THE GAZETTE · montrealgazette.com · SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2010 TYREL FEATHERSTONE Cookbook author Stefano Faita teaches Italian cuisine at Mezza Luna. 2010 Gazette cooking school guide JULIAN ARMSTRONG as well as your health by going meatless. say they don’t have time to cook.” But they GAZETTE FOOD WRITER Baking courses are holding their own, have time for other activities so why not offering skills ranging from how to make a kitchen time when the rewards – a good fine French loaf or croissant, to icing a cup- meal – are so pleasurable, she said. “Cook- You could do more than improve your cake, to making chocolate truffles. Basic- ing should not be a stress. Cooking is a re- cooking by taking one of this fall’s many, technique courses continue to be popular as laxation.” many cooking courses being offered in well, ranging from eight hands-on sessions Elliott Cohen’s ambition in his classes is and around Montreal. Among at least 50 to a single class showing how to stage a suc- to teach students to be creative. “Use reci- courses, you’ll find the prospect of making cessful dinner party. pes only as a guide, and tweak them to suit new friends or even meeting a life partner, More courses this year include participa- you,” he said. “Do it once by the recipe, then turning the preparation of a meal into the tion along with demonstration, and there unhook yourself and substitute. The recipe entertainment at an office party, taking a are plenty of tastings and full meals includ- is not one of the 10 commandments.” taste trip to New Orleans, Turkey or Japan, ed. Prices are up only slightly over last year, A couple of things to note: At established or turning out three cheap chicken dinners and more schools are offering single-ses- schools, you are more assured of experi- in a single session. sion classes rather than a series, so you can enced teachers. New schools, particularly Chefs are readying to teach with the fresh- sample a class before committing for weeks. in the natural-foods/vegetarian category, est local foods, believers in natural healing may be run by individuals dedicated to a are turning into cooking teachers, and the First task for students? dietary philosophy but lacking registered 2010 lineup of cooking courses includes To stop thinking of cooking as a chore dietitian accreditation and teaching experi- three courses for gluten-free cuisine. to complete in a hurry, said the teachers. ence. Ask plenty of questions before sign- As in past years, the favourite topic is Ital- Marc-André Cyr would like his students to ing up for classes and, in the case of a ser- ian cooking, with eight courses from both come to class with “an open attitude to food, ies, try to attend one session before paying established and new teachers. The runner- willingness to learn and desire to have fun the full amount. up in popularity is vegetarian cuisine, in- while cooking. And to have no qualms about What are you waiting for? cluding courses given by natural-food advo- getting their hands all messy.” cates suggesting you can better your spirits Elena Faita has noticed “a lot of people Page 1 THE GAZETTE · montrealgazette.com · WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2010 General courses classes; Saturday-morning shopping at Number of students: 16 to 20; minimum Atwater Market and then cooking a three- of 10 for home event. Pearson School of Culinary Arts course lunch; weekday or weekend wine Price: $115 to $150; also wine and cheese 8310 George St., LaSalle; 514-363-6213; and cocktail classes. French and English. tastings and bartending classes, $65 to $90. register with Pierre Auclair, pauclair@ Demonstration and participation. Starting: Mid-September. lbpsb.qc.ca; paccvoc.lbpsb.qc.ca Times: Noon for lunch classes; 6 or 6:30 Topics: Desserts and how to serve them, p.m. for sushi; 9:30 or 10:30 a.m. for Saturday Elliott Cohen Culinary Art sauces both classic and fusion, pastry shopping and cooking class; 6 to 8 p.m. for 5454 Duquette Ave., N.D.G.; 514-487-7956; basics, artisanal breads, Australian and cocktail class. Details on website. [email protected]; www.ecca.ca Californian cuisine, wine, basic cooking for Number of students: 12 for cooking cours- Topics: Basic cooking techniques, flavour, adults and teenagers. es, 20 for cocktail and wine courses. Group presentation, organization; healthy season- Instructors: School chef-instructors and classes available. al cuisine, vegetarian, meat, fish, appetiz- visiting specialists including Vi Minh Tran, Price: From $20 for lunch class to $90 for ers, soups, salads, desserts. Canadian team member for international market shopping class, depending on menu, Instructor: Elliott Cohen, private chef, competitions, and sommelier Alain Dal- including the food cooked in class. caterer and experienced instructor. court. Dates: September. Format: Two-hour interactive demon- Format: Four-hour, single-evening ses- stration, in