As the weather gets cooler we naturally start to gravitate towards the warmth of the kitchen and the comfort of a home cooked meal. If you want to elevate your cooking game this Autumn season – CAE has a range of cooking classes to suit every taste and skill level.
Have you thought about expanding your culinary repertoire with expert teachers? Now is the perfect time to check out our food courses.
Cooking Short Courses in Box Hill
Kitchen Boot Camp: Hands on Cooking Skills for Beginners
Get up to speed with essential kitchen skills in this hands-on cooking class for beginners. Whether you want to build your confidence in the kitchen or expand your cooking repertoire, this class will help you master basic techniques for creating terrific pastas, casseroles, stir fries and curries at home.
Introduction to Basic Bread Making
There’s Nothing Quite Like Home Baked Bread, Fresh Out of the Oven! Home-made bread making provides the home cook with wholesome fresh baked goods at minimal cost.
This session will focus on wholemeal and white loaves, pizza dough, brioche dough and more where participants learn to knead, rest and bake dough for delicious results. The class includes hands-on experience, recipes and notes to take home, and of course, tastings of your oven-fresh baked creations!
Pasta Fresca: Fresh, Handmade & Authentically Italian!
Learn the secrets of making authentic fresh pasta with Italian Chef Simone Mancin.
Simone will soon have you rolling, cutting and shaping your hand made dough to create classic pasta dishes including pumpkin and ricotta rotolo, duck ravioli, spaghetti alla carbonara, trofie with basil and rocket pesto and potato gnocchi with pork and fennel ragu.
Pizza Napoletana Style
Pizza Master Francesco Crifo reveals the secrets to making authentic Napoletana style pizza at home. Learn the variety of flours used to create the perfect base and the different ovens that will produce unique results.
Join Francesco in this hands-on masterclass for an experience you won’t forget!
Sourdough Starter Pizza & Bread
Discover the fascinating science behind active sourdough starter with Pizza Chef, Francesco Crifo. Learn how to start, grow and keep a living sourdough starter. Francesco will show you the tricks of the trade to make delicious sourdough bread and pizza using your own starter.
Spanish Tapas & Paella
Learn how to make Spain’s celebrated dish, paella! From where to source the best Spanish ingredients to preparing and cooking three delicious varieties – Paella de Marisco (seafood), Paella de Jerezana (chicken, chorizo, calamari and peas) and vegetarian paella, Chef Simone Mancin will guide you. In this hands-on class you’ll also prepare a variety of tapas dishes including sizzling garlic prawns, jamon croquettes, patatas bravas and more!
Cooking Classes – Demonstrations
Gluten Free Pizza Masterclass
Learn the correct flours needed to create the perfect gluten-free base, as well as the different ovens that will produce unique results. Join Francesco in this demonstration masterclass at Box Hill Institute for an experience you won’t forget!
Teacher Profiles
Professional Chef and Cookery Trainer Simone Mancin is a European-trained chef who loves teaching people how to cook. He has worked in leading restaurants in Italy, London, France and Switzerland as well as here in Melbourne.
Simone travelled to Melbourne in 2010, working in restaurants including Grossi Florentino, 400 Gradi and Locale at De Bortoli Winery. He then embarked on a road trip around Australia before returning to his home town in Italy.
Since his permanent move to Melbourne, Simone has been teaching a range of exciting hands-on cooking classes at CAE including the ever popular Kitchen Boot Camp, Pasta Fresca, Spanish Tapas, Kitchen Knife Skills and many more.
Highly acclaimed Italian chef Francesco Crifo offers the true Italian dining experience to all his students. Often called Ciccio-The Pizza Chef, Francesco was born in Catania, Sicily, and grew up in a family restaurant. With over 15 years of experience as an owner, pizza-chef, general manager, and consultant, Francesco has worked in every role restaurants offer. Each step served as a stepping stone to becoming a business owner at multiple locations. He is the founder of My Pizza Academy, where he trains and upskills novice to professional pizza chefs. He lives in Melbourne with his wife, two daughters and twin boys.
CAE cooking classes are located at our commercial kitchen at Box Hill Institute located on Elgar Road, Box Hill.