A wise woman once said: “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” I find it inspiring that these words were attributed to someone who learned to cook at the age of 37 and yet managed to change the face of cooking, Julia Child.
My passion of course, is food and I’ve found the best way to feed this passion is to learn as much as I can on it. Among the most valuable of my experiences have been my time at the Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School. I wanted to tell you about my time there so I thought I would copy down a few words I had written in a previous post about a two day Pastry course I attended last year:
This school was a natural choice because (1) I wasn’t aware of any such intensive course for non-professionals (i.e. people like me who didn’t want to give up their day jobs) in Sydney and (2) I had such great success with my macaron class a few months back that I vowed to one day come back and when a spot opened for a two day course in Petit Gateaux Level 1, I knew I had to sweet talk my husband into allowing me to go. Kirsten Tibballs owns and manages the Savour school and upon entering the premises I know I am in good hands. Browsing through the store infront of the the kitchen I spot a couple of international pastry magazines and books featuring some of Kirsten’s creations. Upon meeting her, I am in awe. Not only is she super nice and approachable, she is also a walking encyclopaedia of chocolate and patisserie! Plus, the best part, is that she is totally willing to share everything she knows. Everyone in the class feels immediately at ease.
As a testament to how popular the Savour classes are, many of those in the class have been to other classes before and are already familiar with some of the techniques she briefly discusses in the introduction. Apart from your baking enthusiasts, a number of those in the class are graduates from Le Cordon Bleu, others are pastry chefs at top restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne.
My previous experiences with the Savour School have always left a great impression on me. Kirsten Tibballs and Paul Kennedy are fantastic teachers and I’m always coming home from these trips raring to get back into the kitchen and put what I’ve learned into practice. I was fortunate enough to interview Kirsten Tibballs who not only runs Savour, she is also the Australian Ambassador for Callebaut and Cacao Barry Chocolate (how cool is that?!). Kirsten has also kindly allowed me to provide you the recipe for one of her creations, a Chocolate Cone Petit Gateau and has kindly donated my first giveaway.
Click here for recipe: Chocolate Cone Petit Gateau
How did you get into baking?
I had a passion for cooking and baking from a young age. I didn’t attend high school so I actually made cakes from home to sell, at the age of 15 I started a pastry apprenticeship.
Why a cooking school?
I always felt I was very fortunate having the opportunity to work with the people I have. I have such a passion I wanted to pass on all my knowledge.
What’s the most popular class at Savour?
At the moment I would have to say chocolate based classes closely followed by French Macarons.
What’s your favourite class to teach and why?
I love teaching all the classes I like the variety of not teaching every day.
What is a typical day for Kirsten?
I start work early spending 1-2 hours in the office before preparing the classroom. I usually teach for 7 hours followed by additional office work. I am usually trying to get one of my articles out on time for the 3 magazines I submit to.
If you had to bake a cake for someone, who would it be and what would the cake look like?
I would love to create a cake for Pierre Herme, I would make a French inspired entremet with lots of vanilla, caramel, apple and pastry with a completely matt finish and really shiny sugar garnishes.
What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever baked?
The most difficult thing I have ever baked would have been during one of the international competitions I have competed in. A foreign kitchen and time restraints usually makes baking a lot harder than normal.
What advice would you give to some who says they can’t bake?
I think you need to tantalize their appetite first to encourage them to enter the kitchen. Everyone can bake but not everyone has the passion for it.
What is your greatest achievement so far and what’s next?
I think my greatest achievement to date would be Savour. It has been going for over eight years and I believe it improves every year.
Any plans to expand? Teach in Sydney?
We are starting classes in Sydney early next year! Just a few classes a month to start with.
To encourage everyone to “keep interested”, Kirsten has generously donated my first ever giveaway prize. A $400 voucher to use at any of the Savour Classes! If you are unable to attend the classes then Savour will giveaway instead a 10 kilo (that’s not a typo – its TEN kilos) bag of Callebaut couverture chocolate. Here’s what you have to do:
1. Hop on to the Savour website and tell me which class you would want to attend and why in the comment section below.
2. Follow Savour and Trissalicious on Twitter (http://twitter.com/SavourSchool and http://twitter.com/trissalicious)
3. Send this tweet: Win a $400 class voucher to @SavourSchool OR a 10 kilo bag of chocolates. Details here: http://bit.ly/bA8yxS Please RT.
Please note:
This competition is open to Australian Residents Only.
The $400 prize voucher is valid for 12 months and excludes guest chef courses.
Your entries will be judged on honesty and level of entertainment on the 30th of September 2010.
