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A Cupcake Calamity
calamità/calamity
Now, let me begin by saying that Art Institute of Atlanta holds a special place with me since (1) I completed a certification course program about 8 years ago for baking and pastry (a program that has since morphed into a more formal degree program) and they were very flexible since I was diagnosed right in the middle of the program, and (2) the Institute is under the same umbrella as the school with which I received my doctorate. Also, I want to add that whenever I take classes, I enter with the understanding that I know more than the average baker but know I will always learn something new. Having said that, I have been wrestling with myself and whether or not I should write this post. Maybe wrestling isn?t the right word. Tug-o-war is more like it?do I, don?t I, do I, don?t I, do I glide over what I really think? One thing I have learned from writing for the Well Fed Network and Mele Cotte is that people really do read posts for answers to questions they may not receive from the asking a source directly, and/or for opinions of regular, everyday people. So, I have decided compromise slightly?.write about my experience here and not on Well Fed on the Town where the readership is on a much larger scale. It is with trepidation and not wanting to offend anyone that I continue by saying I was disappointed with the class. While the chef was very friendly/very welcoming and my classmates seemed in good spirits, I left unfilled and unmotivated to take any cupcakes with home. My first thought was the description should emphasize that the class is for beginners or non-bakers. But even so, the overall sense I got from the disorganized atmosphere and ingredient layout was that there wasn?t a preset lesson plan, per say, outside the printed materials/recipes.
Maybe my overall view was tainted after recently coming off my ICE class. But, the only fundamental of baking techniques that was touched upon briefly was creaming. A few people asked questions, but it was basically a free for all. We never talked about fillings, other than being told we?d be shown how to fill a cupcake, which never happened. I showed a girl in my group, but I am not sure if the others in class ever got the info.   Once it came to decorating, I was ready. I thought, ?This is where I will get all my new knowledge.? The class was shown books to reference for ideas, two I already have (and ones I don?t think were FN books) and how to roll a fondant flower. I was surprised at the amount of time spent on fondant with it being so expensive and so much more involved that chef made it out to be. It?s not as easy to the non-baker as the chef made it out to be, nor is it like marzipan that is more forgiving to air exposure. (ex - no explanation about why the fondant was in the gloves on the pan seen below)
That was it ?no piping, no how to ice a cupcake that doesn?t look jacked up, no how to make a grown-up looking cake vs. a kid cake. Just a lot of ?do whatever you want? type of direction.   The tables had really cute FN decorating kits on the tables, but they weren?t talked about. None of us knew if they were ours to take or to borrow for the class. The contents were never described or explained. Another lady in the class who was an avid baker and I knew what everything was and how to use the items, but I don?t think majority did. So, I just hung out with the girl from my group, a HS teacher, and taught her how to do some basic decorating things, like how to set up a pastry bag, basic piping, how to slice a strawberry to make a fan, etc. She was able to bring a bunch home that she worked on and somewhat pleased with. There was a journalist participating in class, taking pictures, and writing a bunch of notes. She was a non-baker so I am interested to read her take on the class. The paper she writes for tends to slant stories negatively when it comes to my school (not her...the paper's education reporter), so I wasn?t eager to chat with her in fear my words would be turned around. Overall, the experience was one I could have done without. That doesn?t mean another person won?t like the class. The groups that came with friends/spouses seemed to have fun and everyone (except me ? by choice) left with 2 or so dozen cupcakes. It also doesn?t mean that I won?t try Institute again, although I doubt I will ever be invited to attend a future class after this posting. Next time, however, I will try a cooking class that includes a cuisine I don't know much about.  It is all better with butter...  and chocolate..
[I am sleepy and am hoping there aren't many typos...will reread tomorrow...;)] http://melecotte.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
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