The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories

My friends and I came here for a pasta cooking class to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. I have had this place bookmarked for a while so I was very excited for this! We parked at their parking garage and walked in. They had a sign that wished her happy birthday, which I thought was really nice, and the menu for the class was written on the large blackboard on the back wall. They had a board out for us with cheese, grapes, and crackers which I thought was really nice. We could bring our own wine if we wanted (no corkage fee), so we bought wine at the wine shop next door to drink while cooking. It definitely helped make the class even more fun ;) They also provide cubbies for everyone to put their belongings, since there is no room for that in the kitchen.
Everything is so nice and organised here, and they have all the ingredients already prepped and measured out for you. It makes SUCH a difference having someone there to do that for you! I would cook so much more at home if I had one of the assistants from this cooking school helping me out like that: P They also provided everyone with aprons and clean towels, and there were two sinks for everyone to use to wash hands.
Each station was set up for 4 people, but we had an odd number of people so our station had 5. We started off with the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta, since that would need time to chill in the fridge. Then we made the pasta dough and the sauces. There were two sauces: bolognese and pesto. My friend had already warned them about my nut allergy, so my station made nut-​free basil pesto. So considerate! After a short break, we rolled out and cut the pasta dough. I loved using the pasta maker – tempted to get one for my KitchenAid at home. Sofia, our chef, cooked the pasta for us while we were putting it through the pasta cutter and then we mixed the pasta noodles with our two sauces. The pasta was quite good with the pesto sauce, but less appetising with the bolognese sauce because that sauce wasn’t very good. Then it was time for dessert. Unfortunately, the panna cottas did not come out well and everyone hated them.
I really enjoyed this class because they made cooking so much easier and I was able to make items that I would never even try to make at home. However, some of the items we made (bolognese sauce and panna cotta) did not turn out well, so I am not a fan of all of the recipes here. But we had a LOT of fun and the staff here was really great. I’m very happy to be able to check taking a cooking class off my bucket list and would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to try one!

I loved this place! Brought my niece in for the cookie decorating class this past weekend. Aubray was our instructor, she was amazing! The class gave us a lot of information, helped my niece fill the gaps on decorating.
The only downside to the class environment is that although it’s a beginners class, there seems to be a handful of «frequent» customers who tend to high jack the class. We were paired up with a women who had attended the class 4 times before and she completely took over the whole icing making process. Robbed us of our experience because she had some sense of entitlement. That’s the only reason I’m doing 4 stars instead of 5. Other than that, their great!

I took a class on Vietnamese and Thai dishes, and it was a blast. We made a curry, phở and noodle salad, all in three hours. The teacher, Jess, was fun and engaging, and I learned some great new things, especially about making chicken stock. You’re allowed to bring in wine from the shops next door, so that made it a little looser and more fun, too. Who doesn’t love a good glass of wine while standing at the stove?! I’ll definitely be back for more classes here.

This was the perfect girls night activity! Clamence is so incredibly knowledgable! She really made the class fun and informative for the rookie and the experienced chef. (There’s a wine bar directly across for pre/​post class hanging out too! ;)

I recently returned to LA and classes at the Gourmandise are just as amazing as they were a couple years ago. I’ve taken almost all of their pastry classes, so today my boyfriend and I tried a beginner pasta class. It was perfect! All the ingredients are fresh and seasonal and the instruction is100% hands on! If you haven’t been, do yourself a favor and check it out :)

I just took Intro to French Macarons: The French Method this past Sunday. I really enjoyed it! They provide the recipes and aprons. You should wear comfortable clothes and closed-​toe shoes in the kitchen. The instructor, who was also the owner of the school, Clemense was excellent. She moved at just the right pace and explained everything clearly. I asked a lot of questions and she was very happy to thoroughly answer all of them.
We paired up and got to make two batches of shells (one standard and one of our choice.) For our second one we did matcha. We also made a chocolate ganache. With the buttercream, we split it into three different flavors of our choice. My partner and I decided on passion fruit, strawberry, and rose. Strawberry and rose were my favorites, yummy! Clemense also demonstrated a batch of caramel.
To allow time for our shells to dry, we took a couple breaks, which gave us time to socialize and grab a beverage from the restaurant in the same area.
Once the shells were dried and baked, we began to assemble the macarons. WE GOT TO TAKE HOME EVERYTHING WE MADE. You can bring your own container (s) from home, but they provide them if you don’t.
As a nice little favor, the school sent each of us home with a bag of dry ingredients to make a batch of the shells at home! They also e-​mail you the recipes and a discount for another class. There’s also a hotline you can call with questions or problems you may have at home. With the wide variety of classes they offer, I’m excited to take another soon!

