The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts

Sorry. Nothing was washed. If it was, whoever did the washing did a horrible job.
I washed the vegetables before cutting because there were things stuck on. I refused to try other dishes than my own. It didn’t matter though. I still came home with severe heartburn. No organic produce was offered.

It’s a fun night out, but it was not good value for money. The cooking couples class cost $ 150, and there is not even one dish in there that we would make again. Either they were too complex (i.e., 2 – 3 hours to prepare, per dish) or they didn’t taste very good. In some unfortunate cases, both. The instructor seemed frazzled and did not actually teach. She just gave us the recipes and then we were on our own with her periodically checking in and making sure we had supplies. Another issue is that the recipes were super-​unhealthy. Apart from the salad (which was healthy), all the recipes were loaded with butter and/​or deep-​fried. Nice that they provide wine with the meals.

If you are looking to plan a fun date, a corporate outing or a great gift Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is perfect. We went last night with 28 co-​workers and could not have had a better time. All of the teachers, especially Jenn were enthusiastic, educated and helpful but also gave us enough room to really get in there and cook the meal. We opted for the French menu which turned out to be a crowd pleaser. I highly recommend this school!

I have taken several classes at CSAC and have signed up for at least two more before the end of the year. I have taken individual classes on Sushi and Dumplings as well as the 6 session Techniques of Cooking 1 and now Techniques of Cooking 2. The teachers have all been charismatic, knowledgeable, helpful and patient. I highly recommend chefs Jerrod Perry and Simone Montali. The recipes are very good — and there is aways enough for a real feast at the end of class as well as plenty for students to take home if they want to. The only downside is that each class covers a large number of recipes forcing students to divide and conquer — this means that you only get hands-​on experience on the one or two recipes you tackle each time. In a perfect world I would love to try my hand at everything.

My boyfriend and I attended a couple’s Cuban cooking class here. When we first arrived, we were a little confused where to go. There are three kitchens facing the street that are each labeled alphabetically, but no sign indicating which class was in which kitchen. Once we found our class, I was impressed by the kitchen space and equipment we would be working with. The class size was small (6 couples), which was perfect and our menu of the night included eleven recipes. Before beginning the class, our instructor went over the recipes with us and provided us with a tour of the kitchen. The class is set up so that each couple makes roughly 2 recipes each (or 1/​person). Everyone selects which they’d like to make.
After the instructional portion of the class, you begin cooking. Everyone has their own space at the prep table/​area, complete with a cutting board, knife, towel, and apron. If you are new to cooking/​are a beginner, I do not recommend one of these classes. Like other cooking classes I have taken, they do not baby you and show you every step of the way. You are essentially on your own to prep and cook your chosen meal item by following the recipe guide. Of course, the instructor and their assistant are there to help you if you have questions, but you need to have your basic cooking skills down (chopping, sautéing, etc…). That being said, the cooking process was a little stressful and overwhelming because I had to keep asking around to find things in the kitchen and some of the items needed were missing (they were prompt to fetch them from another kitchen).
Once everyone finished cooking, each pair set their dish (es) on the table buffet style and we dug in! The food turned out great and I loved how many recipes we got to sample. Best of all, there were leftovers to take home! Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of this class and appreciated the freedom to cook at our own pace. Also loved our instructor. Very knowledgeable and approachable for questions.

If you are looking for private cooking classes in the Boston area, look no further than the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts!
For the past two years, my generous in-​laws have treated the whole fam to 3 hour private cooking nights. Chef Jenn Reagan has been our AMAZING, enthusiastic, and all-​around super chef/​teacher both years. Both times, we’ve had the entire place to ourselves.
It’s so easy and simple: we arrive and are greeted, see the menu for the night, check over the (fresh! pre-​washed! gorgeous!) ingredients, go over some kitchen tips and tricks, and get to work! Both years we’ve worked with similar menus from their «everyday dinners» collection, and both years we have come away so impressed, both with the overall experience and with ourselves!
Some of the dishes we’ve made include a lush wheatberry and goat cheese salad, maple-​glazed salmon with Israeli couscous and figs, super tender and juicy flank steak, glazed pork tenderloin, coconut curry stir-​fry, homemade ice cream and chocolate lava cakes, bourbon infused banana bread… and they have all been excellent.
After we finish the recipes (we do a divide-​and-​conquer approach), we dine on the goods and pat ourselves on the back (and applaud Jenn!) for how well everything came out. There is always an embarrassment of leftovers that are then packed into containers to bring home to enjoy for many days to come.
And one of the best parts? You don’t have to wash ANY dishes. Leave ‘em all in the sink, and the awesome team at CSCA does them all for you. If only that worked in my house!!!