English with some French. sions, except bread course of two weekly Académie Culinaire Time: Weekdays 6:30 p.m.; weekends sessions. Tastings and samples to take 360 Champ de Mars St., Old Montreal; the noon. home. Demonstration and participation. Bay, Carrefour Laval; 514-393-8111 or 877- Number of students: Six; private and Time: 6 p.m. 393-8111; information@academieculinaire. group classes available. Number of students: Up to 12. com; www.academieculinaire.com. Price: $60 to $80 per session, depending on Price: $65 per session, including school Topics: Basic techniques and a full range menu, tastings (BYOB). apron. of courses; Italian, Spanish, Middle East- Starting: Mid-September. Starting: November (consult website for ern, Asian sessions; sessions on roasting, dates). sauces, fish, game, bread, bistro cuisine, Appetite for Books cocktail and Christmas food. 388 Victoria Ave., Westmount; 514-369- Les Touilleurs Instructors: Academy chefs and instruct- 2002; [email protected]; www.appe- 152 Laurier Ave. W.; 514-278-0008; cuisine@ ors. titebooks.ca lestouilleurs.com; www.lestouilleurs.com Format: In English: basic cooking tech- Topics: Recipes from new and bestselling Topics: Menus from top Montreal chefs, niques, eight weekly evening hands-on cookbooks, including knife skills, cuisines contemporary Quebec and French cuisine, classes; plus single six-hour sessions, day of India, Britain, Spain, Greece, Morocco, pastry, tapas, bread, teens’ cuisine and or evening, on fish, Thai or Italian cuisine, Latin America, Italy, Thailand, Southeast other topics. sauces and a three-hour class on gastro- Asia, Japan and the U.S. Instructors currently include: Marc-An- nomic Christmas food. In French: basic Instructor: Jonathan Cheung, chef and dré Jetté, Newtown; Alexandre Gosselin, techniques, eight weekly morning or even- co-owner of the cookbook store, plus guest Bar & Boeuf; Daren Bergeron, Decca77; ing hands-on classes, plus single and double chefs and visiting cookbook authors (to be Jean-François Vachon, M sur Masson; sessions on a variety of topics. Demonstra- announced on website). Stelio Perombelon, Les Cons Servent and tion and participation. Format: Weeknight demonstration of a Pullman; Thierry Baron, Vertige; Marie- Times: Old Montreal, weekdays and four-course meal from a cookbook, or con- Fleur Saint-Pierre, Tapeo; Eric Dupuis, weekends 9:30 a.m., 1.30 p.m., 3 p.m. and versations with authors, with tastings. Taverne Square Dominion; Jean Fortin, 6:30 p.m.; Laval, weekdays 6 p.m., weekends Single sessions in English. Private holiday formerly of Petit Toscan; and former cater- 10:30 a.m. groups by reservation. Vikram Vij, Vancou- er Philippe Laloux. Number of students: 16 to 20 ver restaurateur who has just published his Format: Chef demonstrates menu of Price: English: from $105 per single ses- second cookbook, will visit the store with three or four dishes in French, followed by sion to $890 for eight sessions. French: from his wife, Meera Dhalwala, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m.; dinner of the dishes cooked. Monday, Tues- $90 per single session to $890 for eight ses- his session is sold out, but you can get on the day or Wednesday nights. sions. waiting list. Time: 6:30 p.m. Starting: English, Old Montreal, Sept. 27; Time: 6:30 p.m. Number of students: 12 French, Old Montreal and Laval, immedi- Number of students: 10 Price: $95 to $120 ately. Price: $60 to $108 and up, including cook- Dates: Began yesterday. A few spaces re- book discussed. main for fall courses. Cook and Date Starting: Tuesday. Centre Viking, 8210 Devonshire Rd., Ateliers & Saveurs T.M.R.; [email protected]; www.coo- Cook Global, Eat Local 444 St. François Xavier St.; 514-849-2866; kanddate.com; 514-664-5991. 5662 Park Ave.; 514-232-5767; info@juli- [email protected]; www.atelier- Topics: Dinner classes for single men and anaespanakeller.com setsaveurs.com. women. Chef-teachers cover various cui- Topics: Fusion cuisine from around the Topics: Hands-on classes teaching a var- sines, including French, Italian, Mediter- globe; focus on health and organic foods. iety of cuisine, including quick lunches, ranean, Indian, Kenyan and Caribbean. Instructor: Juliana Espana Keller, experi- market shopping for a meal, sushi, wine Instructors: Montreal restaurant chefs enced cook and world traveller. tastings and cocktails. and caterers, organized by Cristina Format: Evening sessions spent cooking Instructors: Montreal chefs Eric Gauth- Mucciardi. a dinner menu in small groups. Demonstra- ier, Philippe Berriet and Nicolas Norman- Format: Groups of singles prepare a tion and participation. deau. three- or-four-course dinner weeknights, Time: 6:30 p.m. Format: Weekday 30-minute lunch class then eat the meal together with wine. Dem- Number of students: Six to 15 including the meal; evening special-occa- onstration and participation. sion cuisine with takeout; evening sushi Time: Weekdays 7:30 p.m.; Sundays 2 p.m.