Taken two chocolate classes here. Went from clueless to making my own pralines and bark because of Ruth’s excellent instruction. Thank you for taking the time with the details and the guidance during tempering. It worked a charm at home!

I was introduced to The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories in Santa Monica in 2014 when Unilocaler Betty N. organized a YEE event in which the charming co-​founder and instructor, Clemence led us in a free 3 hour «Intro to French Macarons» class.
The Macarons class definitely had me sold on Gourmandise. I’ve been to several cooking events hosted at other venues throughout the Westside, but I was so impressed with the Gourmandise School on my first visit that I’ve been back numerous times to enroll in 100% hands-​on classes such as «Farmers Market Meals» and «Healthy Cooking with Chef Gill» (3 part series).
The facility is state-​of-​the-​art located on the 4^th floor of the Santa Monica Place mall and you only need to bring yourself with some closed toe shoes for safety. The school supplies aprons, knives, ingredients and equipment, etc. (I’ve been to some other places requiring you to bring your own knife and don’t provide an apron). The classes are organized, yet go at a relaxed, yet efficient pace. Printed copies of recipes are always provided.
The «Farmers Market Meals» and «Healthy Cooking» classes I attended went over practical information such as how to meal plan, shop and cook ahead. One especially helpful trick was from Chef Gill who had us utilize cookie sheets to have all of our ingredients in place before cooking and to also use clean cookie sheets to cool down cooked food before refrigeration.
Farmers Market Meals picture collage link:
Healthy Cooking picture collage:
The recipes I learned through the classes I attended were do-​able at home and I’ve used them repeatedly. Oh, and more importantly, the food I learned to make in class tastes great!
For those who are more ambitious, Gourmandise also offers intermediate to advanced classes for the home chef as well as a Pro-​Chef series.
Tips:
* Go on their website and sign up for the email newsletter, which in addition to snippets about upcoming cooking classes, usually contains a recipe and occasional info about free events sponsored by the Gourmandise School.
*If you subscribe to their email newsletter, they sometimes promote discount specials — they also mention them occasionally on their social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
* Check out their Calendar online — in addition to classes ranging from $ 85 per class and up and a series of classes. Their free events will also be listed here:

* They also have a regularly occurring free event called «Follow That Chef» combining a tour of the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market and a demo lecture at the Gourmandise School (see picture):
* Combined demos and cook book signings also pop up on the calendar (some of these are also free) (see picture of «The Vanilla Table» event held on 4÷16÷15):

Was here for a company sponsored pizza making class. It was a lot of fun and i really didnt expect my very first hand made pizza to taste as great as it did… i think its because the ingredients were really high quality. Anyway i highly recommend the pizza cooking class.

I loved my macaron class with miss Clemence!
It is on the third floor in «the Market» of the new mall by the promenade.
It is a see-​through room in a type of food court but you barely notice because you are so immersed in the class!
Everybody loved the leftover macarons, they provide the box and I took home enough to share with my family and co-​workers.
The only problem I had is that my macarons stuck to the parchment so not all of them came off and I had to throw away about half my matcha batch :(
It wasn’t that bad though because the teacher baked extra so we filled those and were still able to take some matchas home. Made two meringues and two ganaches then mixed and matched either chocolate or matcha macarons with a white chocolate strawberry ganache or a plain dark chocolate ganache. The teacher showed how to make a milk chocolate ganache with lavendar and honey! Deeelightful!
The teacher’s assistant was prepping the mise for a savory class as I was leaving and it tempted me to take another class here but for something other than dessert!

I took the Childhood Treats class. We made homemade Twinkies, Hostess Cupcakes and Oreos. It was tons of fun, very hands on, and there was SO MUCH FOOD left at the end that I brought home five boxes. Needless to say I was very popular for a few days.
When my daughter’s a little older and I have some free time I can’t wait to take a pro cooking series and finally learn the fundamentals I’ve missed out on.

The owner Clemence is a gem. She loves to cook and bake and is a fantastic teacher. I met her years ago when she used to teach out of her home in Venice. When I found out she was opening this school in the Santa Monica mall years ago I knew it would be the perfect fit for her and the community.
I highly recommend taking a class here, you will have a great time and eat delicious food!
Bön appetit!

I took a chocolate basics class yesterday. Ruth was the instructor! Class was so much fun! Ruth was very informing! I had a blast! I made a chocolate bar and took home with me! I would love to take her chocolate truffles class! I recommend her to everybody!

