This was a GREAT class! I attended "Thanksgiving Without Tears" on November 15, 2009 and loved it!…read moreClifford and Martha worked so well together and their dishes were spectacular! Wine was served and everyone was brought a plate at the end of the class to try everything. It included turkey with Cliff's special gravy, two different kinds of stuffing, sweet potatoes with apple puree, and 4 onion gratin (my FAVORITE)!! I'm attending "Modern Casserole Cookery" on Wednesday and I can't wait!

Took a great pizza making class!! Staff was friendly, funny, and easy to learn from!!! Pizza was…read moredelicious!!!

Learning from Pepe is an absolute delight. He is a patient and focused teacher. I took the 5 day…read morecourse and it really took my under of pizza to a new level. I took the course for work because we're going to be introducing a wood fired pizza concept and while there's still a lot to figure out, I now feel fully confident to dive into the project because of what I learned from Pepe and Donato at VPN. I'd take the class again just to hang out with Pepe and his other former students :D

The Culinary Dude's summer camp was awesome! I learned so much and had so much fun!!!read more

My child attended this camp earlier this summer and she absolutely loved it. She's a pretty picky…read moreeater and she was able to try so many new things. The ability to see what goes into your food goes a long way and makes a huge difference. Everything she brought home for us to try was really good. Scott does an amazing job with these kids and we're definitely going to do this camp again next summer!

I hosted a Maiden Kitchen class at my apartment yesterday, and we all had a complete blast!…read more I found out about the company via a Goldstar deal, and I have to say, it was such a steal! Marlene was a delight, really funny and fun to be around, and she taught us a lot of fun, easy things to make! We chose her sushi menu, and that included veggie spring rolls with a dipping sauce, edamame, miso soup (so yummy! I want to make more RIGHT NOW!), a ton of different rolls and nigiri (with albacore, salmon and ahi, I believe), diablo sauce (the guys had fun trying to out spice each other), and a really, really delicious sake-based sangria. Everything we made was really yummy, all the ingredients were fresh, and Marlene made every really easy and fun. Also, it was very unexpected, but Marlene even washed the serving plates and glasses we had used during the class! I totally did not expect that, but was very appreciative that she went that extra mile to try to make everything (even the clean up) easier for us. It's that kind of service and attention to detail that makes me want to be a repeat customer. If the five of us had gone out for sushi and drinks, I guarantee that we would have spent a heck of a lot more, and not had as much fun or learned anything. Maiden Kitchen cooking parties are SO much fun, and I can't wait until I have an excuse to have Marlene back again and to try a different menu (she has so many awesome menus to try!). Thanks again SO much for a fantastic experience! I hope my friend can use your company for her bridal shower :)

I hosted a Maiden Kitchen event at my home a few weeks ago and it was fabulous! I am always looking…read morefor a great, inexpensive way to get a group together and have a good time. I was pleasantly surprised with what Maiden Kitchen had to offer! First, Maiden Kitchen is so affordable. We were able to have an alcoholic beverage (phenomenal Sangria), an app, entree, and dessert! Ordering all that at a restaurant is just not in my budget right now. Maiden Kitchen was such a fun alternative. The food was delicious! I am not one you will find in the kitchen but under the supervision of Marlene (our Maiden Kitchen chef), everything turned out amazing! We made hummus, pita bread, salad and salad dressing, rice, chicken, baklava. The best part was that we were each provided with the menu, ingredients, and recipe so that we could recreate the meal on our own! Marlene has such great energy that only added to the fun my group of friends was already having. She did not hesitate to jump in or answer a question anytime one of us shouted her name. It was really a pleasure working with her. Oh, and the best part....Maiden Kitchen brought everything we needed and used to my house! Marlene brought all the ingredients, cooking bowls, etc, and dishes! Clean up was a piece of cake!!!! I would highly recommend Maiden Kitchen to others. I am in a wedding this spring and I am trying to talk the girls into doing a Maiden Kitchen event for the bridal shower or as part of the bachelorette! FABULOUS EXPERIENCE!

Impressed with the previous course I took from Brenda, I decided to take her knife skills class…read more She taught us how to choose our knives, how to hold them properly, and how to prep them before each task. She showed us some amazing tricks that made cutting vegetables fun and effortless! She even used the ingredients the class cut up to create some lovely treats for us to eat. I had a great time and I'm excited to spend more time in my kitchen!

My fiancé and I took a couples class with Brenda. It was such an amazing and positive experience…read more Not only was the class educational and fun, but also a great way to bond with your partner. Brenda is very organized and displayed a good knowledge of food and technique during our class. I definitely recommend Live Beautifull to everyone who loves food and cooking! Looking forward to our next class!

