New School of Cooking

Updated:
I was dealing with some weird billing issues with these guys, so called this morning and was later contacted by Pam from the New School to resolve the confusion around the charges. They had refunded me the amount after accidentally cancelling my enrollment. I had to reach out to them and get myself reenrolled. I was charged the second time to reenroll, and I missed the refund when I looked back at the expenses. I also was accidentally charged 50% of the tuition a couple months later, which I had to again contact them about. They then cut me a check for the amount.
I do recommend taking the courses here because they are valuable, informative and fun. I experienced some accounting mishaps that were confusing and frustrating, but the classes are great and the teaching staff is exemplary. Hopefully they can resolve their by receptive hiccups.

May is an amazing and patient teacher! Somehow she was able to lovingly supervise 15 eager students making several different dim sum recipes at once. Im a terrible cook and a complete beginner– think frozen dinners, setting off fire alarms, and surviving on kid’s PBJ. I was nervous when my husband randomly signed me up for a same-​day class after we were walking by following brunch at Helms. I jumped in and had blast! And I hosted my own dumpling dinner the next night! Wow! I signed my dad and I up for 4 more classes this fall. Aaron wants to stay home and nap uninterrupted. He’s so happy he doesn’t have to supervise my kitchen «melt-​downs» anymore. He leaves that job to the cooking professionals. When he wakes up, he’ll have a happy wife and great food to look forward to trying!

I first learned about this place after sampling some of their appetizers at a Unilocal event. Today I was glad to be a plus one to their open house, to check out the school and sample some of their chefs creations. I got to talk to a few of the chefs who are very passionate about their skills, which is a great attribute for a chef. A couple of the instructors, James and May were very friendly and personable and welcomed us right into their kitchens. They have a very nice set up here as well as all the cooking gadgets a chef needs, felt like we were on an episode of Top Chef. Some of the dishes that stood out for me was the chicken skewer, mushroom risotto, chocolate chip cookies, scones, and can’t believe I’m saying anything pumpkin, but pumpkin bread was outstanding. I had a great time and I cannot wait to take one of their recreational cooking classes.

After receiving an invite to their Open House from Tara R., I was excited and RSVPd immediately. Went last night and had an amazing time wondering through kitchens like a kid in a candy store. Chefs were friendly and proudly stood by their kitchen creations. You could tell the food displays were organized with love. Many of the instructors walked around greeting people and encouraged everyone to try what their hearts desired.
Several items had my twin, ‘The Piglet’ circling around for seconds… or thirds. Haha! Not ton mention, Chef James was super inviting so I had to step deep into the kitchen to see and taste the hype! The mushroom risotto was one. It was served hot and cheesy. The mushroom garnish was fresh and had a great flavor. Mmm… yum! I joked with the chef and asked him to pretend he didn’t see me come back for seconds. Of course he smiled and took that as the compliment it was meant to be.
Another favorite was the chicken skewer. Every once in a while I’ll cheat and eat meat. I’m glad tonight was one of those nights. That chicken was cooked to perfectly and seasoned just right. The chef’s hard work showed as he grilled those skewers over the hot flames. Job well done!
The tomato, strawberry, and fresh-​made mozzarella salad was refreshing. I like the basil oil. The hint of sweet strawberry added just the right kick. I also appreciated the chef who stood sweating in the corner from rolling balls of homemade mozzarella. Chef, you rock!
I went next door to the café and also tried the turkey, bacon, and avocado wrap. It is something I’d definitely come back and order on a nice sunny day. Besides, the two chefs behind the counter there was super friendly and welcoming. The pretzel… to die for! I am a glutten for carbs and the soft doughy texture was perfect! Dipped in the homemade cheese sauce and Dijon mustard, yessssssss! I’ll be back for that as well!
Finally, the desserts… I tried to stay away, but couldn’t. The pumpkin bread… mmmm!!! It made my mouth water so much, I kept going back for seconds… and thirds… and fourths. The pecan and spice cake (can’t recall the correct name) was another yummy. It was moist and rich with just the right hint of topping to make my mouth water… just like the pumpkin bread did. I grabbed at least two! The rye bread with mustard on top was another tasty treat. The bread display was nice as well. The chocolate chip cookies were good too.
Aside from the food, everyone was pleasant and welcoming. As much as I felt I and other guests were in their way as they cooked and prepared food, they never frowned or complained. In fact, they did the opposite. Thanks for the invite. Thanks for the tasty treats, and thanks for the experience of trying items I’d probably never order otherwise.

