist and lots of freshly grated parmesan.” Boudet also notes, “We use only Plugra European butter — and lots of it.”
Susan Tracht’s contemporary interpretation of comfort food favorites at Jar could be one of the reasons her classes sell out so quickly. “I love feeding people. We want guests to feel like they are in the ultimate living room, where they can have their favorite foods without pretense,” says Tracht. Her teaching includes step-by-step demonstrations and participation with dishes such as summer tomato salad, wild Alaskan salmon with lemon and caper-berries, and chilled roasted corn relish. Tracht also teaches classes designed specifically for young chefs to be with kid-friendly favorites such as grilled ham and Gruyère sandwich, and Jar’s signature chocolate pudding with real whipped cream.
Hailing from Border Grill in Santa Monica and Ciudad in Downtown LA, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger a.k.a. “The Two Hot Tamales” are the queens of the cooking class. This talented duo started teaching in 1984 with hot tips for the home chef and plenty of lighthearted humor. According to Mary Sue, “Most of the time, we pick entertaining themes with stress-free tips. A typical class will include everything from passed appetizers at a cocktail party or a group-friendly paella, but we always do a full menu including two cocktails and desserts. And we serve everything as we’re demoing.”
For their grilling class, everything went on the open flame from fish tacos to cactus salad, handmade flour tortillas and even the peaches for the cake garnish. “We like to keep it in the style and flavors of Border Grill and Ciudad.” Other hits have included their South American classes with drinks from Chile, Argentinean gaucho steak and Ecuadorian banana cake. Surprisingly, Milliken has found that the menu lineup is not the major draw: “People love the techniques and the tips — not so much the specific recipes. When you give people the gift of the technique they think of you every time they use it. We love teaching and spreading our enthusiasm about cooking, and unlocking an accessible door for the masses.”
For the Francophile, La Cachette’s “Cooking with Jean François” offers tips and cooking demonstration for light French cuisine. Learn classic techniques for stocks and sauces, modern emulsions, béarnaise and lobster sauce, or take the wildly popular soufflés instruction and impress the guests at your next dinner party with your chocolate, raspberry and Grand Marnier renditions. Coming this October is the Bistrot Menu with cassoulet, crab coquettes, brandade salted cod and apple tart.
The advanced cook can try his or her hands at the “Extended Techniques” class this December, which will include foie gras, puff pastry and vegetable terrine. Classes are held on Saturdays and include lunch with wine. Jean Francois finds many people are intimidated at first: “Most people think it’s the old way with cream and butter, and it’s not that complicated. Once they see it visually in class, it’s much easier for them to remember simple tips like peeling tomatoes or asparagus. People love it; they can use it every day.”
Another healthy option is to make a vegetable the focus of your meal entirely. Jason Marcus, Executive Chef from the One Group’s One Sunset is offering private cooking classes by appointment. One of his most recent sessions featured wild mushrooms. “I love the texture, diversity and flavor profile — it’s like the grape for chefs, says Marcus. “Shiitakes for the money are unbelievable…how they look and how they fit into so many dishes.” Morels and black chocolate mushrooms are also favorites of the chef. His new style sushi roll is made up of pounded beef tenderloin with yellowfin tuna and clamshell mushrooms poached in yuzu soy truffle sauce.
Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City will also be holding a professional BBQ grilling and smoking techniques class on the front patio of the restaurant on Sunday, August 24. He’ll share recipes for brines, marinades and rubs and then let you chow down on the fruits of your labors.
Coming Soon: Chef John Sedlar will open Rivera in the LA LIVE complex downtown this October, which will include a cooking school on the property.
BLD, 7450 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.930.9744
Ciudad, 445 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, 213.486.5171
Grace, 7360 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.934.4400
Jar, 8225 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; 323.655.6566
La Cachette,10506 Little Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, 310.470.4992
Little Dom’s, 2128 Hillhurst Ave., Silverlake, 323.661.0055
One Sunset, 8730 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.657.0111
Providence, 5955 Melrose, Hollywood, 323.460.4170