A big thank you to : Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School
22 Wilson Avenue, Brunswick Vic, 3056 Australia
Tel 9380 9777
Email: info@savourschool.com.au
Would love to know who won!
I’d love to do the Macarons Level one class as I’ve never made a macaron!
Here is my tweet http://twitter.com/chocpotatoes/status/25826893361
Kind regards
Mandy (chocpotatoes)
Hi Trissa
What a fabulous giveaway! I would be happy to attend each and every class on the schedule but seeing as I need to choose one I pick the ‘French Entremets’ course because I used to live in France and have loved their gateaux from the get-go (see, I can rhyme) and would relish the opportunity to make it for my friends and family.
Thanks for sharing the panna cotta too! I’ll try this soon.
Regards
Rachael (aka HappyLeDiz – http://www.happinessisasharedmeal.blogspot.com)
That all looks so impressive Trissa! I am following a patisserie course myself at the moment, although it is more beginner course than yours I would imagine. It at least looks very impressive!! Gorgeous photos!!
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Ooh, thanks for the offer!
I’d be your personal Cake Mistress forever, baking delicious goodies for you whenever you please. A little professional tuition would just help me make even more delicious things for you 😉
But seriously, my dream would be to bake for others full-time. I’m trying to learn as much as I can while also studying full-time and working part-time, so a $400 Savour class would be both financially awesome and a step closer to my goals. I’d love to hone my skills with the Petit Gateaux class.
[…] Thanks to Kirsten Tibballs, her crew and Savour School for an amazing day out! Don’t forget: Trissalicious (whom I met through the Kulinarya Cooking Club) is running a giveaway for either a $400 […]
This dessert looks so cool!! I’ll have to try this some day!!! I’ve always wanted to attend a pastry class when I get a little older, but they seem a little expensive =S Perhaps I’ll wait til I get a job first =D This sounds like something I’d really enjoy!
Congrats on your first giveaway!!
Man! Another reason I wish I lives in Australia. What an incredible giveaway you have going Trissa. You make the classes sound so terrific I wish I could attend.
Wow! What an impressive competition. I’m sure everyone is just as eager as I am to win. I was lost in a world of excitement, awe and envy on Savour’s website. So many classes to choose from. The Melbournians sure are spoilt for choice. Can’t wait for Savour to open in Sydney that’s for sure.
So if I had to choose one class it would be The Petit fours. I simply love bite size desserts where you can try a bit of everything. Then I would be able to have dinner parties and high teas and impress my friends and family with my new skills and they would get to share in this prize too.
ooh ooh – Petit Gateaux!! I truly suck at desserts and this course promises to inject some talent into me – even if it’s talent downloaded from Savour!
Wow! What an awesome prize. I tried entering this competition the other day and got sucked into Savour’s class descriptions in a state of indecisiveness. What a selection! Well I think I would like to go to multiple classes and I cant wait for Savour to start classes in Sydney but if I had to make one choice it would be the Petit Gateux. They look amazing in the photo you have on here.
In the Spirit of Christmas, we must have gifts! So a Christmas gift class is ideal for me. I would be the best santa this year 😉 I can hear all the oohs and aahs and yum,yum,yum..
For me it would have to be the french entrement class on in feb. I am due to have a second stage of jaw reconstruction surgery (both top and bottom jaw to be broken and a chin graft completed) in november. I am dreading this mainly because I will be on puree (baby food) for 1 1/2 months post op. I absolutley love to bake and if i were well I would pursue my dream to become a pastry chef- my passion at times drives those around me crazy, as I talk about food a lot! Having this class scheduled would be something to look forward to before I head back to uni in march- student budgets don’t permit such luxuries. I attended the savour open day last year and fell in love with the facilities and the classes look amazing-such precise and innovative presentation.
Hello,
We bumped into your blog and we really liked it – great recipes YUM YUM.
We would like to add it to the Petitchef.com.
We would be delighted if you could add your blog to Petitchef so that our users can, as us,
enjoy your recipes.
Petitchef is a french based Cooking recipes Portal. Several hundred Blogs are already members
and benefit from their exposure on Petitchef.com.
To add your site to the Petitchef family you can use http://en.petitchef.com/?obj=front&action=site_ajout_form or just go to Petitchef.com and click on “Add your site”
Best regards,
Vincent
petitchef.com
Hi Trissa, What a fantabulous prize, thanks so much for the opportunity.
At first, I was my usual practical self and thought that the macaron class would be best since I’d have to bring the few uneaten macs back to Sydney, and they’d be easier to transport. But then, I’ve already seen the ‘mistress of macarons’ at work (that’s you, wink, wink).
