Did the Italian long lunch classic menu today and had such a great time. The menu changes so what…read moreI've described below may not what you'll end up with if you go there. Luciana is very funny and particular in the way things are done - as most chefs are. Very informative class and she is great at answering questions. The class was very hands on and engaging. There was about 16 people in the class that day. There are tables in the house with places where you can put your bags. Remember to bring an apron because you will be dealing with flour so it may get a little dusty. There was wine served with the food and I was pleasantly full but not to full by the time I left. It was just right even though there was all the food! To start, Luciana made a Tuscan Antipasti made with bortolotti beans, olive oil, parsley and red onion served on bread. It was very rustic, simply and really delicious. What a way to kick off the course. I think because there was so many of us, it was easier to showcase how to make this and it was really simple. She was making this in front of us. Second course was ravioli which we made fresh pasta. There was kinds, beetroot and pumpkin. The insides were already done for us as we had to concentrate on making the pasta. So much fun with rolling the dough around, putting it through the pasta machine and trying not to stuff up. Luciana walked around to make sure everyone's dough was ok. Her assistants were also wandering around to make sure people were being looked after. I preferred the pumpkin with sage butter but others preferred the beetroot ravioli. Third course was chicken scaloppine with herbs. The stock she made for this was wonderful. She showed us how to make it and we took care of making the scaloppine. Again this was a simple dish but with great flavours. Last but not least was dessert. I didn't get to make this as there was only a few to make. Semifreddo al caffe - wow dusted with cocoa powder. Sigh, what a way to finish. Only 1 slice was more than enough. It wasn't super sweet or rich which was nice but if you had anymore, it probably wouldn't be very good for you! Lots of cream, sugar, all the good stuff!! Would recommend as a birthday present, corporate event or just a nice way to spend a day!

Best cooking class in Sydney and I have been to a few. Luciana is an absolute awesome Italian lady…read morethat really makes you feel like you are in Italy and it's quick and easy to copy her yummy creations. There was about 10 of us of a nice summery day a few weeks back attending the long Italian lunch. Luciana has an awesome and very personable character. She kept getting annoyed at the dogs barking and being in love to keeping us in check with not wasting time. To sharing tips and tricks on how to make the best pasta. She had no shame in telling us off for putting in the wrong ingredients together but admitting later it still tasted well. Her son ate the left overs and gave us all the green thumbs up. That after getting starting on making the pasta she than served us to start a lovely pasta with pesto and cherry tomatoes. Accompanied with some yummy wine. Than we moved back to the kitchen to finish making our pasta. After enjoying the pasta we moved on to making extremely tasty chicken in white wine, lemon and herb sauce. To finish we made the best and easiest to make coffee dessert ever. I attend with my girlfriend as a birthday gift and she absolutely loved it. Even the fact that she was able to make everything gluten free. Since than I have re-created almost every dish. Yum yum. I go back and even attend one of luciana's other classes.

If you're looking for a fun experience that isn't the normal "going out for dinner" this is it!…read moreChef Julien is hilarious, Jean Luc and the rest of the team make you feel welcome as soon as you walk in the door. Ideal for all ages (they even have kids classes!) and any experience level. Great for a date night, girls night, mates outting, or family activity. The icing on the cake is they use the highest quality ingredients so you get to prepare (and enjoy) a delicious and nutritious meal. Honestly, so glad this is in our local area!!

From the owner: We are a Cooking School that aim to bring people together to Nourish, Connect and Share better with…read moreFood.

It is well-known that the key ingredient of good French cooking is butter and lots of it, but it…read morewas only after I did French cooking classes at PICS did I realise just how much goes in there. And the Manager/Head Teacher Laurent Villoing claims that to keep in touch with Australian tastes he only uses half the amount of butter than what he would normally use in France. Holy crap! I've done a few courses at Laurent's French cooking school and they were all excellent. The food that we managed to make was incredible and I could not believe we actually did it. I guess its got something to do with Laurent's eyes, ears and nose which are everywhere, he can sense instantly if something is going wrong or if the flavour is not right and will somehow appear instantly by your side to help you along. You can tell he's had extensive experience in managing commercial kitchens. I've done the following courses which I highly recommend: 1. Petit Fours workshop - perfect for making little treats for dinner parties. 2. Knife Skills workshop - teaches you basics of handling knifes and different uses. You prepare a basic French 3-course meal by the end. 3. French Seasonal Cooking 8 week course (Summer menu) - its was amazing. You learn how to make some beautiful dishes and may cook with ingredients that you would not normally encounter, such as a whole rabbit! The desserts are to die for as would be expected from a French course. I've noticed on the website that Laurent has introduced a whole new range of courses on top of the usual ones so there will be something for everybody. The groups are very small at 8-10 people so you get personal attention and you get to take home all this beautiful food at the end! Highly recommend.

I have been taking different cooking classes and workshops many times at this cooking school. They…read moredistinguish cooking classes as 8-weeks course and workshop as one-off and the workshop is usually running during Friday or weekend. Over the years, I've noticed the gradual changes on facilities. Although no major renovation, furnishing and hygiene are constantly improving. Learned a lot and a lot of fun. The best part of doing a workshop here is after 5 hours of hard work, I enjoy a nice meal and I have plenty of food to take home. I would recommend this cooking school to others.

This cheese making course was fantastic, I highly recommend it…read more I did it today it went from 10am - 4pm. We learnt how to make Fetta, Camembert, Greek yoghurt, Labne, Mascarpone, Ricotta and Quark. There is an advance course to learn how to make hard cheeses. You would never buy Ricotta ever again it is literally made in 40 mins. The course cost approx $170.

