(Photo by Lauren Craigie)

Renowned cooking school offers one-day courses for those who want to recreate fine dining experience at home

Those looking to pick up some skills to impress friends and family at dinner parties might as well learn from the best. Luckily for local residents, Canada's only Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute, with its international reputation for excellence, is available to anyone with a passion for food and a free Saturday afternoon.

As part of its continuing education program, the school offers one-day gourmet sessions created with everyday food lovers in mind and four-day specialty courses for those looking to refine their skills in a specific area. The one-day courses are offered at a basic level and assume no prior experience on the part of the participant. Sessions include a three-hour demonstration of technique, followed by a practical session with a master chef in the Cordon Bleu's professional kitchen. At $190, courses are accessible to even the most amateur chef.

The classes are created by the school's technical director chef Philippe Guiet, who oversees the development of the culinary curriculum, recipe development and evaluation systems. Born in Vendee, France, Mr. Guiet is best known in Ottawa for his time at the renowned French restaurant, Cafe Henry Burger in Gatineau. He creates classes based on local ingredients and the preference of the students, from whom he always seeks feedback.

"We are here to have fun. It's not about doing good or bad in the class, it's about learning something," Mr. Guiet said. "We try to make them very simple for people who never cook and we also try to have something more elaborate for people who are looking for something a bit more difficult. Some people are looking for technique, some are looking for a menu. We try to touch on something for all types of people who like to cook."

Courses include instructions on grilling, making salads, sauces and stock. One class that promises to be a favourite with Ottawans for those long winter nights is the Jan. 19 hearty stews class, which will feature navarin d'agneau printannier (braised lamb shoulder), osso-bucco (braised veal shanks) and petite marmite vendenne (seafood pot-au-feu).

In 2008, new courses will highlight menus from Cordon Bleu locations from all over the world. On Jan. 6, the school will hold a class on the culinary specialties of Peru, in which students will learn to prepare pollo a la peruana (Peruvian-style chicken), puree de frijoles negros (black bean puree) and suspiros limenos (condensed milk mousse).

Other countries highlighted include Mexico, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Philippines, Lebanon, Italy, Spain, Germany and of course, France.

Jean-Pierre Soubliere is one returning student with a passion for food. A former business person of the year and president of Anderson Soubliere Inc., he started attending the gourmet sessions just this year. He has already been to six classes and is looking forward to more in 2008.

"It is a hidden jewel here in Ottawa. I've learned a lot. I have been a sort of arts-and-crafts cook but I was looking to pick up some skills," he said.

Mr. Soubliere said at first he felt a bit intimidated from the master chefs leading the courses, but that soon passed.

"These are Michelin-level chefs. So yeah, the first time I was a bit intimidated. But these chefs make you feel very comfortable. They are funny, patient. These people became Michelin chefs for a reason."

Michelin is the oldest French rating system for restaurants and chefs.

He said if a student gets into trouble in the practical session, "which has happened to me consistently," the chefs are always ready to help.

Mr. Soubliere recommends taking notes "like a mad cow" during the theory part of the class, as he usually ends up with 18 or 19 pages of notes. When asked if the courses were too difficult for practical use, Mr. Soubliere laughed.

"They would consider them extremely simple, so it's a matter of perspective. But for the most part, I use these skills at home. I have impressed a few people. My wife loves it. And I have a few neighbours who keep asking her if I'm going to practice soon so they can come over for dinner," he said.

Teaching practical technique is one thing Mr. Guiet aims for when he designs courses. "Once you have the basic technique for grilling or sauces, the right pan, the right temperature, you can cook anything," he said.

Once the basics are learned, the four-day short courses are there for industry professionals, enthusiastic amateurs looking to hone their skills, and culinary students to focus on a particular aspect of their studies. These include butchery, sushi and chocolate making, just to name a few.

Courtney Storey recently completed a boulangerie class to hone her bread-making skills. A full-time superior pastry student at the Cordon Bleu, she said it is a good way for professionals and semi-professionals to learn very specific skills without having to enrol in the school full-time. "They pack a lot of information into four days. The Cordon Bleu is very hands on," she said.