An Invitation to Cook With the Pros

The sight of students in starched white jackets and trademark checkered pants is a fairly common one on the streets of downtown Pasadena. Our move to the hometown of the Tournament of Roses Parade a little over five years ago not only planted us a few short blocks from The California School of Culinary Arts but has also allowed me to frequently interview its prestigious faculty, schmooze with celebrity guests like Martin Yan, and cover a variety of culinary events for the local press.

CSCA, located in the heart of the Pasadena Playhouse District, has been on the map since 1994 but is partnered with an institution that has been making mouth-watering history for well over a century – Le Cordon Bleu. The name itself – “blue ribbon” – dates back even farther and defines an elite gaggle of 16th century knights whose sumptuous banquets became legendary throughout France. In fact, it’s of little surprise that so many words in our vocabulary that are associated with the experience of fine dining have French origins – café, gourmet, croissant, flambé, menu, baguette, connoisseur, soufflé, restaurant, sauté, mélange, sorbet, buffet, crepes, pàtisserie, and bon appetit, just to name a few.

The hungry zeal with which CSCA students approach their craft is unmistakable, and many a time in my conversations with them I find myself recalling a bribe my socialite mother once offered when I was a senior in high school; specifically, “If you break up with so-and-so, your father and I will send you to Paris for cooking lessons.” In retrospect, I often wish I had taken her up on it, there being no real future anyway with a sloe-eyed wrestler named Bert who was barely pulling a “C-” average and whose idea of adventure was stealing an occasional 6-pack from his ol’ man’s fridge. Fortunately, the star-crossed flirtation of the debutante and the doofus lasted less than a semester, I went on to become a writer instead of a chef, and fortuitously married a lawyer who can cook fabulous meals from virtually any country on the planet.

On Saturday, October 20th, however, I’ll finally get a mini-taste of what it might have been like to rub elbows with renowned culinary professionals, work in a fast-paced kitchen environment, and have access to high tech tools of the trade in a gleaming classroom lab. Since the fall of 2004, CSCA has been offering consumer education classes twice a month that are taught by their own chef instructors. These popular 4-hour workshops held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. are open to the general public and sell out almost every time.

And while starched chef jackets and checkered pants aren’t included in the Saturday tuition of $105, the experience and tips gleaned are enough to give anyone a deeper appreciation of all the behind-the-scenes talent, effort, patience, and attention to flawless detail that go into the preparation of a 5-star meal.

Their offering of Fall 2007 classes include:

October 20th - “Bites from the Sea”

Entertain your family and friends with style and class. Learn to create simple yet delectable bite-size appetizers such as shrimp spring rolls, crab cakes, and scallop ceviche served in baby butter lettuce cups.

November 3rd – “Perfect Pies and Tarts”

Learn how to make a perfect flaky pie crust and a crisp, sweet dough for your tarts. You will learn to properly mix, roll, chill, blind-bake, fill and bake perfect desserts such as pumpkin chiffon pie and pear frangipani tart for holiday entertaining.

November 17th – “Everything But the Turkey”

Make side dishes that are so tasty and memorable that the turkey itself won’t even be missed this Thanksgiving! This workshop covers all the basics for perfect mashed potatoes, glazed carrots with pearl onions, chestnut and sausage dressing, and spiced apple cranberry sauce.

December 1st – “Parisian Patisserie: Cookies and Confection”

Did someone say “dessert”? No one says it quite like the French. Warm up your ovens and your loved ones’ hearts with homemade treats like almond macaroons with raspberry jam, buttery Madeleines, and sea salt carmels. Yum!

December 15th – “Tamales”

A South-of-the-border influence is no stranger to Southern California kitchens. This tasty workshop will teach you everything you need to know about making the perfect masa and creating memorable Mexican dishes like rojo pork, green chile and cheese, and sweet tamales with pineapple and golden raisins.

Due to the high demand of these classes and the limited number of students, payment is required upon registration and can be made by calling (626) 683-1354 or visiting the CSCA campus bookstore at 530 Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Cancellation is required at least 48 hours in advance. To learn more about the school and its full program, visit www.csca.edu.