Kidding Around the Kitchen provides cooking classes and demonstrations geared toward the family…read more I just attended one of the classes with my daughter today, "Wok and Roll" at the Japanese American Museum. Todays class was "A hands-on cooking class of easy and healthy stir fry and sushi recipes the whole family will love." The class size was small and there were enough work stations for every child to try to make something different. The work stations included: Farmers Market Rainbow Stir-fry Thai-riffic Chicken Pasta and Veggie Stir Fry Cucumber and Avocado Sushi Mexican Sushi Bites Crispy Candy Sushi Moo Shu Vegetable Roasted Color flower Sun Tea My daughter was only interested in making sushi everything and we were successful in working the three stations that made sushi. After the class was finished making the dishes, all of it was laid out buffet style for us to try everyone's handy work. Chinese take out boxes were provided for taking home what we made. The food itself wasn't "fine cuisine" but the class was very informative, fun and provided a great opportunity for kids to try a food they typically wouldn't try at home or even at a restaurant. Even though, I consider myself a foodie and a well-informed cook, I did learn something new from the class and it was simple enough that it got my nine year old daughter interested in cooking! We were also able to get all the recipes in a handy dandy stapled handout. I learned that Kidding Around the Kitchen provides weekly demo's Sunday's, 10-noon at the Hollywood/Atwater Farmers' Markets. I look forward to taking my daughter to the next class.

LBCC Bistro is the test kitchen for students enrolled in the culinary program. Reservations…read morerequired via the OpenTable app. For an even $20, guests are provided a 3 course fixed menu. 3 appetizer options, 3 entree options, and 3 dessert options. With rotating cuisines, this particular week catered to Italian fare. My choices were the shrimp bruschetta, poached sole & panna cotta. Shrimp bruschetta- A large shrimp on top of bruschetta, placed squarely in a plate of fennel broth. The broth was an interesting take, as the bruschetta soaked it up & became slightly mushy/slightly crusty. Poached sole- A large fillet of sole, paired with carrots, asparagus and fennel. I could taste the sole was previously frozen, as I've caught & cooked sole, which is a fatty & flavorful fish. The fillet could've used more sauce. Panna cotta- A winner! The pulled sugar was fun to eat, providing a contrast in texture to the creamy panna cotta. Service was excellent. Located at Building V, parking is $2/all day at the adjacent structure on Clark & Carson. For a fair amount of a jaunt, free parking can be had at LBX. Wanna feel like a judge on Hell's Kitchen? Dining at LBCC Bistro is a great way to experience being a gourmet guinea pig. I look forward to booking again, soon.

Second time dining at LBCC and such a treat! I organized a private luncheon at LBCC. They offered…read moreus a great menu! The students prepare and serve the food! The dining area is beautiful.and spacious with wall of windows to watch the activity in the kitchen. In addition, there is a large screen monitor to view activity. Fun to watch the dishes prepared before they come out! For $25 (before tax and tip), you appetizer/salad, main dishes, dessert, and beverages! High quality gourmet meal artistically plated! We all.loved our meals and the exceptional service! We were served New Potato Salad, Yougurt Chicken or Garden Pasta, and Apple Tartin for dessert! All dishes were so tasty and elegantly prepared. The New Potato Salad was amazing! I definitely could have eaten an entire bowl it was so good! I love that the menu included the names of the students preparing (by dish) in the kitchen and serving in the dining area! Reservations are required! No walk-ins. Reservations are available thru Open Table 3 weeks out. They are only open for lunch, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for about 10 weeks each semester. Reservations book up fast and strongly suggest to keep checking if at first you don't see an opening. Definitely an underrated local gem in Long Beach!

The Sushi Chef Institute in Torrance is the best sushi school in the United States! I have had…read moreexperience over the last 35 years in culinary arts. As a hotel chef restaurant chef business owner, and now culinary arts instructor. So I can say this with authority. Chef Andy Matsuda is an amazing instructor with outstanding knowledge of all aspects of the sushi industry. His expertise in business, creative balance, Fish selection and sushi technique is second to none. Chef Andy Matsuda also volunteers his time at area community colleges like Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles, Mission college, and my current school Los Angeles trade tech college. I recommend this school to anyone who is looking to gain knowledge in this amazing field.

We found out about this sushi chef institute after scrolling on Tik Tok trying to find fun ideas…read morefor date night. It was such a fun and interesting night! Chef Andy's workshop happens once a month on a random Wednesday and it's geared towards complete beginners with no experience necessary. I have to admit that when we first got there, the kitchen and the general area seemed a bit sketch, but we were warmly greeted by the staff. We were told to get there 10 minutes prior because the workshop starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. It was a small intimate group of less than 10 students with Chef Andy leading the way. Over the course of 90 minutes, we were able to make two sushi balls (salmon and shrimp), a California roll, salmon poke, and a small hand roll. The last 30 minutes was spent eating our creations and taking pictures. This workshop really gave me some confidence to try to make my own sushi at home! My only regret is that we didn't take a picture with Chef Andy because we were too busy admiring and devouring our own work!