Adventure Collective
Master Classic Sauces and Elevate Your Culinary Skills at Berkeley Kitchen - Berkeley

Master Classic Sauces and Elevate Your Culinary Skills at Berkeley Kitchen

Berkeleyeasy

Difficulty

easy

Duration

3 hours

Fitness Level

Suitable for all fitness levels since the activity is seated and kitchen-based

Overview

Unlock the secrets of classic French mother sauces with Chef Olive at Berkeley Kitchen. This three-hour workshop teaches you how to transform simple ingredients into vibrant, flavorful sauces and condiments that elevate any dish.

Berkeley, California

Basics Alumni - Week 6 - Art of Sauces & Condiments with KOF Chefs

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About This Adventure

Join a three-hour culinary adventure at Berkeley Kitchen, where you'll master classic French mother sauces and their international variations. Under the guidance of Chef Olive, a seasoned culinary expert, you'll create delicious stocks and sauces, transforming your cooking skills and palate. Say goodbye to bland sauces and elevate your dishes!

Duration

3 hours

Location

Berkeley Kitchen - 1509 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, CA 94709.

Summary

Get ready for French mother sauces and all their international friends! We’ll be using simple & delicious stocks to make age-old culinary master sauces. With the base sauces we learn, you will be able to create the complex sauces we all know and love, then we’ll add some new ones to your favorites list! From velvety demi-glace to creamy cheese sauces, spicy BBQ and sweet chili sauces, coulis, pestos, chutneys, salsas, etc. Our palates will be coated with saucy goodness. Say goodbye to lumpy, soupy, and tasteless sauces forever.

  • Basic Bone Stock
  • Béchamel
  • Wine Sauce
  • Mayonnaise

Class Format:

This class is a part of our 12-Week Basics Series. Each class will begin with a lecture from the chef about the day’s theme and recipes. After this introduction, the group will break up into smaller teams, and start working on the recipes in the class menu. A snack will be served at the beginning of class, and you will be eating the dishes you make at the end of class. You are welcome to eat as much as you’d like in class, though unfortunately, our zoning permit does not allow us to have students take food home.

Health and Safety:

• Masks are optional • COVID protocols are subject to change to reflect local and state mandates.

What to wear/bring to class:

• Close toed shoes are mandatory. High heels, open toed shoes, sandals, flip flops are NOT allowed in the kitchen. • Shoulder-length hair or longer needs to be worn back and away from your face; we have plenty of hair ties in the kitchen for you to use and keep. • Feel free to bring a favorite apron or a knife you want to practice with but know that we will supply aprons and all the tools you need for use during class.

Allergies:

Please take a look at the class menu. If you think you might be allergic to anything on the menu, please indicate it on your class registration and if you have a concern, get in touch and we can double check the ingredient list classes@kitchenonfire.com.

Wine and Beer:

We whole-heartedly invite class participants (who are 21 and older) to bring any wine or beer they would like to enjoy during class for personal consumption. Kitchen on Fire employees cannot open or serve beverages you bring into the kitchen. We cannot sell or distribute alcohol and we uphold ABC regulations. No minor can drink and we cannot have intoxicated students attending a class.  

Chef's Bio

One of the East Bay’s popular culinary personalities, Chef Olive Said, is the founder of Kitchen on Fire cooking school, located in the heart of Berkeley’s culinary district in North Berkeley. Chef Olive has been part of the Berkeley culinary neighborhood for over 20 years, first as one of the original owners in Cesar Tapas Bar and then moving on to open the cooking school in 2005. The cooking school was a place to share his passions of good food, nutrition and community through teaching students of all ages and backgrounds in a warm and inviting environment.

Born and raised in France, Chef Olive is the descendant of at least five generations of restaurateurs dating back to the early 1750s in France. He began his career at the age of 15 in his mother’s Paris restaurant. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s and worked at Ken Frank’s La Toque, one of the first restaurants in the country to feature California nouvelle cuisine. In 1987, he returned to Paris and opened his own restaurant, the very popular Texas Coyote. Soon after his return to the states, he rooted himself in the Berkeley culinary world.

Happy Cooking!

Adventure Tips

Bring an apron

Wearing an apron helps protect your clothing from splashes and spills during sauce preparation.

Arrive on time

The class is intensive and hands-on; punctuality ensures you don't miss any crucial techniques.

Ask questions actively

Chef Olive encourages interaction to clarify techniques and maximize your learning experience.

Take notes

Recording key tips and recipes will help retain the lessons and recreate dishes at home.

Local Insights

Wildlife

  • Urban hawks often spotted near Berkeley Marina
  • Local songbirds frequent trees around Berkeley Kitchen

History

Berkeley is a city known for its pioneering food culture and sustainability movement, influencing culinary education significantly.

Conservation

Berkeley Kitchen emphasizes sustainable cooking practices, sourcing local and organic ingredients whenever possible to reduce environmental impact.

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Adventure Hotspots in Berkeley

Frequently Asked Questions

Recommended Gear

Apron

Essential

Protects your clothes during cooking and sauce preparation.

Notebook and pen

Essential

Useful for jotting down recipes and tips from the chef.

Comfortable shoes

Essential

Sturdy, supportive shoes keep you comfortable during standing and prep time.

Water bottle

Stay hydrated throughout the three-hour workshop.