Looking for a special gift? Or a fun night out? We’d recommend checking out the Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories. Kevin and I have taken a lot of cooking classes over the years, and this certainly ranks as one of the best cooking schools in Los Angeles.
What makes this place so unique is that they teach recipes we’d actually make at home (vs. teaching recipes that involve hours of prep time). We once took a Mexican cooking class at another place and spent nearly 4 hours just perfecting a sauce. Um, pass…
We love the individual cooking stations and tons of counter space
When I saw that the Gourmandise School offered a Beef 101 course, I knew I found the perfect gift for Kevin who would eat steak every day if he had the choice. I’ve never been a big steak eater, but hey, I figured why not.
Recipe list – let’s start chopping!
The first item on the agenda was horseradish mashed potatoes. This is one of Kevin’s favorites and literally I had to do everything in my power to stop him from eating the entire bowl.
Move away from the bowl Kevin. Move away…
Next up on the list was two types of steaks — Sweet and Savory Skirt Steak and Steak Diane. Part of the reason we signed up for the class was to learn more about the various cuts of meats. Whenever we’d eat out – we really had no idea what to order exactly (a filet mignon or ribeye?). But Chef Gill broke it all down in the simplest terms. Basically, the muscles that are least used are the more tender cuts (like the rib, loin and the plate which is located along the lower belly). And the areas of the cow that workout the most are the toughest (like the round – near the butt, the shoulder and chuck just above the front legs). Mind-blowing!
Steak made easy – Chef Gill breaks it down showing the various cuts of meats
After the mashed potatoes, we moved onto the second dish which was meatballs. Okay, I can take or leave steak. But meatballs? I basically ate the entire portion – even having our cooking neighbors warn me that there were still 2 more courses to go. No judgement people!
Gimme those meatballs. Mmm
After basically consuming the entire portion of meatballs, I was pretty full. But continued to help prep for the next two steak dishes.
The grill master Kevin hard at work making the Steak Diane
Kevin digs in and loved it – definitely on par with some of the best steaks we’ve eaten out
Our Beef 101 class ran 3 hours and was $115 per person. You won’t leave hungry and with all their classes, you’re able to bring your own beverages with you to enjoy with the food. Though, they do offer plenty of water and coffee.
We loved the class so much we signed up for a 4-part weekly cooking series in April called Kitchen Basics ($525 per person) — designed to teach culinary fundamentals.
It’s steak time!
Check out the Gourmandise website to learn more or even better yet, sign up for their newsletters to get discount codes. As you all know, we love a deal. Bon appetite!
DETAILS
- The Gourmandise School is located on the top level of Santa Monica Place (right off the Third Street Promenade)
- Check out the variety of classes nearly every day of the week — ranging from vegetarian meals to how to make cream puffs and eclairs. Schedule here
- Classes start around $85 per person and typically run 3 hours.
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