Cute non-​traditional date idea for the kitchen veteran. An episode of Lost on an island of open flames and sharp blades for the culinary clueless. Regretfully, I fall into the latter category.
I signed up for a Spanish themed couples cooking class after finding an online blurb that boasted 12 unique recipes that would be covered in this class. Learning to cook a wide array of dishes before settling down for a 12 course meal? Sold!
Not so fast.
First and foremost, the enticing list of plates is vastly misleading. Each pair picks 1 – 2 dishes they want to tackle to divvy up the menu list. The instructor takes about 10 minutes to walk through the instructions with the entire class, spending about 30 – 60 seconds per recipe and inserting an arbitrary tip here and there. She spends another 2 minutes walking the group through the giant kitchen and then releases us.
Ready. Set. Chaos.
As the kitchen suddenly erupts into flying knives and furnace heat pockets around me, I start to question whether or not I signed up for an extremely, extremely advanced cooking class. Where were the step-by-step’s I was anticipating? Why have we been thrown to the wolves with minimal instruction? But then I recalled I specifically avoided the classes labeled «Advanced». With the lack of direction in these «beginner» classes, I expect that they must teach their Advanced students how to also juggle knives and breathe fire.
After a stressful, time pressured 2 hours with lots of unsuccessful vying for the instructor’s attention, matrix styled side swerving to avoid sharp edges, and near misses of singed fingers, we all threw off our aprons and dug into a buffet table display of our hard work.
Meal at the end of the class: ¹⁰⁄₁₀. Food was more than plentiful and tasted amazing.
Process to get there: *Fetal position in the corner*
Personally this class was a little too overwhelming for a beginner like me. (Let me provide some context: I once set my stove on fire attempting to boil water. That epitomizes the extent of my culinary skills.), but I would still highly recommend it for someone who knows their way a little better around the kitchen. Overall, a fun and unique, albeit stressful, experience.

I miss good French food. I have been trying to find good french cooking classes in Boston. I called the Cambridge school of culinary Arts this morning to get more information about the class. The receptionist there answered all my questions through «you can go to the website.» It reflects the culture of the school. I sense that this is a low-​class school with limited service, especially for french cooking. But it could be an affordable choice though, I will definitely skip it.

Why the one star?: I woke up at 1 am (3 hours after I finished the meal) and violently vomited. I generally had food poisoning for the next 12 hours. That’s an auto 1-​star
If I hadn’t gotten food poisoning from this meal: 3 – 4 stars. The instructor Joe was really good. He was knowledgeable, patient and interesting to talk to. The rest of the class was really nice and it was awesome being in a professional kitchen (and not having to clean up). It does feel kind of strange to pay $ 80/​person to then have to cook (you are literally doing everything, if you regularly cook you should be OK). The quality of the food at the end is solid but not special just because it is being cooked by you and your fellow classmates. It is cool to learn new kitchen skills just by being forced to practice them but a lot of it requires kitchen equipment I don’t have at home and probably won’t bother to buy.
In summary, I recommend this if you are bored of going out to eat and truly love cooking and want to experience a professional cooking. I can’t compare this cooking class versus the other ones but after getting food poisoning, I’m soured on the whole concept.