Yes, all of the below, plus how to make your own butter, tips on how to make Crème Fraiche, Persian…read morefetta as well as Danish fetta. The lunch and morning tea are excellent as well. Plus you can ring up afterwards if you have any problems making any of the cheese or yoghurts at home, they will suggest a number of solutions, worked for me! Great value, even though the course price has crept up to $190. Highly recommended.

Organised American smoking class for a friends bucks. Staff were great but session was under…read morecatered we still required dinner afterward and you'd expect more than steamed corn and smoked meat at $190pp. poor value, save your time and head elsewhere.

Took my boyfriend here to learn how to do some real smoked American bbq…read more At first I felt a bit out of place as I was the only chick attending but that did not stop me getting into it and understanding how you get a perfect bbq. They showed us everything from turning on the bbq to using the correct utensils to letting us test out ourselves. We cooked something on every single type of bbq which was awesome. We made - quesadillas with Mexican mushrooms "nom nom" - baby ribs - pulled pork - beef brisket - 2 salads. Everything was just to die for. We literally had to be rolled out of there. So good.

McIntosh & Bowman are a great team of 'cheese educators' and appreciators, that aim to boost…read moreAustralia's knowledge and interest in cheese through a variety of ways; appreciation courses, activities, cheese making workshops and local and international cheese tours. Early last year I was lucky enough to do the 'Australian Cheese and Wine Experience' on Fort Denison, in Sydney. Meeting at Circular Quay for the ferry to Fort Denison, we were greeted by Claudia and given a general overview of how things work and what her job involves. Upon arriving, we were greeted with a glass of bubbles and a quick talk by the park rangers about Fort Denison, before sitting down inside at a large table with everyone else in the group. The afternoon consists of trying a variety (we had 10) different australian (and some international) cheeses, from blue, to brie, camembert, cheddar and more. Claudia explains a little about each cheese, it's history and the process of making each cheese. It's very interesting how each cheese is made, and how much the process does actually differ between cheeses. A few glasses of different wine and beer are also supplied, along with some chocolate. You're invited to experiment, while also given a few recommendations on what to try with each cheese. It's quite amazing how the textures and tastes of different cheeses change, after a sip of red, white, dessert wine or even beer. And you definitely can't go wrong with chocolate! It goes great with cheese, and you get to find out just what works best. There's ferries semi-reguarly between Fort Denison and Circular Quay, so there's enough time for a (very quick!) tour of the 'island' too before you head back after you're finished with cheese. Overall I absolutely loved the experience and would definitely recommend it to anyone; cheese lovers, or those that haven't had much experience and would love to try something new and rather different. I've come away with a much greater appreciation of cheese, with hopefully a better knowledge of what goes best with what, and what cheeses I absolutely love and adore.

Fabulous wine and cheese tasting on Ft. Denison in Sydney Harbour…read more Check out the photos of the table setting and the eleven cheeses on the plate. This is exactly what it's like. We went over to Fr. Denison from Circular Quay on a ferry, then stood outside and had sparkling wine and hors d'oeuvres as a ranger explained the history of the island. Then down into a small historic room in the fort where Claudia put on her show. What a show it was. She really knows her stuff. Delightful presentation, well paced, well projected. Nice wines to match the cheeses, and the focus was the cheeses. She put in a few European cheeses for comparison, like the real Camembert to compare with the Victorian Camembert. The cheese and wine part took a bit over an hour and was delicious - over and over again as we worked our way through the different style cheeses. It was an absolutely delightful experience. If you're not into cheeses and their differences, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. But if you have any interest in understanding the differences in cheeses and their tastes, this is a great excursion.

One of Sydney's newest art spaces. Sew Make Create has been around for almost a couple of months…read morenow. The owner, top Sydney designer Melissa Tan-Lu and Sew Make Create's resident dog Pepper are just adorable. The whole shop is quite funky :) I was fortunate to have been invited (through another blog) to experience their beginners crochet course with Bronwen. I arrived on a Wednesday night at 7pm a little tired yet eager as anything to learn, and learn heaps. My manual dexterity skills deflated me for a while, yet I was amazed with the crochet stitch and getting into a granny square so soon with confidence. The class sizes are rather small which is great. Lindt chocolate balls were provided with water as stunning refreshments, as well as biscuits and tea. This course is also available on selected weekends. Sew Make Create also run a variety of other craft courses. After the beginners crochet course, if you wish to take things further, then the crochet clinic is for you. Instead of yarn, turn that yarn into 'plarn' with a plastic bag crochet course. Sew Make Create is a dynamic arts space that also rents out sewing machines, and hence provides ample working space to design some pretty clothes. Sew Make Create also sell sewing machines and craft supplies. Sew Make Create (from the request of many parents) have put together a fantastic course schedule for the kids school holidays coming up, as at the time of writing this. Beginners crochet is also covered, and kids can also learn cupcake decorating and also learn how to make these adorable felt brooches. Located in Chippendale right near the Broadway Shopping Centre. If you're curious (in more detail) as to how my beginners crochet experience went recently, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crochet-for-beginners-sew-make-create/ For more information on the various courses put on especially for kids these school holidays, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crafty-school-holiday-activities-sew-make-create/ With many initiatives to ensuring that Sydney is an arts and crafts focused city, when is now a better time to learn a new craft? Go on, unleash the craft master within!

From the owner: Sew Make Create aims to encourage learning and creativity through providing the right environment,…read moreassistance and facilities