The holidays can be stressful, but cooking for relatives and friends doesn’t have to be. Some of Austin’s culinary schools, including Le Cordon Bleu and Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, offer a remedy with their cooking classes.
Le Cordon Bleu won't let you burn the Christmas feast with their Austin Bleu Ribbon Kitchen Holiday Series. On Saturday, Dec. 7, learn how to make holiday cookies. On Saturday, Dec. 14, seasonal cooking is the focus of one class. And from Dec. 16 to Dec. 20, a series of workshops about holiday treats will help you become a popular host with guests. All classes but the one on seasonal cooking are $99; that one is $125. Purchase a spot in any of the classes at chefs.com/CookingClasses/Austin.aspx.
The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts also has a great option to hone your holiday entertaining skills. "Holiday Appetizers that Wow," on Saturday, Dec. 7, will teach you how to make hors d'oeuvers such as mini BLTs and barbecue pulled pork pumpkin crostini. Make reservations at $60 each at myculinaryadventure.com.
But learning how to cook new foods doesn't end with Dec. 26. The Escoffier School also has a cooking class for kids and parents on Dec. 28 taught by Brandon Scawthorn, the 10-year-old star of a web-based cooking show and winner of the Food Network's "Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off." Scawthorn will work his way through the menu, which includes crab dip, grilled citrus shrimp with linguine alfredo and crème brulée with fresh berries, and show kids they can be masters in the kitchen, too. To register for the $45 class, visit myculinaryadventure.com.
In case you were looking for classes that would be good for gifting, the Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, 1700 S. Lamar Blvd., has already posted its January and February cooking classes, which cost between $69 and $79 each. Subjects include Flavors of India, healthy meals for the busy cook and vegan baking.
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