“Do the Ms. America wave,” instructs baker Michelle Roberge, as she spreads buttercream with a slim metal spatula over layers of chocolate cake. She’s describing the subtle, wavy motion she uses to frost the rounds with a smooth finish and clean, sharp edges. Roberge’s cake decorating class has seven participants, who are learning to whip up professional looking desserts in time for the holidays.
Some cooking students hope to master an aspect of the culinary arts or learn new ones themselves. Others look for classes to give someone as a gift. Classes can draw friends who want to do something together, or youngsters who are showing a talent early. Whatever the reason, there’s no shortage of places to learn.
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As she spins the cake on a turnstile while slathering on the silky meringue buttercream, Roberge, who is in the kitchen at Oakleaf Cakes Bake Shop in the Fenway, explains her technique. “You put a lot on and then scrape it off,” she says. “I work from the bottom up.” Participants (who have paid $85 each) toil over their own 5-inch three-layer confections and soon discover it isn’t exactly a piece of cake to achieve Roberge’s perfect finish. After the class, most of these students find themselves handier with a pastry bag and decorating tips to pipe rosettes, swags, and flowers. 12 Westland Ave., Boston, 617-299-1504, www.oakleafcakes.com
At Flour Bakery + Cafe in Fort Point Channel, pastry chef Sarah Powers holds Saturday classes twice monthly, either demonstrations for 20 ($75 per student) or hands-on for 10 ($100 each). Coming up are classes on buche de Noel, the traditional French dessert served at the holidays, and classes on how to make the bakery’s signature sticky buns, butter cookies, shortbread, and Rice Krispies treats. “Sounds basic, but there’s a couple of tricks to make them outstanding,” says Powers, who also teaches the desserts featured at the company’s sister restaurant, Myers + Chang in Boston’s South End. Flour also offers private classes and students can come with their own group of five to 10 people ($125 each) and tailor the class to what they want to learn. 12 Farnsworth St., Boston, 617-338-4333, www.flourbakery.com
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“People are looking to change up their menus,” says Peabody resident Ana Patuleia Ortins, a Portuguese cook and author of “Portuguese Homestyle Cooking,” who teaches in her students’ own kitchens ($100 to $180 per couple), mostly in the north and Metro West suburbs. “People feel more comfortable when they’re using their own equipment,” says Ortins. One of her specialties is octopus, which is a hot menu item right now. “It’s not as difficult to cook as one might think,” says Ortin, an Alentejo, Portugal, native. “It’s very versatile. You can make a stew or grill it or make a salad.” 508-954 4417, ana@portuguesecooking.com
For a hands-on class in a teacher’s home kitchen, consider Helen Rennie, who has run Helen’s Kitchen in her Natick home for nine years. “I like to teach people the how and why and proper techniques that are hard to get through cookbooks,” says Rennie, who offers instruction in knife skills, cooking various cuts of meats, sauces, and even eggs. Her fish class ($90) is one of the most popular. “People walk in a little scared but once you learn how to test for doneness, they’re surprised how easy it is. The instructor uploads YouTube videos to reinforce what she teaches. “I started the YouTube channel to augment the classes,” she says. “When they’re home actually trying to execute a dish, it helps them to rewatch how to do it.” 3 Ingleside Road, Natick, 617-500-0817, www.helenrennie.com
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Two stalwart schools founded decades ago, Boston Center for Adult Education and Cambridge Center for Adult Education, both offer dozens of hands-on courses in cooking, baking, and wine tasting.
At BCAE, local chefs occasionally run classes, like a holiday cooking class taught by William Kovel, the chef of Catalyst in Cambridge, and another on Mexican street foods by Erwin Ramos, chef-owner of Ole Mexican Grill in Cambridge. 122 Arlington St., Boston, 617-267-4430, www.bcae.org
CCAE in Harvard Square offers the chance to cook without recipes, make gnocchi, and learn to shuck oysters (cost varies from $45 plus materials to $245 for a three-class series). 42 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-547-6789, www.ccae.org
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
offers professional training and degrees, along with recreational courses in techniques, Cajun cooking, bread baking, pies and tarts, and holiday cookies ($75 to $85 for a single class; from $275 for a three-class series). 2020 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-2020,
www.cambridgeculinary.com
At Create a Cook in Newton, there are kids’ classes during school vacation, and more offered afternoons and weekend mornings, some specifically for young children with a parent, including making pasta and rolling out fettucine and ravioli. For teens, there’s an ambitious class to re-create a Julia Child menu from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and others to learn pad Thai and spring rolls, and baked goods that include double chocolate cake and truffles (from $192 to $240 for five classes). 53 Winchester St.,
Newton Highlands, 617-795-2223, www.createacook.com
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“Teens are obsessed with food programs and we want to give them a chance to get in the kitchen, make a mess, and have a great time,” says owner Jo Horan.
Making a mess in the kitchen is the point here, whether it’s yours or a friend’s.
Related coverage:
- Perfecting simple Italian at Concord’s Farfalle
Ann Trieger Kurland can be reached at atrieger@comcast.net.