I’ve taken 4 of the recreational classes (cheese, thai, dumplings, and pasta) and thoroughly enjoyed every one. I really appreciate that the first 30 minutes is spent going over the science/​culture of the food (science for cheese & history for Asian). It’s abundantly clear May (Thai and Dumplings) is extremely knowledgeable chef who speaks to the best stores to shop, different brands that she enjoys and the logic behind cooking (thai being more flexible per the cook). Then you break into groups of two (I normally go with a friend) and run through a recipe or two.
Afterwards, all the tables are put together and everyone gets to try each other’s recipes (come hungry, you’ll be stuffed), and each cook talks about the challenges or insights for their dishes and the testers speak to what they’d add or change. Really enlightening and community centered.
I’d highly recommend a class to anyone looking to pick up a new skill in a cuisine not tried before!

Took the beginners grilling class this past weekend. Good class, instructor was informative and lively. We all got to cook and then eat what we all cooked and overall had a good time and learned a lot. Well worth it

I took the 20 week pro series one and it was great. The chef really accommodated my vegetarian needs as did the school. I am still taking make up classes and they are all great. I finally have my drive back for cooking and it’s because of my classes. The administration is great too as are all the assistant chefs. I hope to take more classes in the future!
Highly recommend this school!!!

Took the Basic Cooking Class here. It was worth every penny. I came in knowing a little about cooking and learned a lot from the class. Chef Jess is a great teacher and is very descriptive. She looks like she’s having a lot of fun teaching as well which makes it more enjoyable. Definitely going to come back and take the Pro Series if I have the time.

Mmm lets just say that this place is amazing! Love their turkey sandwich! I recommend it for sure. I also enjoy the staff, they are very inviting and friendly. I’m a daily customer now. Visit them!

This cooking school offers so many different classes. I have taken 2 recreational classes here with Chef May. I have learned so much from these classes and have been able to recreate the dishes at home. I have made apple and sour cherry pie, pear and cardamom pie with a pistachio crumble, kahlua truffles, marshmallows and almond toffee. What I like most about these classes is how much hands on experience you get. After a demo and lecture, you actually get to work on your own to make a dish. The chef and her assistants are there to help if you have any questions. The equipment they have is state of the art and the ingredients you get to work with are high quality. I signed up for a savory class in February and am planning on taking more classes in the future.

Thank you so much Pam for fulfilling my dream~with the help from this nice owner, I and my husband use the kitchen from New School of Cooking to take several fantastic photos for our wedding invitation. Pam is really nice and offer us to use the place for free and gave us a lot of brilliant suggestion on our bachelor party~
The kitchen is really nice and clean with variety of cooking facilities. I believe the class will be great~
Look forward to having my bachelor party here~
Thank you~Pam

My office wanted to do something different for our summer retreat/​party. We decided to do a group cooking class/​competition, but were really struggling to find a school that could take a party of our size (35).
From the get go, Chris at the school was extremely accommodating and responsive. Even though they don’t usually work with parties as large as ours, the team was organized, flexible and friendly. Pam did a great job as our event planner/​host making sure everyone had a full drink (and we have some drinkers!) and helping out with some last minute details I threw at her (name tags/​smell & taste contest).
Chef Jess was instructive and funny, but never too bossy or condescending. Let me tell you, there was a lot of opportunity, as we’re not all cooks — there was a bit of a fire incident at one point, and when another group made an error on the tiramisu, one of the cooks came over and said «DELICIOUS» after tasting it. All very encouraging.
We made the Tuscan menu which was delicious and tasted very fresh. Everything was clean and readily available.
HIGHLY recommended!

