Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in the Greater Los Angeles Area (including Orange & Ventura Counties and SW San Bernardino County)
Start New ThreadMy baby sister is looking for a professional or semi-professional baking program she can attend here in the LA area. (Think wedding cakes.) Anyone have any insight into what's available and/or good?
By David Kahn
on Mar 18, 2004 04:21 PM
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The California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena has a new professional baking program that is 5 days per week for 30 weeks. Very expensive, I think around $22,000 for the program.
Link: http://www.scsca.com/
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They use the top-notch Cordon Bleu program.
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New School of Cooking in Culver City has a professional baking program, and it's considerably less than $22K. Probably about $2K. They cover breads, muffins and pate a choux pastries as well as cakes.
www.newschoolofcooking.com
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New School of Cooking's baking program is once per week for 4 hours or so for around 10 weeks, compared to CSCA's 5 days per week for 30 weeks. These two programs are reaching for totally different audiences.
Has anyone taken any classes at New School of Cooking? I am scheduled to take a few classes there over the next three months and I can't wait!
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You're correct. The Pasadena/Cordon Bleu version is for certification. (I've heard that they're packed and are limiting admission these days.) New School is more geared towards offering some professional-grade skills for home cooks.
I've taken several recreational classes at New School and recommend them HIGHLY. Great fun, because they're hands-on. And you get to play with the professional grade toys...like the six burner Viking and the convection oven.
I took a regional series (France): Alsace, Paris, Southwest and Corsica. I've also taken Basic Fish, two Indian courses, and Asian noodles.
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Good to know that the classes at New School are fun. I'm taking Asian Summertime Entertaining, Mushroom Primer, Simple Contemporary Sauces, Spring Pies, and Chocolate Desserts. A good variety. My mom is taking two of them with me and my stepmom is taking one of them.
I took a lot of hands-on classes at CSCA back when they had non-pro classes. You're right, it's lots of fun to work with stoves that have burners with like a million BTUs, and the convection oven, and the salamander. I heard CSCA might be reinstating the non-pro program. I hope so.
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what do you mean by "these two programs are reaching for totally different audiences"? and have you attended CSCA? because i am looking for schools that excel only in baking and pastry chef programs.
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Sorry for late reply, was scarfing BBQ down in Austin. I took a first semester professional baking class at L.A. Trade Tech prior to starting the culinary program there and would recommend it to anyone. The instructors are all very well qualified and respected professionals. There is a bakery at the Washington/Hill St corner of the campus that's open to the public and sells products produced by the students. The actual classroom/kitchen is 3 flights up above the bakery. I would suggest your friend make a visit and ask for Chef Robert (last name begins with an L, but escapes me.), who runs the baking program. Right around noon is a good time. If tuition is a concern, this is the place.
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I take the Pro Baking Course at The New School of Cooking taught by Carol Cotner Thompson and I think that she and the school are outstanding. I have only attended 4 classes for far and i've gotten a lot out of it.
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