I took Christie Morrison’s Knife Skills class this past weekend. I was SO incredibly happy with it! I built on my current knowledge of knifes, and was excited about everything I learned.
Christie was a great instructor. Extremely friendly and also, very knowledgeable. The first 45 minutes of class, we learned about the different parts of knives, what each one is for, what materials and build we should be looking for, and how to keep them in good condition.
Next, we went to the kitchen and learned how to cut! We got to practice on about 10 different vegetables. The space was great, and all of the tools and vegetables were nicely laid out for us. I thought the instruction was easy to follow and received great reinforcement about how I was doing.
They took all of our «choppings» and made us lunch, which we ate family style afterwards. It was nice to talk to the rest of the group and get to know if them!
I would absolutely go to another class there, especially with Christie (who works for America’s Test Kitchen). She was energetic, kind, and very helpful. I can’t wait to go back!
I wouldn’t suggest driving, people had to leave several times to move their car. It’s easily accessible from the T!

I just finished Techniques of Cooking I with Mike Pavloski, and it was among the most satisfying and enjoyable educational experiences I’ve ever had.
The class is broken between a 30 minute lecture, 2 – 3 hour kitchen session, and 30 minutes of indulgent, consumptive bliss. Quite honestly some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten came out of that kitchen. And though the price is steep, we eat everything from rabbit to filet mignon and always leave with tupperware.
Mike is a whiz in class, deftly handling the constant pulls of a dozen students with plentiful servings of humor and support. I would highly recommend him for anyone looking for a class. All around grade A stuff. I can’t wait for techniques II.

I love this place!
I’m on my second experience with Cambridge Culinary School now, I did the knife skills class with chef Mark Yang (and I loved it) and now I’m doing the cakes class with chef Marie Perfetti and it has been an amazing experience so far. I’m really satisfied with this cake class! Chef Marie is awesome, she’s very patient, she helps all the students, she explains all ingredients and recipes and she’s a very nice person. I wish this class was twice a week because I simply love it!!!
I was afraid I was gonna feel completely lost in this class because I had no baking experience before, but she was very patient and explained things to me step by step!
Now I’ll take the baking series class with chef Sharon Donovan.
This place is awesome, everyone should try it!

Yet again, CSCA did not disappoint.
This place is fantastic for an «alternative date» — highly recommend the couples classes. The tapas and the Tuscany couples classes are really solid.
For those first-​timers out there, here’s the short on couples cooking classes:
1. you register for one unit (one couple), and yes, the best slots/​classes fill up very well in advance. If you have your eye on a particular class, sign up early. If you just like the experience and are pretty laid back/​flexible/​spontaneous, then get on the mailing list and wait for them to email you with last-​minute openings.
2. you show up (no shorts, no open toed shoes… basically dress like you’ll be cooking) to a (locked) front-​room with a long table, empty glasses, and other couples waiting for the class to begin. I believe up to 6 couples participate, but this past weekend, there were only 5 couples in my class.
3. the instructors change. No one chef teaches all the classes, so depending on what you’re signed up for, you can have very different experiences with the instructors. My favorite is Joe (also of the Boston Ramen delivery service), but they’re all great.
4. you sit around with the other couples, bond for a bit, talk about what brought you there, and go over the menu. The instructor lets each couple pick one dish (you make about 7 dishes throughout the night, each couple takes 1 – 2 dishes) so if there’s one in particular you like, jump on it!
5. After brief instruction in the large (gorgeous, well-​stocked) catering kitchen, the instructor lets you get to work on your dishes, and floats around to provide guidance (but not at all micro-​manage-​y!). you interact with the other couples, make your dish within your own unit, and generally enjoy hanging out and learning techniques in a shiny, beautiful professional kitchen.
6. at the end of the cooking process, all dishes are brought to the front room for a group-​meal, wine drinking (no, you cannot BYOB but the wine is there for you), and general merriment.
Honestly, aside from the Paint Bar, this is the best alternative-​date I’ve ever been on, and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s sick of dinner-​out, or dinner-​and-​a-​movie, or stay-​in-​and-​watch-​a-​movie-​but-​we-​all-​know-​that-​is-​a-​euphamism-​for-​sex.