I took the Pro I series and absolutely loved it!!!
I felt that the course gave me a solid overall understanding of the fundamentals of cooking. Chef May was fantastic — she coaches closely but gives you freedom to learn, experiment and discover. Besides, she’s extremely nice! I had makeup classes with other instructors and, although they were also great, Chef May is still my favorite!
I was impressed with the quality of the ingredients we used in class and with the overall organization of the school. As I mentioned above, I had to makeup a few classes and the Admin staff were quick in helping me with this.
Also, this is a great place to make new friends who will share your love for food! It was, at the end of the day, a very fun place to be!
The only thing that I wasn’t thrilled about was for not being able to take home the food we cooked during class. We cooked all these delicious things like lobsters, little necks, filet mignon, smoked trout and I couldn’t share it with my family. If they could revisit this policy, it would be great!

I am currently a student in the full time Professional Advanced Culinary Arts program at the New School taught by Carol Cotner Thompson and I thought I’d post some of my thoughts and feelings about my experience there so far. Brilliant is the first word that comes to mind, others are compelling, thought-​provoking, involved, fun, artful and challenging. I thought I was a pretty good cook when I first started the program just 4 months ago, but right away I knew that I was mistaken, I knew almost nothing. I was literally flying by the seat of my pants for the past 20 years. Carol has taken the 13 students in her class and day-​by-​day guided us through an extremely rigorous detailed curriculum. She does not skip or skimp on anything. She is serious in her teachings with a body of knowledge that is unsurpassed. She teaches with passion, care and expertise about technique, the history of food, the science of food, more technique, regional cuisine, sourcing food, the seasons, farm to table, geography and agriculture, butchery, equipment, food costs and budgeting — you name it, she knows about it — the list goes on and on. She lectures and demos each morning for an hour or two and then we jump right into cooking. She eagerly watches over each of us, making sure we get it — 100%. She drives us forward with patience in our daily pursuit of gorgeous, tasty, authentic food. Her personal experiences are shared about her time as a caterer, a baker, a private chef, a consultant, a restaurant chef, etc. all put into context with whatever it may be that we are working on at the moment. Being in class is pure joy. And the most wonderful thing is that each and every one of us in her full time class feels this. We are all personally helped along in our individual journeys — encouraged to pursue our culinary dreams.
I feel when I graduate I will walk away skilled and confident to go out into the world READY to be a chef, whether it’s in someones’s home, in a restaurant or catering! Exciting! And I owe that entirely to Carol Cotner Thompson alone! She is a goddess!

I came here years ago and LOVED it. I always think about coming back to take more classes just for fun. I took a knife skills course and we cut up an array of veggies and I can’t remember what else, but the instructor was nice, fun, and we chopped and cut up the ingredients to the meal he served at the end. It was some sort of chicken dish and a whole bunch of other stuff. There were a lot of couples in the class and one or two people who came alone. The classroom size just right, not so big you feel lost and not so small you feel like you’re getting too much attention. The place was clean, well run, organized, and friendly!

SO FUN! My coworker brought me here bc her friend was unable to make it and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to experience this place.
the only bad news is that I had too much fun so now I want to take all their other classes!
I came for Thai cooking night, and the first 30 minutes were a comprehensive overview of key ingredients in Thai cooking. They also went over the numerous recipes we had been provided. Then we drew recipes to see which dishes we would be making, in pairs.
I worked with my friend to make tom kha kai and Thai donuts. We were pretty much left to our own devices but the main chef (May) and her sous chefs were very helpful and friendly all around and offered guidance whenever we needed it.
At the end of it all, we got to feast on the results of our hard labor and everything tasted great. Overall, it’s a very fun, informative, tasty experience. If you have any interest in cooking and/​or food, I highly recommend this as a great way to spend a night. It would also make for a great date night!

