Fundamentals of Decorating Wedding and Special Event Cakes - FULL
February 23 - 25, 2010 (4pm - 9pm)
$525
Food Enthusiast
Laura Ragano, The French Pastry School Faculty, Pastry Chef
Kristen Ryan, The French Pastry School Faculty, Pastry Chef
Are you ready to begin your cake decorating education? This three-day hands-on class is a beginner’s guide to creating wedding and special event cakes using gum paste, rolled fondant and royal icing techniques with The French Pastry School’s Chef Instructors, Laura Ragano (bio) and Kristen Ryan (bio). They will guide you through creating an artfully arranged posy of gumpaste flowers to decorate a small cake covered in rolled fondant. Some flowers you will create include roses and carnations, as well as a berry garnish.
You will also learn a variety of basic royal icing piping skills such as string work and borders. Your beautifully decorated display cake will be yours to take home to impress your friends and family. If you are looking for the essentials in cake decorating, join Chefs Ragano and Ryan for this great opportunity.
Start your pastry education as many of our graduates from the full-time L’Art de la Pâtisserie program have – by taking Fundamentals of Decorating Wedding and Special Event Cakes!
This course is accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) for 15 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs).
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Chef Laura Ragano (bio) joined the Chef Instructor team in 2005. After earning her Bachelor’s degree, completing culinary school, and working in the pastry industry, Ragano graduated with honors from the L’Art de la Pâtisserie program of The French Pastry School. Known for having a calm demeanor, Ragano inspires her students with her attention to detail and her team-focused attitude. Leading the school’s wedding cake and gum paste portion of the 24-week program, Laura continues to demonstrate her passion for the pastry arts. Ragano also coordinates the Intern program at the school and oversees much of the kitchen management. She is an active member of the American Culinary Federation. She is also a member of the International Cake Exploration Societé which promotes the art of cake decorating nationally and internationally. Ragano has been mentored by Nicholas Lodge, an internationally renowned master in the cake field.
Kristen Ryan (bio) began working as the Kitchen Assistant Coordinator in April, 2009 at The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago. Previously, Kristen worked at NoMi, a three-and-a-half star restaurant in Chicago in the pastry department. She is a graduate of The French Pastry School's L'Art de la Pâtisserie program with honors, in 2006. Following graduation, she stayed at The French Pastry School for one year to work as the school's Lead Assistant. In 2008, Kristen traveled to France to work with three of the world’s top pastry chefs. Pierre Hermé, called "The King of Modern Pâtisserie" taught her the art of macaron making; Pierre Zimmermann, World Champion in Baking in 1996 and 2009, shared with her his passion for artisan bread making; and Thierry Mulhaupt, named best pastry chef in France in 1996, trained her on the skill of making high quality pastries. Kristen assists in managing the school's interns, and a wide variety of kitchen responsibilities and pastry production.
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Food Enthusiast - denotes course is suited for the food enthusiast. |
All tools, equipment and ingredients will be provided for each student. The French Pastry School has a strict dress code. Students are required to wear long black or khaki colored pants, kitchen-safe shoes (closed toe, skid proof, made from a hard protective leather material), and a chef’s jacket. Students may purchase a chef’s jacket from the school at www.frenchpastryschool.com/chef_jacket.html. Chef jackets will be shipped within 2 business days of receiving payment. Special orders will take up to 6 weeks. Everyone will receive an apron and a hat to keep.
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