I booked this as a gift for my boyfriend — I had been researching and this seemed like the best and affordable option for couples cooking classes. Note — My boyfriend doesnt know anything about cooking besides turning the microwave on and making instant pudding. We ended up taking the couples italian class.
We got there right on time and there wasn’t a full class I think we were down two couples. The instructor, Elise, had us sign in and each take a packet of recipes. I flipped through and my jaw dropped… I looked at my boyfriend and said «this may be a little advanced for you.»
Elise instructed us on where everything was, showed us around her kitchen, showed us the table of ingredients, etc.
Each couple picked what they wanted to make — because there wasnt a full class some had to make two and because I love to cook I volunteered.
Basically Elise said okay get at it and we were all very confused. She was getting pulled every which way because we all had questions and couldnt give each of us individual attention. I had to ask her for a pan or this or that about 3 or 4 times because she would forget and after looking around her kitchen i couldn’t find it.
What I also didnt like is that i’m trying to walk my boyfriend through the recipe and take it one step at a time and Elise said this is easier, do this. Then said aloud «I don’t follow the recipes». Well we came to a cooking class so please don’t yell at us for following the freaking recipe and if you are doing something maybe show us instead of just doing it all for us.
Overall I felt it was rushed, we didn’t learn all that much and I wasn’t happy with the chef’s attitude and wise remarks. If you are going for a fun night out and to learn how to make a new dish I wouldn’t recommend this. Though for myself, the recipes were great so I have a couple of new things I can cook now. Other than that I was not very satisfied with my experience.

I took Chef Delphin Gomes’ macarons class last night, and had so much fun I’m trying really hard to wait until my next credit card cycle to sign up for two more classes in the fall (just cakes with Marie, watch your temper with Chef Gomes).
It was a group of 11 and after about 20 – 30 minutes of talking (or, listening, rather) we paired up into groups of ²⁄₃ and got our ingredients together. Because there is limited oven space and only one Chef Gomes (and he really does want to supervise you as much as possible) we had to stagger our processes a little, so there was some waiting around to progress through the recipes, meaning also that the people who started first had some extra time at the end to tackle extra things. You also had to choose as a team which flavor you wanted to do, and once one was taken you had to pick something else. It’s okay because everyone gets to take home a bit of everything at the end of the night, but if you really wanted amazing raspberry macarons and someone else called that flavor first and then messed it up… well, you’re sh*t out of luck.
All in all, as someone else’s review said, Chef Gomes is insane. Amazingly, wonderfully, hilariously insane. He is so incredibly intelligent and kind, fast-​paced and appropriately inappropriate, and overall a really great teacher.
If you’re already a professional in the pastry world (as one of my classmates was) you might find that you’re not getting as much attention as you’d like. As well I noticed that if you’re truly a novice and have never read anything about something like macarons, or don’t speak english, you might have trouble starting from square one. But if you’ve done a little homework, are a serious baking enthusiast, and/​or are considering a career change, I can’t recommend this class enough. I’m really looking forward to taking more in the fall.

Recently took the recreational course «Techniques of baking I» and I couldn’t have been happier. I agree with some reviews that it’s not as much «teaching» and more «hands on» then I anticipated but as a result the experience was as much social as it was learning. The class size was about 10 (all women and me… tough life) and ranged from late teens to 40’s and students to suburban parents. I consider myself a decent baker but this class showed me what I knew was tiny in the overall scheme of things
The best part of the class was instructor Chef Deb Powell. She was friendly, informative, and most of all patient. Her demeanor made the experience so much better to the point when she had to miss a class the drop off was significant. This is less a slight to the other instructor (who was also very pregnant) and more a compliment to Deb for being excellent at what she does
I will take another class when time allows and will keep my fingers crossed that Deb Powell will be the instructor