My friends got me a $ 100 giftcard for this cooking school. I love to cook at home, but have never taken a real cooking class before so I decided to take one of their basic cooking classes which spanned over 4 weeks.
Our instructor was really great and seemed really knowledgeable. She obviously has a passion for food and for quality ingredients.
The classes all started with a small lecture portion where we go over the recipes we will make and a few demos. Then, we all pair off and tackle one of the recipes from our packet for the night. After all the cooking, we pop open a couple of bottles of wine and sit together to eat all the food we made.
In our first class, we learned basic knife skills and did a bunch of salads. The technique to dice a carrot was mind blowing! The salads were alright; nothing out of this world. The second class focused on seafood! My favorite! We did a lot of great dishes. The shrimp dish with tomato sauce and feta was incredible and the crab cakes my partner and I made were also really great. The third class focused on meats and I learned how to make a really nice pork and apple dish. The fourth class was, by far, my favorite. It was starchy side dishes and desserts! We had a couple of pasta dishes, I learned to make risotto, and lots of desserts (ginger cake, fruit crumble, chocolate cake, pineapple upside down cake). Everything from that class was amazing! I was so thankful to finally learn how to make a risotto! I’ve made this dish since and my husband (who usually hates risotto) loved it.
So this class was fun and it is a great class for beginners. However, I didn’t learn too many techniques that I wasn’t already using in my kitchen or had seen on the foodnetwork. The class was also strange for me because even though our techniques were geared towards true beginners, our instructor would periodically use jargon that seems too advanced for newbies.
Anyway, I wouldn’t recommend this class if you are an avid home cook, but it’s great for beginners who are afraid of their chef knife and don’t know much about navigating around in their kitchen.

Looking to start a new career in the culinary field??? Look no further! Before you quit that stable job and enroll in a $ 50,000 private culinary school to fulfill your «passion», check
out the New School’s Pro programs before you make such a big change.
I researched and researched many culinary programs in California and even all over the country because I wanted to fulfill my dream of becoming a pastry chef. However the ridiculous tens of thousands of dollars in tuition did not make sense for a career
starting at $ 8/​hr (for me), especially since most programs last for a year or two.
I completed the Pro Baking I course last year, and it was the best decision. Classes are half lecture (which breaks down the science of each ingredient & cooking process) and half hands-​on baking. I appreciated that they DIDN’T hold your hand through the actual baking part. You can always ask for help, as the instructor was there to guide you. If you messed up, just throw it away and start over until you get it right.
My classmates consisted of different baking levels – from no experience/​bakes for fun on weekends, to those trying to start a business. All is welcome. You get your own CIA textbook and chef coat.
So I recommend taking this course because you can keep your day job and go to school one night during the week or weekend and see if this is REALLY what you want to do. At the same time, intern at a bakery one day or so week for just a couple of hours to get real world experience. Just call local bakeries, explain you’re a student and offer your help. They’re usually welcoming any free help they can get.
You can even sit in for one class before you decide to enroll, just to get a feel of the classroom and course content – that’s what I did. From the instructor I found out a culinary degree is not really that necessary; you can start out working in a bakery (which the certificate may help in getting a job), gain experience and work your way up.
…That is how I found out that I just wanted to keep baking a hobby and spend the money I earn eating and making delicious pastries. It really helped me become a better baker overall. The pro baking program at the new school saved me much time and money. Before you enroll in culinary school, check it out! You will be glad you did!

