cooking classes and more at ateliers et saveurs

Experience is the best teacher - it also makes a great gift. At least that was my thinking when I treated my husband Ken to a cooking class at Ateliers et Saveurs in Old Montreal on his birthday last week.

I chose the hour-long midday class, called Gourmet Pressé, based on the year-old company’s website description. Poached shrimp with summer squash, pear, and citrus mayo on basmati rice sounded light yet substantial, and the timing - noon til 1pm for class and lunch - fit our schedule.

The classes are designed to be hands-on for the average cook - combining professional demonstration with succinct directions, bits of theory, and lots of class participation.

We arrived at noon on the dot (after visiting three Bixi stations to return our bikes) and were ushered into a spotless, high-ceilinged kitchen with an induction cook top in the heart of Old Montreal. Philip, our Montreal-trained chef, passed out aprons, and introduced the dish.

Philip had already made the rice, cleaned the shrimp, and prepared an aromatic broth with ginger and coriander. (The compressed Gourmet Pressé time frame necessitates more pre-prep than a longer class.)

The first task for our group of four - class size varies and is limited to 20 - was the citrus mayo. Philip separated the eggs, juiced and zested an orange, and handed a whisk and bottle of canola oil to the birthday boy. After a few minutes, I tasted for seasonings, and proclaimed it a masterpiece.

Next we sliced red onion, chives, summer squash and pears at individual work stations. A classmate stepped up to sauté the veggies, impressing me with her savoir faire as she put the wooden spoon to the side and shook the pan to keep the ingredients moving.

The class had a nice flow, as Philip outlined the tasks, demonstrated, and put us to work. His directions were concise as he shifted easily back and forth between French and English.

The organization was flawless, the spirit playful. Decorating our white plate rims with dots and swoops of reduced balsamic vinegar was a nice “cooking school” touch, without pressure - it truly seemed like something we could do at home.

Minutes later, we arranged warmed rice and golden veggies in deep, wide bowls, topped this with the pink shrimp Philip had poached in the broth (40 seconds, max, he cautioned), spooned on the fragrant mayo, and adjourned to the adjacent dining room to eat.

The dish was light and full of flavor, with the pear and summer squash combining nicely, the shrimp tender and juicy, and the mayo a luscious treat. The five of us sat at one end of the gorgeous, oblong table, and toasted our culinary success.

A glass of delicious Chilean sauvignon blanc wine was offered - though not in the French sense of “offert.” Wine, dessert and coffee are all available at an additional cost.

We couldn’t resist a sommelier-chosen wine, Bretton crêpes cooked at the other end of the table by Philip, or espresso to give us energy for our afternoon bike ride.

Ken loved the experience, and we talk of re-creating the meal at home. Or maybe we’ll just return with friends for a dinner class.

Ateliers et Saveurs also offers wine tastings, cocktail mixing classes, multi-course dinner classes, and corporate team building.

Have you done any of these? How was it? Can you recommend any other Montreal cooking classes? Let us know!

If you go: Ateliers & Saveurs, 444, St-François-Xavier