lainie2285

After not going to Paris for 2 years due to our sons wedding and moving to a house,my husband finally booked the airlines today. I can't wait,may 9 th can 't come soon enough.
This is our 10 th visit. Now the fun begins,planning,researching restaurants,cooking classes.
I am open for new ideas. He is busy looking at apartments

justineparis

Congratulations.. the fun begins now (I love the planning part) ..

Whathello

Good !

Got a question : why all the fuss about cooking classes ?
I've seen that popping several times, from US posters. That's something that would never cross my mind and know no friend of ours who ever did that in any country.

nytraveler

I dont' get it either - but then I don't really cook - and there are a million other things I would rather do.

lainie2285

My husband and I enjoy cooking.
He has made me some great croissants when we have returned from Paris. He worked right along side a baker last time we visited.
We also enjoy museums,great food,champagne.

Pegontheroad

Always a thrill!

sandralist

Whathello,

Good that you asked, but maybe you'd be fascinated to expand your social circle -- or at a minimum, not be thinking that you or your circle of friends should be taken as the measure of anything about European or global travel. How many people are you talking about? Seven? Seventeen? From where?

Thousands of UK citizens cross the channel every year to take cooking classes in France. Many Germans take cooking classes in Italy. Many French take cooking classes in Spain. It's not just a US interest. It is a major travel interest for many people, since the cuisines of continental Europe are historic and usually of a much higher quality than in English-speaking countries.

I've never taken a cooking class either, but it makes more sense to me than going hiking or kayaking in France.

sandralist

(Whathello, noticed you are currently based in Waterloo. Maybe Fodorite Pariswat could introduce you to some have-whisk-will-travel enthusiasts, or maybe he's as hard pressed as you for neighbors with varied interests...)

Whathello

It is always a good idea to expand one's social circle.

Right now my 'social' circle is constituted mainly by Belgians, French, UK citizens (living in Belgium and abroad). Plus some Polish and German guys (mostly males, maybe it contributes) I didn't care to count.
I also happen to know some US people and some Asians, but mostly for business.

What is yours since you ask ?

I also - thanks - read and I've never seen cooking classes being proposed close to home.

Hence the question.

Whathello

Sandra
What is the probability that 2 fodorites come from Waterloo and post a lot ?

fuzzbucket

Well, I get it...
Most Anglophones book classes related to chocolat and macarons, etc - mainly because they are relatively inexpensive, only last a short period of time and are group activities that seem like more fun than work. The croissant classes use dough that has already been prepared by someone else, and you are taught how to form and bake it.

People who are somewhat more interested in cooking and culture will book a longer class which entails cooking (or helping to prepare) a full meal then consuming it. Again, it's a pleasant way to pass some time with a group that shares your interests, but for the money, you could just go to a restaurant and enjoy a nice lunch. Frankly, if you can read a cookbook, you don't need these type of classes unless you just have some time to kill.

LeNotre offers excellent classes in boulangerie/patisserie and other cooking methods which last several hours - not cheap, but serious cooks might think it's worth the price.
www.lenotre.com

StCirq

Whathello IS European. No need to lecture him on expanding his European social circles. And you might want to change your profile, sandralist, as anyone who reads it may not want to spend more than a nanosecond listening to your ravings. Not to mention, it makes one wonder why the heck you're even here if you find it all so distasteful.

I do get the interest in cooking classes. I've given them and conducted market/cooking tours. People like being exposed to local producers of foods they're unfamiliar with, and learning to make new recipes - things they'd never be exposed to at home. And it's always a convivial moment, spending time in a kitchen with like-minded people, then sharing a meal afterward. Or going to market in a small group and assembling a picnic to eat in a special spot. I don't know if Europeans get a thrill out of this, but I do know it's often special for American travelers. And they often end up buying and bringing home one-of-a-kind products that make for unique and practical souvenirs.

traveller1959

I also noticed the recent hype with cooking classes.

It never came into my mind to use my precious time during travelling with spending half a day in a cooking class.

