The Gourmandise School

The Gourmandise School

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"A Sure Bet!" From LA Magazine, The Gourmandise School is a hands-on culinary school in Santa Monica.

The Gourmandise School is a hands-on culinary school for adults, teens and kids with a focus on teaching classic techniques using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. The school offers pastry and cooking classes, professional courses and fascinating food workshops.

Photos from The Gourmandise School's post 07/29/2026

What are SEA BEANS? 🪸 Walking by Murray Family Farms, I had to stop and do a double take… were they selling pine needles?? NO! These are sea beans, also knowns as sea asparagus, salicornia, and glasswort.

This salty plant has many varieties and grows worldwide alongside the shore of marshes, oceans, and salty lakes.

What does it taste like? Well, sort of like the sea! Murray Family Farms grows a variety of sea beans that can be treated like an herb: let it dry and pick it off the stem. Once picked, you can add it to pastas, salads, soups, or even eggs for a nice POP of salt!

Not sure where to start? Try sautéing this unique plant in olive oil & butter, pairing it with grilled fish 😋

Thank you Jack from Murray Family Farms for talking to us about sea beans!

07/28/2026

Know your stone fruits! 🍑 Each one has its own unique flavor, texture, and best uses in the kitchen.

🟣 Plums: Juicy, sweet-tart, and perfect for jams, crisps, chutneys, and roasting.

❤️ Pluots: A plum-apricot hybrid that’s extra sweet and delicious fresh or in desserts.

🧡 Apricots: Firm, delicately sweet with floral, honey-like notes, and ideal for pastries, cakes, glazes, and cheese boards.

07/28/2026

The simplest way to make a better roast chicken is to start by removing the backbone! Watch as we turn to the queen of spatchcock-ing, Chef Tracy, for a little tutorial! 🍗🍋

Spatchcocking allows the chicken to lie flat, which means it cooks more evenly, roasts in nearly half the time, stays remarkably juicy, and is much easier to carve. Once you try this technique, it’s difficult to go back to roasting a whole bird the traditional way.

To spatchcock a chicken, cut along both sides of the backbone using kitchen shears or a sharp knife and remove it. Turn the chicken over, press firmly on the breastbone until it lies flat, then season generously with salt, pepper, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, and olive oil before roasting at 400°F for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp and golden.

Save for the next time you make chicken!

Photos from The Gourmandise School's post 07/24/2026

Exciting newwww classes! ✨ Join us this August for three hands-on classes designed to build your skills and satisfy your sweet (and savory) cravings!

🥞 August 1 | The Crepe Class
Learn to make delicate Parisian crepes, traditional buckwheat crepes, savory baked egg & cheese crepes, and fresh fruit & Nutella crepes.

🍞 August 8 | Asian Bread Making
Master Korean Salt Bread, Hong Kong “Pineapple” Buns, and watch a Hokkaido Milk Bread demo for perfectly soft, fluffy loaves.

🥖 August 16 | The Sourdough Starter Class
Learn the fundamentals of sourdough from creating and maintaining your starter to making delicious discard recipes like banana bread, crackers, and pancakes.

Register online via the

07/24/2026

🚨 An assortment of beautiful bowls have entered the retail shop 🚨

If you love adorable little bowls with beautiful patterns and fun shapes, come on by! 🍅🍉🌀 We also carry plenty of fun gadgets, useful tools, cookbooks, and other treats!

Students get 10% off on the day of class 🩵

07/22/2026

Come learn to cook & bake with the finest ingredients! We shop at the Santa Monica Farmers Market (City of Santa Monica Farmers Markets) twice a week, where our staff hand-picks produce from all our favorite vendors & local farms. 🍅👩‍🌾🍓

Today we shopped for several upcoming classes, including:
🇫🇷 French Bistro
🍝 Fresh Pasta
☀️ Summer Mediterranean
🥟 Chinese Dumplings
And more!

Pause or hold at the end of the video to screenshot our shopping list, which includes all the items we grabbed today + the farms we got them at 🥰

See you next week!

07/21/2026

Golden, perfectly seared pork chops with a rich Madeira mustard pan sauce... this is one of the featured recipes from our Technique: Pork class! 🍖🐖🌿

In class, we’ll cover the fundamentals of selecting, storing, and cooking pork successfully while exploring how regenerative agriculture produces exceptional flavor and quality. You’ll also prepare three incredible dishes:
✨Seared Pork Chops with Madeira Mustard Pan Sauce
🍒Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onion & Cherry Compote
🥄Slow-Cooked Pork Belly with Membrillo Glaze

This classes regenerative, organic, sustainably raised pork sourced exclusively from StarWalker Organic Farms: the first Regenerative Organic Certified® pork producer in the world!

📅 Wednesday, August 23rd
⏰ 6:00pm - 9:00pm
📍Santa Monica, CA

07/18/2026

Easy as pie! 😉🫐

Want to learn how make your own pies, cookies, scones, and everything in between completely from scratch? Come take a weekend baking class with us before summer ends!

Upcoming Baking Classes:
7/25 Cookie Favorites
7/26 Classic French Desserts
8/1 The Crepe Class
8/2 French Macarons
8/8 Asian Bread Baking
8/8 Egg-Based Desserts
8/9 Cakes, Cobblers, and Crisps
8/9 The Soufflé Class
8/15 Baking with Chocolate (new menu!)

See our full class calendar via the 🧁🌼

07/17/2026

Know your tomatoes! 🍅 Every tomato variety has its own unique flavor, texture, and best use in the kitchen. Learn the difference between four popular types and pick the right one for your next recipe.

🍒 Cherry: Small, sweet, and juicy, perfect for snacking, salads, and roasting.
🍅 Roma: Firm, meaty, and low in moisture… ideal for sauces, soups, and paste.
🍔 Beefsteak: Large, juicy, and hearty. Great for sandwiches, burgers, and fresh slices!
🌈 Heirloom: Colorful, flavorful, and uniquely shaped, best enjoyed fresh to showcase their rich & complex taste.

07/16/2026

Go beyond your morning cup and explore the journey of coffee from farm to brew! In this immersive tasting experience, you’ll learn how growing regions, processing methods, and sourcing practices influence the flavor, quality, and character of coffee ☕️🫘🌳

Nick Monica, Founder & CEO of local favorite Gnarwhal Coffee, will guide you through an in-depth tasting followed by a Q&A while you enjoy a warm slice of homemade coffee cake.

📅 Sunday, August 16th
⏰ 10:30am - 1:00pm
🎟️ $95 per person
📱 Register online

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Location

Category

Address


395 Santa Monica Place, Ste 323
Santa Monica, CA
90401

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 10am - 8pm
Wednesday 10am - 8pm
Thursday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 8pm
Sunday 11am - 7pm