So the Petit Gateaux course it is – the cakes look spectacular, and you can’t go past them for the maximum ‘WOW! Did you make those?!?’ factor. And the Savour School definitely provides that 🙂
Hi Trissa! It was so nice to meet you on Saturday!
This is such a great giveaway! How exciting! x
Waw!! What a great school & what a patiiserie assortment!! Just look at those georgous, pretty & fab looking creations!!
MMMMMMMM,…Good luck with your 1st Give away!
I would love to do the Dessert Level 1. I have always been a big fan of savour and would like to do a number of classes there. Its always good to start with the basics. I am always the person everyone goes to, when there is dessert involved. This is a real chance for me to show off my new found skills from attending a Savour Class. This is a fantastic competition Trissa..
Trissa. I’ve always wanted to take pastry classes, especially ones that emphasize gateaux and entremets . However, don’t think I qualify for this giveaway, and probably wouldn’t be able to make it to Oz to take them if I did. LOL Regardless, it was fun reading about it, and the photos of all those treats are wonderful!
Oh! Macaron, Sweet Macaron,
How I have failed thee,
Time after time,
With almond meal, I dried,
Thy egg whites too, I tried,
But with no feet, and cracks,
I fear the only class for me,
Is the Christmas Macarons!
Please end my misery,
On the eve of my birthday!
and thanks so much for this great giveaway..xoxo
Hi Trissa
It was lovely to meet you today.
I am in awe – I love your blog.
Take care
SSG xxx
Trissa and Kirsten, what an amazing and generous giveaway. I would love to attend the Christmas Gifts class. I love to give homemade gifts to my family and friends at Christmas. I know they would be impressed with the extra special treats I would be able to create after a lesson at Savour.
Hello 🙂
I would love to attend all the classes Savour offers, but if I were to choose one class it will have to be the Macarons class. I would love to attend Macarons level 1 on the 22nd of January 2011. Here is the reason why I would like to attend this class. My fiancé recently bought me a coulourful box of macarons. As soon as I opened the box I was captivated by and delighted because of the cheerful colours that greeted me. On top of that they tasted absolutely delicious! Crisp on the outside, slightly chewy underneath the crust and to my surprise were not too sweet either. I believe that Macarons are beautiful little gifts. They are so pleasant to taste and are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face. I would love to learn how to make the perfect macarons for my friends and family.
I’d love to do ‘Chocolate and Pralines’,
because creativity is in my genes.
Who wants socks, undies or another bore?
When you can have a gift of petit four.
A gift made with love, with oodles of flavour
Christmas presents my family can Savour!
What a delicious treats Trisha, and good luck to all Australian blogger or non blogger who participate in this giveaway.
Too bad I live in California, ’cause the classes sound amazing. Those Petit Gateaux look amazing too.
I would love to attend the Petits Gateaux class ever since you blogged about it last year. Such a wonderful giveaway, Trissa!!
What a great giveaway…too bad I’m not based in Australia. Good luck to all!
What a great giveaway – so sorry it’s not open to people outside of Australia, but thank you for sharing the recipe for such an impressive dessert.
🙂
ButterYum
What a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing. Can you translate the recipe to make with the Thermomix? Which of her creations did you make in those 2 days?
🙂
Valerie
wow!! this must be the giveaway to win. too bad I’m not an Aus resident. I’ve attended 2 classes in Savour in 2007, plated desserts and special occasion cakes. I must say, i LOVED the plated desserts class. I would love to go back there for a class, well when I eventually go back to Australia for holidays 🙂 Plus, u should also check out a store that sells only cookbooks in Fitzroy,Melb. *heaven*
Wow, I feel like Charlie Bucket in Wonka’s Chocolate Factory trying to decide what tempts me the most! I would have to say the Croquembouche course sounds like something I not only want to do but NEED to do, and not only because it is the most awesome sounding dessert ever! Petrified of spinning sugar in my own kitchen the offer to spin sugar around somewhere else is one of many things that attract me to this one day course!
Janice’s professional desserts, what a great way to seduce my friends into coming over more often and spending time with me. What a great competition, so original!!
Gosh, what a great giveaway! I have been wanting to do a Savour class for ages…
I would LOVE to attend the Janice Wong Degustation Dinner, as I’m pregnant and there’s not much chance of me being able to go to her restaurant any time soon 🙂
If I’m to get my hands dirty, then definitely Petit Gateaux so that I can cater my own baby shower in style 🙂
Thanks!
Jetsetting Joyce
Wow, they look gorgeous…too bad I am so far away 😦
Hi Trissa,
I would really love to attend the Petits Gateaux class on the 16th of October as I love to entertain my friends with my baked goods but sometimes I ran out of ideas of what to serve them! winning a gift certificate from Saveur will really make my 35th a memorable one =) plus I’ll get a chance to learn how to make beautiful petits gateaux which I intend to make for my hubby’s 40th bday in February. ohhhh I really hope to win!