Just finished taking the Couple’s Night: Romantic Dinner class with Chef Gill.
HIGHLY recommend!
He was awesome… very experienced & great personality.
The dinner was fabulous and we had a really good time.
Anyone who wants a really fun experience and a delicious meal should sign-​up for a class.

Took a savory breads class with Clemence and had a fabulous time! She was very knowledgeable about breads and gave us the whole run down on gluten, rising, proofing, yeast, and all the science behind bread. She was also very patient and answered loads of questions.
We made focaccia, crackers, house rolls, ricotta cheese, and savory choux. We went through each item step by step and were given hints and tips on how everything should look/​feel.
Breads came out delicious and I learned loads! Would defo be happy to take another class here.

I am reviewing the Chocolatier class with Ruth.
4 hour class. 2.5 hours spent learning, tasting. 1.5 spent preparing and making chocolate.
Learning about and tasting chocolate gave me a new appreciation for the food. Ruth is knowledgeable and communicates ideas well. I learned about the bean-​to-​bar process and the types of chocolate available and which are best to use.
Making chocolate is more difficult than I expected. I learned the tempering process (making chocolate solid for room temperature). I spent about 20 – 40 minutes learning, and about 20 – 30 minutes tempering myself. It’s an intense process, so don’t be afraid to jump right in and mess up a couple of times. The end result will taste good no matter if you succeed in tempering or not.
Highly recommend this for chocolate lovers.

Wow! Hands down, the best pumpkin and apple pies I’ve ever eaten were made by myself and my wife… Never honestly thought I could say that. Of course that was with a lot of coaching and instruction from Hadley and her great team of assistants. They gave plenty of direction when you needed it, as well as the flexibility to improvise if you’re more experienced of a cook to begin with. They go into a lot of the details that end up making a huge difference, which probably saves several rounds of trial and error. If we tried making pies on our own to begin with, we probably wouldn’t have tried to make them again.
Thankfully my wife is excited to make her own in the future. I’ll be happy to eat every single one of her creations! I think I may need to start running again…

One time I made a sponge cake. It was supposed to be light and airy, like a sponge, but it was hard and dense, like a rock.
One time I made some macarons. They’re supposed to have little «feet», and be light and airy, hallow almost in the middle. Mine stuck to the parchment and broke when I’d lift them. Also they sucked.
One time I made petit fours with genoise cake, raspberry jam, infused simple syrup, and homemade marizpan with homemade poured fondant. The genoise was perfect (RELIEF), jam, simple syrup, and marizpan (sticky but, relief). The poured fondant was a disaster. The second time I made them the marizpan was a disaster.
One time I made red velvet cupcakes for a UYE (Unofficial Unilocal Event) back in 2008. These were the vinegar and baking soda plus cocoa powder — real red velvet, how it’s made in the south. You were given tokens by other attendees if they liked your food the most. My dad asked for his back.
I am not a terrible baker. In fact, I’d argue very much against that. I’m quite capable — especially since all these accidents happened 3 – 15 years ago.
Clemence is the owner of The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories. I am currently taking the 10 week course — Pro Pastry Level III. We’re learning how to make macarons, l’opera cakes, marjolaine, croissants, advanced cake decorating, chocolatiering, caramel making, and many others.
For me, I learned most of my skills from a) the internet and b) failures. The best and worst part of the internet is that anyone can put up a blog with their recipe, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be good. If you’re small time, chances are you’re going to need some background knowledge of baking chemistry to sort through all these things. Plus, since I have a small amount of restaurant knowledge, you gotta know that places leave out crucial tips for a finished product you can never replicate without being told.
Clemence tells you these things. She tells you EVERYTHING. She remarks on the smallest of details that you might not think are a big deal — but they are. Your buttercream is going to curdle (OH NOOOOO), but keep it running and it’ll come out smooth. See? If you didn’t know that, you’d have thrown it out.
The school is adorable, located in the Santa Monica downtown mall on the third floor Market. Clemence focuses on simplicity in baking — how the majority of things are made (otherwise how could anything so goddamn complicated be mass produced and still taste good). She teaches you the fundamentals so you can not feel intimidated with experimenting. The amount of stress she’s going to relieve for me in the kitchen is pretty fantastic.
This week our homework assignment is to make macarons (we’ll be making them again in class this Sunday). For the first time in a long time, I’m not afraid anymore. These french little cookies will not take the best of me!