Looking to start a new career in the culinary field??? Look no further! Before you quit that stable job and enroll in a $ 50,000 private culinary school to fulfill your «passion», check
out the New School’s Pro programs before you make such a big change.
I researched and researched many culinary programs in California (and all over the country) because I wanted to fulfill my dream of becoming a pastry chef. However, the ridiculous tens of thousands of dollars in tuition did not make sense for a career
starting at $ 8/​hr (for me), especially since most programs last for a year or two.
I completed the Pro Baking I course last year, and it was the best decision. Classes are half lecture (which breaks down the science of each ingredient & cooking process) and half hands-​on baking. I appreciated that they DIDN’T hold your hand through the actual baking part. You can always ask for help, as the instructor was there to guide you. If you messed up, just throw it away and start over until you get it right.
My classmates consisted of different baking levels – from no experience/​bakes for fun on weekends, to those trying to start a business. All is welcome. You get your own CIA textbook and chef coat.
Therefore, I recommend taking this course because you can keep your day job and go to school for one night during the week or weekend and see if this is REALLY what you want to do. At the same time, intern at a bakery one day or so week for just a couple of hours to get real world experience. Just call local bakeries, explain you’re a student and offer your help. They usually welcoming any free help they can get.
You can even sit in for one class before you decide to enroll, just to get a feel of the classroom and course content – that’s what I did. From the instructor I found out a culinary degree is not really that necessary; you can start out working in a bakery (which the certificate may help in getting a job), gain experience and work your way up.
…That is how I found out that I just wanted to keep baking a hobby and spend the money I earn eating and making delicious pastries. It really helped me become a better baker overall. The pro baking program at the new school saved me much time and money. Before you enroll in 1+year private culinary program, check out The New School of Cooking! You will be glad you did!

Was super excited about my ‘Grilling Class’, and was not disappointed. I went by myself, and felt very welcomed and easy… nice and casual.
The chef and sous chef’s were super friendly, knowledgable and helpful. It was fun meeting other new food enthusiasts as well. We all picked from the fabulous menu below and made each dish, and then we had this crazy, amazing feast at the end of the day.
Was a great experience, and have already booked a few more classes. Highly recommend.
The smell of grilling floats in the air. With summer lasting into Autumn in Southern California be prepared with a battery of great sauces, rubs and marinades, and learn the simple techniques for achieving perfectly grilled meats, fish and chicken. Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Skewers with Grilled Garlic Bread; Baby Back Ribs with South Carolina Barbeque Sauce; Argentinean Steak with Chimichurri; Grilled Lime Chicken with Fresh Fruit and Ginger Chutney; Grilled Oregano Lemon Shrimp in Greek Summer Salad; Marinated Flank Steak; Grilled Tuna and Avocado Salad with Toasted Corn Vinaigrette

I’m about ²⁄₃ of the way through the 20 week Pro I series and I can’t say enough great things. The experience level of my classmates is varied — we have some real beginners who have rarely chopped an onion before, all the way up to aspiring food bloggers, restaurant managers and experienced home chefs with crazy knife skills. Somehow, despite this mix, we all learn something entirely new week after week, and the pacing of the class works. Plus, the facility is awesome and the structure of the curriculum is comprehensive.
I will be back for Pro II and have started checking out some recreational classes too. They are getting some really top talent to teach some of the one-​off classes these days! Definitely check this place out if you like to spend time in the kitchen, regardless of skill level.

I’m the geek who when watching Top Chef with the family oohs and aahs at their knife skills. In fact, anytime they slice, dice or chop I get harder than their forged steel blades and exclaim «damn I’d kill for those knife skills.» Usually the Mrs has long tuned me out by now but I guess she was actually listening as I got a Knife Skills Class for Christmas!
These classes max out at 15 which allows you to view everything that is being taught by Chef May along with interaction with your fellow students (it was bunch of married guys at my table who where more exited to be at the class than at a bar watching football). After a quick introduction on the types of knives you’ll need in the kitchen, the importance of keeping them sharp and how to store them it was time to grab your own knife and get going.
We cut potatoes, apples, carrots, cabbage and learned a trick how to cut onions which earned a groan from the class as we’ve all been doing it wrong. Speaking of, I’ve been cutting wrong all these years too (it’s bring the knife down then pull back, not pull back then down after cutting) which should now make my life in the kitchen easier.
This class also left me realizing how little I actually knew about proper techniques and I’m already looking forward to other classes.
Best part? We were actually sous chefs and our slicing and julienning ending up being used in a meal which we got to enjoy at the end of class.