But I also noticed a general rule:

The less people are cooking...

...the more cooking books they have.
...the more tv cooking shows they watch.
...the more cooking schools they attend.

Experienced cooks do not need cooking classes, they know what to do.

I was in cooking schools twice in my life. One experience I had in Alabama, it was organized my a magazine called "Southern Living". Actually, it was more like a cooking show than a school, with two hundred participants sitting in an auditory and watching a cook, who, with light speed, prepared two dozen dishes and talked without taking a breath.

In fact, it happened that I (together with a few others) was summoned up onto the stage in order to consume all the items that were cooked. The reason that they pulled me on the stage was that I was one of the only three male persons in the audience (the other two were also on the stage) and that I was the only person under 70 in the audience.

The second time, I attended a four-hour cooking school with a Michelin-star-awarded chef in Germany. I learned three secrets why the great chefs are so good:

First, they have super-sharp knives.
Second, they have pre-warmed plates, so have lots of time to prepare several items and arrange them on the plate.
Third, they have an armada of helping hands to clean up behind them.

Maybe, when we will be in Morocco, we will go to a cooking school. It includes walking through the souk and buying ingredients, so it might be a special experience.

But in Paris, I know better things to do than going to a cooking school - even on a rainy day.

Whathello

Yes.
My daughter had an anniversary/cooking class last year and made some macaroons.
Adults are more into wine tasting than cooking classes here.

StCirq

I went to cooking classes once, in Morocco. I was already an experienced cook, but not a professional one, and I wanted to learn to make bastilla. It took all day, but the prep and cooking were interspersed with detailed histories of the various elements of Moroccan cooking. It was fascinating, actually.

Cathinjoetown

Cooking classes and cooking schools have always been part of the mix--I love the few scenes of Sabrina failing in her cooking course in the movie by the same name and of course Julia Child's misadventures.

Those were proper long-term courses but shorter ones have been available ever since my first trip to France at 19, when I couldn't really afford one, and doubtless for years before that.

Certainly something easy to avoid if you have no interest. There will be no crazed Americans with whisks in hand trying to get their egg whites to stiffen imeding your way.

denisea

I understand your enthusiam laine! I love Paris and we booked our apartment for our 2016 trip today. We missed Paris this year and are glad to be returning.

On our last trip we enjoyed a food tour with Paris by Mouth. The cheese was amazing and learning the origin of them was interesting to us. We can't get those cheeses in the States (unpasteurized) and many are only available around Christmas (the tour was in December). There was also bread, wince, chocolat, pate and creme puffs.

I love to cook but have not taken any cooking classes (but then we rent an apartment and never cook in it). I know a few people who have taken a cooking class with Catherine Reed at Reed in the 7th and they have enjoyed it.

Teacher91

Congrats! I just booked our Paris hotel this week for a late June early July visit.

Like Denisea, we did a Paris By Mouth tour of St. Germain. It was just fabulous! I plan on putting what we learned to good use, with return trips to some of those excellent shops.

Enjoy your planning!

Judy

I've taken a cooking class with Catherine Reed and really enjoyed it. I have to say that I did it because I was with a group of women who wanted a cooking class and I sort of went along just to see what it was like. I learned a lot and have made some of the dishes we made at home. We started in the AM and made a meal which we enjoyed around 2 PM. It was also fun which was an added bonus!

We were in Paris in December and tried a couple of new restaurants. Daniel Rose's La Bourse et La Vie was a favorite. I know we'll return there next trip. We also enjoyed Zebulon and the new restaurant at George V, Le Georges.

We were in Paris in May one year and did a tour of gardens. That was really fun planning and finding the many that we wanted to see.

lainie2285

We have taken a class with Catherine on our 2 previous trips. She is a delight and very knowledgeable.i It's 's a fun way to spend the day.
We will have to try Daniel Rose's new restaurant. We always enjoyed Spring.
Does La Bourse et La Vie have a menu?