I know the school sounds like something out of Harry Potter or maybe that’s my own imagination running wild, but if you need to take a cooking class, then look no further!
This place is awesome! The cooking school is located on the third floor across from The Curious Palate. I remember seeing that everyone from the outside can see inside, but once class started that fear went away as I went to macaron learning mode!
First off, Clemence is very friendly and down-​to-​earth. You will have no problem asking her questions. No matter how ridiculous the questions might sound… ask away! It’s for your own benefit.
For the macaron class, we partnered up and they had all of the items prepped already when we arrived. She briefly went over the schedule for the day, the steps of the recipe, and general information/​useful facts about macarons and the entire process. She showed us what to do and then off we were to do our own set. Now, you may have anxiety when it comes to macarons, but she’s right there to help you when you need it and she does check on you to make sure everything is ok. This biggest hurdle was probably piping everything. She’ll guide you through that process since this is crucial to have the not too thin and not too thick shell with proper legs.
You also go through the process of making a couple fillings. I think we made four: salted caramel, passion fruit, chocolate, and espresso. She helped me and my partner through the process since we weren’t quite sure about some of the steps, but Clemence was all smiles the entire time. By the time, we were done making our fillings our macaron shells were baked and cooled off.
The class does go by quite fast. I asked questions throughout the process because I wanted to know as much as possible. Don’t be afraid, what you might be thinking is probably what someone else is thinking.
Just know that if this is your first time, you won’t be coming out of here an expert. However, you’ll have more courage and know-​how with what needs to be done so you can fine tune your skills. It’s always easier going through the process with someone knowledgeable who knows and can explain everything as well as the do’s and don’ts.
I can’t wait to take another class here since I had such a great experience the first time. This place is great for anyone that needs the extra help to take that leap into some fascinating food that’s so intricate to make that it scares you… you’ll definitely build up your courage and skills to tackle it… all while having some delicious food to eat in the end!

Move over Sur La Table. Move over Surfas. There is a new gal in town and her name is Clemence. She has opened The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories in Santa Monica, and she has a huge and growing fan base here in the South Bay!!!
My friend and I signed up for the Advanced Holiday Macaron Class on Monday, December 9. The owner and teacher was Ms. Clemence. She was born and raised in France, so she brought 1^st hand knowledge to making these French Macarons. She is a pastery chef, who has taught at Surfas and has baked for many of the local eating establishments. TALENT!
First, you have to understand that the style of baking /​cooking here differs with each instructor. In general, the instructors are very layed back and casual. Clemence started off the class by telling us that her style is very informal and doesn’t stick with the typical «tricks» of the trade. Instead, she makes learning low-​stress and fun!
We learned how to make three different types of French Macaron Cookies: Coffee, Pistacio, and Hazelnut. Each of the macaron cookie batches were pre-​measured and prepared for for the students.
We also learned how to make five different types of fillings, each of which can be varied according to your taste preferences. The first was a Chocolate Tiramisu filling. The second was a buttercream filling (flavored by plain, currants, rasberries, and pear purees). The third was a dark-​chocolate honey lavendar filling. The fourth was a chocolate-​pear infused ganache. And, the final was my favorite — it was a salted caramel made from SCRATCH! All were amazing and fun to make.
Each student gets to make his/​her own cookies and fill them. Some had to work in teams, as there would be TOOO many cookies if everyone made 3 – 4 batches by themselves. Team work is fun and encouraged here! The day ended with each student piping about 2 – 3 dozen macarons to take home. They provide the pastery box and a little gift box for you to give your macarons as gifts.
What I liked best about this class was that I could ask as many questions that I wanted. Clemence answered questions about too high temperatures, bad ingredients, over-​mixed cookies, and the best kinds of filling-​pairings to the right kinds of cookies. And, what I loved most was that i told her that I loved Earl Grey and Lavendar, and she actually changed the menu to include fillings that I wanted to learn how to make. That is the added service and value that other cooking establishments (i.e., Sur La Table) can’t offer their students.
The Groumandise School is clean, professional, and full of knowledge. The staff work really hard and know their stuff. If you have questions, ask the receptionist «Jaime» as she is super friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming!
Take classes here for making chocolate, donuts, macarons, holiday desserts, healthy food options, truffles, fudge, and home made caramel! They specialize in groups, so corporate team building events are held here. I’m bringing my team to the Healthy Eating class!
Product /​Food /​Instruction Grade: A+
Service Grade: A+ (Kudos to Clemense and Jaime)
Worth the Money Grade: A!
Overall Impression Grade: A+