By The Food Tease on April 8, 2024
When I heard that my alma mater, Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute (LCBOCAI), was offering
public culinary workshops that were attracting plenty of attention, I had no choice but to experience one of them, this time as an observer.
Housed in the historic Munross Mansion at 453 Laurier Avenue East, the Ottawa institution is the first Le Cordon Bleu campus outside of Europe and the only one in North America. Teaching the time-honoured techniques of the culinary arts under the tutelage of esteemed chefs have been the foundation of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa since 1988. A haven for aspiring chefs, where culinary artistry meets tradition, innovation and precision, it’s also now a place where food enthusiasts of all stripes can take part in workshops under the guidance of those very same respected instructors.
As a former student in the haute cuisine program, I was curious about the audience for the hands-on workshops. Chef Yann Le Coz, head pastry chef instructor, says everyone, regardless of skill level, has much to gain from these courses at LCB. “Culinary enthusiasts learn a broad range of culinary techniques and recipes. These include cuisine, patisserie, boulangerie and presentation techniques. Besides gaining a wide culinary perspective [about] a variety of flavours and techniques, attendees also benefit from the networking opportunity of meeting and learning with experienced chef instructors and industry professionals, as well as their fellow students.”
Chef Le Coz provides an overview of the types of workshops currently being offered:
The pièce de résistance for all these workshops is that previous kitchen experience is not a requirement; they are designed to accommodate different skill levels. Chef Le Coz says the culinary short courses “are a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a professional kitchen setting under the guidance of world-renowned experienced chefs.” Workshops typically allow for a maximum of nine participants to ensure students receive individualized instruction and feedback. Chef instructors always encourage questions and discussion to make the learning process more engaging and collaborative for participants.
The moment I entered the production kitchen, I was transported back in time. Everything appeared the same as it did 20 years ago, with gleaming stainless steel, state-of-the-art cooking equipment and an ambiance that conjures a rich culinary history.
Students were assigned individual workstations equipped with the ingredients needed for the workshop, a recipe booklet to take notes, a Cordon Bleu apron, a towel, a chef’s hat and a much-needed bottle of water: Things tend to get hot in the kitchen!
Chef Arnaud DeClercq was the culinary maestro teaching students how to prepare Truites au Riesling et Spätzle (Braised Trout with Riesling Wine and Spätzle Noodles). It was exciting to witness how attentive the students were as Chef DeClercq patiently guided them through the different segments of his demonstration, ensuring they grasped the intricacies of each technique. The students then replicated each segment, with ample opportunities to practice the technique and ask questions. The segments were as follows: prepare the fish stock; make the spätzle noodles; fillet the trout; and, lastly, perfect the sauce accompanying the trout. At the end of the workshop, students were provided takeaway containers so they could bring their prized dish home to enjoy. I was fortunate enough to taste the chef’s dish and let’s just say I couldn’t get enough of it.
Based on my own experience and comments from some of the students, chef instructors are not just teachers, they are mentors. Everyone learns from the chefs’ anecdotes about their culinary adventures, emphasizing the importance of tradition while embracing innovation—a philosophy that’s at the heart of Le Cordon Bleu.
What offerings can food enthusiasts expect in 2024? The LCBOCAI will continue to offer classic French cuisine workshops and regional French cuisine workshops, along with short courses focusing on techniques such as knife skills, grilling techniques and French sauces.
On the patisserie side, crowd favourites like macarons, choux pastry, puff pastry, chocolate bonbons and chocolate techniques will be available. Festive short programs will cover Christmas cookies, festive bread and Bûche de Noël.
New programs will focus on plant-based ingredients and recipes, gluten-free breads and cakes and fermentation techniques. There will also be programs celebrating cuisines from different parts of the world, such as Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Watching one of the workshops as an observer reinforced my rationale to pursue a culinary education: the pleasure of savouring the fruits of your labour. It is this journey that ignited my passion for cooking, helped hone my skills and introduced me to a world of flavours and techniques that continues to inspire me to this day. I left Le Cordon Bleu with a heart full of gratitude, a mind teeming with knowledge and a taste for excellence that will stay with me for a lifetime.
**This article was first published in the lifestyle magazine Luxe Ottawa Magazine and was given permission to post on the author’s site.
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