Cooking with Class; or, Sur La Table Goes Downton (Abbey)

Anne Marie Panoringan
2 hours ago
4 min read

At South Coast Plaza’s Sur La Table, themed cooking classes turn dinner into an experience – and a thoughtful gift for the season.

A squeeze of lemon enhances green beans almondine. Photo by Anne Marie Panoringan, Culture OC

With the holiday season swiftly approaching, gifters once again struggle with locating an ideal present to someone special. In 2019, four locations throughout South Coast Plaza conducted in-person cooking classes. As of this writing, that number has been reduced to one: Sur La Table in the home store wing off Bear Street. If tangible gift ideas are few and far between, I’m suggesting an experience as something not only memorable, but an offering that can be shared. For aspiring home cooks and curious diners this is an opportunity to practice cooking in a group setting – similar to the way a restaurant operates.

Sur La Table’s class schedule focuses on subjects ranging from seasonal farmer’s market gems to trending themes. The one I recently attended was dedicated to historical drama “Downton Abbey” to celebrate the recent release of the big screen film that wrapped up the PBS series of the same name. Themed attire was encouraged, but my friend and I kept things low-key with fancy pearl necklaces for the evening’s elegant menu, which was heavily influenced by decadent French ingredients (umami truffles, delicate meringues and premium champagne) During introductions, our classmates appeared to be either couples having a date night or family members who love “Downton Abbey.”

Chef Charlie Ray, right, stirs the creme anglaise with her favorite kitchen tool while Chef Alex responds to questions. Photo by Anne Marie Panoringan, Culture OC

Our two-hour course included all the equipment, utensils, ingredients and comprehensive instructions to accomplish a multi-course menu of indulgent tastes. As the two chef instructors looked over the recipes, it became apparent that there wasn’t enough time to complete every course without additional help. They decided to divide and conquer with the class of 12, already split into three teams, handling two recipes overseen by Chef Alex: seared scallops with champagne beurre blanc and truffled pommes dauphinoise. Chef Charlie Ray would work in the background along with additional SLT staff to finish the remaining two dishes: green beans almondine (my personal favorite) and floating meringue with vanilla bean creme anglaise; staff was also responsible for washing dishes and resetting the classroom.

“Teaching people how to cook at Sur La Table is very fulfilling because it gives me the space and opportunity to show my talents and knowledge that I’ve gained with over 20 years of experience in the (hospitality) industry,” said Chef Charlie. As she worked on delicate meringues and al dente green beans, the teams took turns slicing potatoes, stirring cream-based sauce and turning over sizable scallops until seared to chef’s approval.

A finished dish: Floating meringue with vanilla bean creme anglaise (with a bonus drizzle of caramel) was the dessert course. Photo by Anne Marie Panoringan, Culture OC

Midway through class, the teams took a brief break from cooking to browse the retail side of SLT. Others waited around for the immaculate (I’m not exaggerating) restroom around the corner from the kitchen. We also shared a much-needed snack of soft cheese and crackers to tide us over until the end of our course. Reusable containers were available for individuals wanting to box their feast to devour at home, while others dove in to taste the finished dishes right away. My friend and I agreed that the truffled potatoes needed a longer bake time to fully cook through all the starchy layers. Since our class cooked in teams, we all took responsibility for the success and failures of our meal (unevenly grilled scallops, for example).

Attending a cooking class may seem daunting, but participants all possess varying degrees of experience. I fumbled my very first Sur La Table team-building class by over-prepping the chicken, but the chef adjusted the recipe so it could still be enjoyed by the class and not thrown away. I recommend selecting a class that sounds delicious to you so the process is more enjoyable. Complete recipes and an equipment list are emailed a few days after taking the class so everyone can access information if they misplace their hard copies. Bonus: A modest discount is provided at Sur La Table for a limited time.

Lessons learned after taking three different sessions at Sur La Table would include sporting very comfortable, non-slip, closed toe shoes since class is entirely spent standing. Once the ovens and stoves get cranking, it can get quite warm in the enclosed space, so wear a layer that can be removed. A row of hooks for coats and bags are hanging along a wall to allow your workspace to be clear and ready for prep or cooking. Lastly, parking on the same side of the plaza as Sur La Table (and on street level) makes heading back to one’s vehicle much easier.