Le Cordon Bleu

It has been a lifetime bucket list of mine to attend a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and now I can cross it off my list.
A little on the expensive side, the cooking class is worth every penny. I attended a pastry baking class and it was extensive and lasted about six hours long. The class is very serious and treats each student like they are a chef in training. The class is taught by a chef who speaks in french, but there is an English translator. What I love about this class is that students do not have to be paired up and each student has their own station.
We made plain and chocolate croissants, and about three different kinds of brioche. At the end of class, you get to take home all of your creations — which was a lot!
I am proud to say that the best chocolate croissant I ever ate was the one I made myself at Le Cordon Bleu.
A commemorative apron and dish towel is included, as well as a certificate and photo with the chef.
It was a once-​in-​a-​lifetime opportunity for any foodie.

Came here for a cooking class while visiting Paris, as the cooking school’s «how to cook» technique books were the initial spark for my interest in the culinary arts. Delicious recipe for escargot and stuffed chicken breast, although the class was less hands-​on than I expected. Enjoyed the experience, although I’d recommend a home-​based cooking class for culinary travelers interested in a more experiential class.

Was fortunate enough to have signed up for the Paris Market Tour with Chef Marc VACA. The chef and his translator were friendly, patient, and welcomed questions. Our tour group consisted of 13 people, all Americans. We started off at 8:30am with an open market tour of Saint Charles. The chef knew the vendors and collected different ingredients for our «tasting.» We collected: whelk, cheeses, head cheese, blood sausage, pâté, peaches, cantaloupe, prosciutto, ham, cod, and many different french pastries. We then went back to Le Cordon Bleu and had a feast of the different products from the market. Wine was included with our feast — a definite plus!
Another group joined us for the cooking demo which went from 12:30 — 3:30pm. Chef Marc Vaca cooked a 3 course meal during that time, he made:
–crab salad with spice, passion fruit jelly
–veal fillet poached in broth, creamed peas
–fig and pistachio tart with coconut ice cream
It was like watching Food Network live! We got to ask questions about the different techniques and ingredients. Best part — we got to sample everything at the end!
Overall — highly recommended for any foodie out there, definitely a great way to spend a day in Paris!