Culinary School Seminars

I am looking for a 2-3 day program on pastry (a retirement gift) ...any recommendations/experiences? Location not restricted

you may want to check with your local community rec center. Many of them offer adult evening classes and sometimes they include a few cooking classes. Typically not too expensive either.

If location doesn't matter, why not start at the top...the CIA?

http://www.ciachef.edu/enthusiasts/index.html

Some of these places offer community classes:

http://www.chef-school-culinary-institute.com/index.cfm


What a great idea for a gift! That's what I'll be doing when I retire (when not eating my way along that 3-state swap meet).

Chinesegirl...In Bethesda, L'Academie d'Cuisine has recreational (meaning non-professional) cooking classes. http://www.lacademie.com/new_redirect.asp

Unfortunately, it looks like their extended pastry seminars have already begun. But they do have full day demonstration classes. You can always put yourself on their mailing list for when their spring catalog comes out.

I do admit that I am counting on my friend's return as a pastry chef though.... all kinds of pies, cakes, cream puffs ...yummy

Hi chinesegirl,

You might want to check out the Recreational Division of the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC (www.iceculinary.com). The pastry program was put together by Nick Malgieri, author of a whole bunch of popular baking books. I've not taken any pastry courses there but the other courses I took were well done and the staff is very professional. Nick's books are very accessible and I would imagine his courses would be the same. They also have a cake decorating class taught by Toba Garret, who is the alleged queen of cake decorating these days!

Good luck -- this is a neat idea!

There is a beautiful hotel located in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains called "Blackberry Farm" It is rated the top small hotel in the USA and the food is out of sight although it is not a roadfood type of place due to its price. I have stayed there serveral times at the companies expense. I have attached a list of their cooking schools for 2004.

http://www.blackberryfarm.com/dining/cookingschool.html

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

If you're thinking classic French pastry training, there's no better than LaVarenne Ecole de Cuisine. Anne Willan has a school at the Greenbriar in West Virginia and one at the Chateau LaFey in Burgundy, France. The Cordon Bleu is second to LaVarenne in my opinion but certainly an excellent school too. I am a graduate of LaVarenne and consider myself VERY fortunate to have attended such a prestigious cuilinary institute. They do short 2-3 day pastry courses. Check their website. www.lavarenne.com

wow.. all these places look nice. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by chinesegirl

wow.. all these places look nice. Thanks!

Chinesegirl: Did you ever decide on a place. If you decide to do Blackberry farm, you will be rewarded with the sights and sounds of the beautiful Smoky Mountains. The site is one of the best in the USA

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

I did a Google search on "Pittsburgh pastry class" and got several hits including:

http://cookforfun.shawguides.com/JaneCitronCookingClasses/

http://www.carnegielibrary.org/subject/food/edu.html

You might also try contacting the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and see if they have short seminars.

http://www.houseofedu.com/ica/index.jsp?CLK=4020809014420124&

http://www.aip.aii.edu/programs_detail.asp?PID=4


Good luck!
Jennie