Last Updated August 23rd, 2023 at 06:49 pm by Lisa

Surfas’ 6-Week Professional Cooking Course (Level 2) with a final Team Cooking Competition is designed to elevate your skills in a real commercial kitchen environment. Whether you’re an enthusiastic home cook or already skilled in the kitchen, this hands-on series teaches professional techniques, new ingredients, and practical recipes under the guidance of an experienced Chef. Expect to practice with commercial equipment, master classic preparations, and build confidence creating restaurant-quality dishes.

My favorite session was Pasta, Ravioli, and Cheese. We learned to make fresh lasagna sheets, authentic Bolognese, and house-made ricotta — the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted. Chef Dominique’s clear instruction and attention to technique made complex elements feel approachable. I still use those recipes at home.

The community atmosphere at Surfas is warm and collaborative. When a group of people share the same passion, the kitchen feels like a friendly, supportive family. The classes are lively, encouraging, and very much hands-on.

Surfas offers a wide variety of classes at different levels. I started with the professional series because there is no strict prerequisite, and the classes are open to anyone 18 and over. All sessions take place in Surfas’ modern Test Kitchen, where students work in an environment equipped for professional demonstrations and teaching.

Surfas Culinary District

The Surfas Costa Mesa Test Kitchen is fitted with commercial-grade equipment and a professional layout suited for demonstrations, classes, book signings, and team-building events. The space seats up to 110 and includes multiple work tables and culinary stations, a wireless microphone, a monitor, and an adjustable camera for demonstrations. It’s an ideal venue for group events, filming, or interactive culinary workshops.

About Chef Dominique Fournier

Chef Dominique Fournier brings more than three decades of professional experience to his teaching. French-born and classically trained, he has served as Executive Chef in respected restaurants across the United States and in France. Chef Fournier blends traditional French technique with contemporary presentation and flavors. His approach is structured, creative, and geared toward helping students understand both fundamentals and refined culinary methods.

Surfas Pro 2: 6-Week Hands-On Cooking Series and Competition Test Kitchen

This second professional series with Chef Dominique covers essential and advanced techniques that every serious cook should know. Over six weeks, students refine knife skills, prepare stocks and classic sauces, learn pastry basics like puff pastry, and practice filleting and cooking whole fish. The course culminates in a team cooking competition where students apply what they’ve learned to build a cohesive menu, receive feedback from the instructor, and be judged by an industry professional. Pro 1 is not required to enroll.

Now, let me make you hungry

Professional 2 Cooking Class Schedule:

Week 1 – Stocks and Doughs
Beef stock, flat bread dough, puff pastry dough, and a flat bread topped with prosciutto, cheeses, and lobster.

Week 2 – Sweet and Savory Pastries
Puff pastry techniques, vol-au-vent with chicken and mushrooms, mussel soup baked with puff pastry, rustic apple tart, and roasted pear tart.

Week 3 – Pasta, Ravioli, and Cheese
Fresh pasta dough, homemade ricotta, spinach ravioli, fettuccine with Alfredo, lasagna with béchamel, and beurre noisette.

Week 4 – Fish Fabrication and Sauces
Fish fumet, sea bass with tomato coulis, salmon with leek compote, beurre rouge, and sauce Normande.

Week 5 – Beef, Chicken, and Sauces
Chicken à l’Orange, peppered steak with pineapple sauce, beef stroganoff, and sauce Bordelaise.

Week 6 – Friendly Cooking Competition
Teams use the techniques learned to compose and execute a full menu. The chef instructor provides guidance and feedback, and a guest judge evaluates the dishes. Teams present their plates and receive constructive critique before a winning team is announced.

Our Cooking Competition Team:

The judges evaluated our dishes with score sheets and offered helpful feedback that highlighted both strengths and areas for refinement.

About Your Judge:
Chef Mina Sacramento brings a diverse background to her culinary work, from formal training to roles at high-end establishments. Her experience includes working with resorts and notable restaurants; she currently leads the culinary program at Shuck Oyster Bar and served as our guest judge for the competition.

Our Winning Menu

Two Main Dishes

Pineapple-orange reduction with sautéed chicken in a puff-pastry tower served with asparagus (our team prepared the sauce and the puff pastry).

Linguine with a crispy smoked pepper-bacon cream sauce — we made the pasta by hand.

Appetizer

Mediterranean shrimp and pesto flatbread — our team prepared the flatbread and all components from scratch.

Competition Notes: We were surprised and honored to win. The class included talented home cooks and graduates of culinary programs. Strong menu planning, clear communication, and a tidy station helped our team succeed.

And the Winning Team Is…

Surfas Cooking Classes are hands-on…literally!

Make New Cooking Friends!

Classes are social and fun — you’ll meet fellow food lovers who share tips, encouragement, and enthusiasm. Many classmates stay in touch after the course to continue sharing recipes and culinary inspiration.

At Surfas Culinary District, the focus is on mastering techniques and using quality ingredients rather than just following recipes. If you want to build practical skills in a professional setting, this course is an excellent choice. For questions, call 714-453-COOK (2665).

All the best,

Lisa

XO

Think I look happy? I do — the classes are a lot of fun!