God bless…
Owwhhhh, how exciting. I’ve just printed off this PDF for Chocolate Petit Gateau & dashed it over to one of my very talented apprentice chefs, who practically fainted with the mere thought of playing with this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hello! I would want to attend the Petit Gateaux Level 1 on 15 November 2010, mainly because these types of course aren’t offered in Brisbane. Omg! the website looks delicious!
The things I can do with 10 kilos of chocolates! Too bad I don’t live in Australia! 😦
There are so many classes that I would love to attend … all, if I could!! But I think I’ve narrowed it down to 3. The Stephane Treand Sugar Showpiece – it looks amazingly challenging and artistic which is right up my alley. The Petit Gateaux class – this is exactly the type of dessert I love to eat, all the fine details and elements makes it a world of its own. I would really love to learn the techniques which are involved in each element to add to my repertoire. Last but not least, French Entremets.
Ahhhh, any of the French gateaux or entrements classes would be a dream come true! I didn’t take French in high school, so apart from learning how to make the most wonderful looking desserts, being able to pronounce all of them properly would send me into a gleeful tizzy.
@sefeats
http://eats.sefiebee.com
Hi!
I would attend the Accompanied Child Chocolate Class 4-9 Years with my two boys (6 and 4) as they both LOVE their chocolates. They are also keen kitchen hands when I bake and this would be a great fun day with them (I can imagine their eyes popping at the thought of making chocolates!).
Congrats on your first giveaway and what a great one it is! Too bad I don’t live in Australia. One lucky person will have a great time in any of the classes they select, I’m sure!
I wished I lived there 😦
I can understand your love of baking because I feel the same way. Having the opportunity to attend those classes must be truly amazing.
Too bad I can’t take advantage of your giveaway… not living in Australia…
Thanks for the petit gateau recipe though to you and to Kirsten!
Magda
Trissa, this is a great giveaway! Too bad I don’t reside in Australia otherwise, I would really like to attend the petit Gateux class… have always prefered smally dainty cakes to big ones.
TEN KILOS!!!! What a giveaway! This sounds fantastic Trissa!
WOW!! I wish I was in Australia! There are quite a few schools here that offer recreational culinary classes but the price tag has usually kept me away… one day, I try a class 🙂 perhaps I’ll take to them!
I’ve always wanted to make my own gingerbread house for xmas. They look such fun and put me in the spirit every time I see one.
I don’t qualify, but I wanted to express how impressed I am with the classes. I personally would love to take all of them.
Ooh chocolate & prailines would be great!
I’m not eligible as I live in the States, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about such a passionate and talented woman. And those cones look both beautiful and sweetly delicious :).
I’d love to attend the Truffle Making class! Just thinking about the creamy richness of truffles is getting me very excited 🙂
I chose Christmas macaron class. I did tell myself that I need to make my first macaron by year end. I really suck at baking. Mister bakes better and always laugh at my failure. So please me win THIS so I can LAUGH back!
I would LOVE to do the Chocolate and Praline class. Why? Well everyone loves chocolates and presents right? I love making edible gifts for friends and have always wanted to learn how to make chocolate properly. So what better way is it to learn from the professionals to make gifts that would certainly impress.
If I lived in Sydney, I would attend one class of making macaron @SavourSchool. That said, if anyone can bake macarons, s/he is able to master the pastry world. The other is Petit Gateau. I dream to make this popular dessert to amaze my family and all my friends around.
great giveaway! sayang, I’m not allowed to join..
The Peach Kitchen
peach and things
blowing peachkisses
Hi! I would want to attend the Chocolates & Praline 10th October class.
This class is on a Sunday which means that I get to leave my children with my husband for the day and learn something that would interest me.
With a 16month old and a 6 week old son, I need to get out and have adult interaction. My husband is tremendous help and he loves chocolates. I want to be able to make the gorgeous chocolates myself instead of purchasing them to show him how much I appreciate him. This class would also mean I can give it to him for his birthday in late October.
I gasped in amazement at that petit gateau photo! AMAZING! Anyway, ok these are the classes that I SHOULD take because I’m a reckless maniac in the kitchen:
One: macaron class because I am absolutely appalled at the previous macarons that came out of my oven.
Two: Gingerbread house making so I can be all Hansel and Gretel and tear it apart afterwards.
Three: I may not be able to replicate the petit gateau in that photo, but I reeeeally love it – all in its shiny, shimmery glory!
Good luck to all the Australian foodies.
Angie