Patisserie

La Pâtisserie | Baking Croissants with Sur La Table

Baking Croissants with Sur La Table

If you’ve ever wanted to earn how to make homemade French croissants, the good news is that you don’t have to quit your job and apprentice in a Parisian pâtisserie—unless you want to, bien sûr!

Baking Croissants with Sur La Table

Your next foray into the world of French cooking could be closer than you think—as in, your very own local Sur La Table store. Many locations offer a full schedule of fun French cooking and pastry classes, taught by world class chefs and bakers right on-site. Whether you’re a complete kitchen newbie or a novice chef looking to hone your knife skills and technique, there’s class for every type and skill level. Learn to create everything from a full Provençal picnic menu with roast chicken and haricots verts (green beans) to mini macarons.

Fair warning, getting lost in the front of the store—read: a black hole of gourmet cookware and luxury kitchen decor on display like the set of a Nancy Meyers movie, decadent bake mixes, and gadgets you never knew you always wanted—may lead to delusions of Martha Stewart level grandeur.

I spent an afternoon making traditional breakfast croissants—and trust me, you don’t want to know how much butter is involved—at the (now closed) Westwood Sur La Table kitchen in Los Angeles. And since I found myself with two dozen pastries—some stuffed with jambon and fromage, some sweet pain au chocolat—I invited a few friends over for a full-blown afternoon tea—and to sample the results, Great British Bakeoff style.

Take a look at the highlights below, and let me know if you think Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry would approve.

Find your nearest Sur La Table here for a schedule of classes.

Baking Croissants with Sur La Table
Baking Croissants with Sur La Table
Baking Croissants with Sur La Table
Baking Croissants with Sur La Table
Baking Croissants with Sur La Table
Sur La Table french cooking and pastry class
Sur La Table french cooking and pastry class
Bada Bing Cherry Jam
Stonewall Kitchen, LLC
Bake Me A Wish!
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Le Re-brand | Ladurée Goes Green

The pièce de résistance of Ladurée is its traditional St. Honoré dessert (front) and signature pastel china.

The pièce de résistance of Ladurée is its traditional St. Honoré dessert (front) and signature pastel china.

Did you know that our beloved Ladurée has rebranded as a fully Vegan restaurant, with an entirely reimagined, plant-based menu? In participation with Vegan chef Matthew Kenney, both full-menu Los Angeles locations, including Beverly Hills and The Grove, have made the shift. (Note: A third kiosk location at The Americana at Brand in Glendale offers to-go beverages and pastries only)

While I absolutely respect and understand the need for dietary restrictions and fully support the informed personal decisions that come with choosing a Vegan lifestyle, as a fierce defender of the preservation of French culture, including its historical integrity and the deep-seated roots of French cuisine, I’m sorry to say that I’m not excited about eating a Croque Monsieur made with tofu instead of the traditional jambon and gruyère cheese.

Offering Vegan-friendly options or substitutions (some of which are already available in French locations, and will be rolled out to the nearly 80 worldwide destinations) is a wonderful way to accommodate alternative dietary choices, but a fully meat-less menu overhaul here in the States feels extreme.

The 158 year old pâtisserie, known especially for its gold-standard macarons and dreamy desserts served upon the brand’s signature pastel green, pink, and blue rimmed dishware, is a world renowned French institution and an unofficial cultural landmark.

What do you think of these changes?

Ladurée Beverly Hills
311 N. Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills

Ladurée The Grove
189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles

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