My friend and I took the «Couples cook Tapas» class recently.
Here’s what went down:
1. We showed up, late of course, there were 5 other couples. The teacher was cool. He gave a brief history of Tapas. Then went over the recipes and doled them out on a raise your hand basis.
2. The kitchen was cool. Large with a bunch of workstations. There the chef went over the operations and recipes one more time. There was no real instruction. It was like picking a recipe from a cookbook and then getting going only already having all the ingredients needed to finish.
3. We begin to cook. Rachel and I are the first to open one of the two bottles of complimentary wine they had there for dinner. Mostly everyone followed suit after. The wine did not last long.
4. Some pansy. Presumably from Cambridge. (sorry people and I love Cambridge). Approached me and accused me of killing the mussels (we chose the mussels app) then asked what the mussels ever did to me? Count to ten. Calm down. One. Two… Three…
5. Dinner is served. Someone burned their meatballs. All other dishes were cool. Champagne after. People aside from the PETA guy were cool. Dinner over 9:30
Overall assessment:
Fun date. Change of pace. Decent food.
Negatives: didn’t learn any techniques. Could have followed recipe
myself. 150 is steep for the quality of food. PETA guy
All in all it was fun and different but not what you’d think it would be.

I attended CSCA for the professional pastry program and couldn’t be happier.
Most everyone who works at or attends the school is a food-​lover and a sweetheart. It’s like one big, happy family of fatties, slowly eating their way to nirvana.
The head of the pastry program, Delphin Gomes is insane. He somehow manages to be inappropriate and conservative at the same time, and is as French as an American citizen can possible be. All flaws aside, he’s a damn good pastry chef, and is willing to teach you everything he knows (Literally. You get hundreds of his recipes.) if you have a thick enough skin to put up with him and can learn to understand his «Boston» accent.
During the course of the program I learned all the things I was looking to learn, and even got some added, once-​in-​a-​lifetime type experiences like carving a block of ice with a chainsaw and meeting a cheesemonger and a tea sommelier.
All things considered, the program was pricey, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. You’ll get out what you put in.

«There is no love sincerer than the love of food»
Yup, that pretty much sums up my passion for food, hence me being a Unilocaler. But I am actually a Unilocaler who cooks too, and doesn’t only eat! So Matt J. and I went to this culinary school to try out our skills at a gourmet multi-​course French dinner! I mean they say that the best cooks in the world are French!
When we showed up they actually had three different cooking classes going on at one time – french, sushi and tapas! This place keeps busy, and with how pricey their classes are, I am sure this place will be in business for quite some time!
We sat at our table with some other students, and then our teacher came in and told us what was on our menu. Each couple at the class got to pick one of the dishes, and we being the bold ones that we are, chose the main course – a roast that was wrapped around some prunes that were soaked in wine overnight. Man, I am not a prune fan, but those things were good! And we even got to figure out how to tie up the meat with cooking twine which was a first for us!
The problem with it was that we didn’t get nearly as much guidance as we thought we would – they basically gave us all a packet of recipes and instructions and said go, and then all 10 of us were off, running around this kitchen trying to share pots and pans and knives! Ya I know, sounds a little dangerous, but we are all adults, right? ha ha I just wish there was a little more actual instruction on technique, but with one teacher trying to manage getting all of these courses out on time, I guess you can’t expect much more?
Once the food was done, wine was brought to the table and we all got to enjoy each course, even though I secretly wished I had gotten to work on more than just one dish. Almost all of the dishes were really good! But the potato dish with all of that cheese, and that home made french onion soup and our main roast dish were by far the winners.
If we got a coupon or discount, I would definitely come back here, and I wish I could afford to go more often, because cooking in a giant state of the art kitchen is definitely something you don’t get every day!!!

In my second week at CSCA, I realize now that I know almost nothing about food. I say that with all happiness, because it is now that I can finally start to learn about food.
The instructors here are patient, helpful and incredibly knowledgable. Chef Marie Perfitti is a wonderful baker, and is a joy to share a kitchen with. She seems to truly enjoy imparting knowledge, and really has fun teaching.
Chef Jim is a towering powerhouse of culinary knowledge. From the first few minutes you know that this is a man who knows his craft. He has also perfected the art of sending knowledge into brains — his teaching style is so smooth and smart as to be artful. You just want to soak up as much as you can from him.
The staff at CSCA are the real orange-​mango curd in the delicious layer caked that is this school. Everyone — and I do mean everyone — who works in the office there is happy, responsive, and glad to answer any question, address any concern, and help out whenever possible.
I can’t say enough about this place — they’re helping to change my life, and deprive me of sleep, and I couldn’t be happier.