547961 Tue Aug 12 10:17:20 -0700 2008 18 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3950384 Hi Everyone, I want to take some simple (beginner) cooking classes. Preferable single sessions and not too expensive. Anyone have any tips?? Tue Aug 12 10:17:21 -0700 2008 217872 jaxisastar 1 3950434 I have a friend who took a baking class at Gourmandise and she loved it. http://www.gourmandisedesserts.com/ Tue Aug 12 10:29:55 -0700 2008 3950384 176835 yoginla 1 3951134 Williams-Sonoma has some nice intorductory classes for around $45 per class (food included). They also have lunch-and-learn classes for less. Where are you located? Tue Aug 12 14:23:28 -0700 2008 3950384 19917 Rizza 2 3952301 With the WS classes, you don't really get to get to learn by doing the stuff yourself. Instead, you watch the instructor do the dishes but I'm not sure how much more you would learn from that than watching a cooking show on TV for free. For a cooking class, I'd ask how much cooking vs. watching the students will do in the class. Tue Aug 12 22:18:06 -0700 2008 3951134 82890 hobbess 3 3953187 Except you do get to taste the dishes and see how the flavors work. They also don't tend to whip a souffle, put it in the oven, and have one come out that is obviously not the same souffle. Plus you can interact with the chef and ask questions. Wed Aug 13 08:50:26 -0700 2008 3952301 19917 Rizza 1 3951950 begourmet@att.net Tim Ross runs a lovely cooking school in his house in Silver Lake. It's very personal. I've taken two classes and one of them I was one of two students. Highly recommend.... Tue Aug 12 19:25:04 -0700 2008 3950384 20770 mangia 1 3952313 I've taken a few cooking classes at Chez Cherie (www.chezcherie.com) in La Canada and really enjoyed them. They are a tad expensive, but probably comparable. Tue Aug 12 22:33:12 -0700 2008 3950384 141887 Emily227 1 3952321 Sur La Table at the Grove offers nightly classes in various disciplines Tue Aug 12 22:40:40 -0700 2008 3950384 145370 COYS N17 1 3952332 Perhaps not what you are looking for but the culinary arts program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa is highly regarded - I believe they also have some one or two session classes offered to the public with really reasonable fees a few times each semester. Tue Aug 12 22:47:59 -0700 2008 3950384 14341 OCEllen 2 3958826 IIRC, I think you also needed to enroll in some other classes, such as sanitation and intro to hospitality industry, at OCC first which probably wouldn't really interest the home cook. Thu Aug 14 22:04:35 -0700 2008 3952332 82890 hobbess 3 3958920 Yes, for the culinary arts program, but I believe there are also inexpensive one session classes offered to the public, general interest, specific subjects. Thu Aug 14 23:07:29 -0700 2008 3958826 14341 OCEllen 4 4016597 Do you have a link or website for such classes? When I've tried searching for it, I've never really found such classes. If you go to their extended adult education courses, you don't find such a class. The closest thing is a nutrition class about healthy cooking that's taught by a dietitian. Mon Sep 08 00:48:36 -0700 2008 3958920 82890 hobbess 5 4019012 I've found everyone at OCC to be fairly approachable - you might give them a call and ask specific questions about their programs and about others in the area. But it does seem others have offered some good suggestions, too! Mon Sep 08 18:46:09 -0700 2008 4016597 14341 OCEllen 1 3953008 I highly recommend the New School of Cooking in Culver City. Their fall classes will soon be posted on the website. A little bit of lecture style, a lot of active cooking. Wed Aug 13 08:04:47 -0700 2008 3950384 20875 Heidi 2 3953133 I second this recommendation. I just took a sushi handroll class on Saturday that was excellent. Wed Aug 13 08:36:35 -0700 2008 3953008 197704 tmauch 3 3958674 I recommend Hip Cooks. You can check out the website at www.hipcooks.com Thu Aug 14 20:18:55 -0700 2008 3953133 162893 FoodLover92 4 3959055 epicuriam, for great classes. Single subject,hands on, four hours. Fri Aug 15 02:40:15 -0700 2008 3958674 122406 miwine 4 3959905 I recommend Hip Cooks, too. I've taken 2 classes from them and I'm ready to sign up for my third. Fri Aug 15 09:43:11 -0700 2008 3958674 182389 cookingodyssey 3 3960539 I "third" this recommendation. I love taking classes at The New School of Cooking. Unlike the more demonstration-based classes at Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, you will get to do all of your own chopping, cooking, stirring and eating! There are about 16 people max per class. The instructor will talk about how to prepare all of the recipes shared in the class, and then you will get to work on one of the recipes w/ another classmate or on your own. At the end of the class, everyone gets to eat all of the food. It's a lot of fun. The autumn 2008 catalog is already up: http://www.newschoolofcooking.com/ Fri Aug 15 13:13:56 -0700 2008 3953133 27319 brattenheimer