Cookies! They are not just something we eat. This site uses cookies so we can provide you the best user experience and deliver advertising and offers that are relevant to you. To read more about our cookie policy, including how to change your cookie settings, please read our Privacy and Cookie Policy. By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our cookie policy.
VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Andrea

San Diego, CA, United States

USD
$78 per person

French cooking class in La Jolla Shores

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Andrea

Andrea is a warm and fun host who loves to cook - her kitchen is always open and pretty much her favorite place to be! Andrea now lives in La Jolla, 20 minutes northwest of San Diego (previously she lived in Palm Springs). Andrea moved to the USA from France, where she had lived for 25 years. Her family and friends all over the world have definitely influenced her culinary skills but Andrea is especially inspired by her son - a formally trained French chef. Andrea and her son operate and experiment vicariously through one another's cooking experiences. She strives to ensure that her food is presented attractively on the plate and finds it extremely important that taste is enhanced naturally through herbs, spices and essences. This is a unique opportunity to have Andrea introduce you to French cooking - specifically a tasting and cooking of French appetizers. It is her dream is to share her knowledge of French inspired cuisine with travelers!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (2-3 guests) Join your host Andrea at her beautiful home and kitchen in La Jolla (20 minutes northwest of San Diego) to learn to prepare French appetizers from different regions of France. Your hands-on French cooking experience will last about 1.5 hours during which you will learn to prepare two appetizers and a dessert from scratch. Andrea also provides the historical and cultural context of the food you will prepare and eat. Some of the French appetizers you might learn to cook are gougères au fromage (doughy cheese puffs), a seasonal savory soup or appetizer such as a chilled cucumber soup, and for dessert, Moelleux au Chocolat, French molten chocolate cake in a ramekin. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in preparing French appetizers and dessert before you sit down at the table to enjoy what you have prepared with host Andrea. Weather permitting, Andrea will offer an outdoor eating experience! You may also take home a bag of leftover gougères! Andrea is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic cooking class in La Jolla.

If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, Andrea offers a glass of French wine.

Notes: Andrea is happy to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free requests. Please note this is a light meal of French appetizers and a dessert, not a complete French meal.

Languages spoken: English or French

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Gougères au fromage, airy cheese puffs
  • Seasonal soup such as chilled cucumber soup or arugula purée
  • Moelleux au Chocolat, French molten chocolate cake in a ramekin

Traveler reviews

5.0 (14)
Excellent experience with Andrea and Stephane! Charming hosts, interesting conversation and a delicious dinner. We enjoying learning about the way the French select their ingredients, prepare the food, and sequence the eating adventure. I would highly recommend this adventure to anyone. Also, in these COVID times, they made us feel very safe without feeling distanced, if that makes sense! If there was a "six stars" choice I would select it!
- 67Gary January 19, 2022
Andrea was a delightful hostess as well as an accomplished chef. We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our experience.
- debd818 January 12, 2022
Where do I start with such a unique, fun, and amazing experience?! Andrea is an absolutely perfect host. Andrea was so communicative, and made sure everything was just right. We were celebrating our honeymoon, and our cooking class was one of the highlights of our trip. She is such a gracious teacher, taking time to explain things in a fun, completely non-intimidating way. Learning about French cooking and culture was so interesting! Their home is warm and inviting. We dined outside and had the easiest, most enjoyable and genuine conversation. We truly cannot say enough about how wonderful everything was, from start to finish. Highly highly highly recommend to any friend or family member - do it! You will build memories and have the best time along the way <3
- 399annah December 21, 2021
This was such a fun experience, it is a must do. Our group found this class educational and fun. The house was comfortable and the outside dining area was lovely!
- C8868 November 22, 2021
Oh my gosh, what a fabulous experience it was!! We were welcomed into their beautiful home like old friends and treated to an amazing meal that we helped prepare. I’m not sure which was better- the food or the company. We were immersed into the French culture and they had lots of history, information and stories to share. It’s a very enthusiastic two thumbs up for us
- boomer November 15, 2021
Being a part of the preparation and background on the french cooking style the hosts were intimate and accommodating. A great experience overall.
- Margarita September 28, 2021
Relaxed, hands-on visit and dinner with Andrea and Stepahne. Nice side notes and instruction about French customs and ways to enjoy a meal. Highky recommend and would repeat tomorrow.
- RayS849 July 29, 2021
This was a great experience! A night of great food and conversation. I enjoyed helping with the appetizer and have already made the same recipe at home. The main course and side dishes were delicious! The palova for dessert was very tasty served with whipped cream and strawberries. Andrea emails the recipes to you after the dinner. She and her husband, Stephane were wonderful hosts.
- Ckay711 June 22, 2021
Wonderful experience! Hosts were great teachers and fun to be with. Food and wine were delicious... would definitely book again.
- Virginia P April 28, 2021
Andrea and Stephen were excellent hosts! The dinner was extraordinary! Simple yet with finesse. I would recommend them for an evening of excellent conversation and fine dining!
- grizzliegirl March 31, 2021
Andrea and Stéphane are just amazing! Truly delighted and grateful my wife and I were able to meet such amazing people. Really glad we took this leap of faith to try something new as a shared experience, an experience that kicked off our Palm Springs getaway. Strangely and to my surprise, my wife who is normally an introvert, really opened up—I guess that’s how comfortable Andrea and Stéphane made us feel. Please note, Andrea also sends you a menu days prior to the dinner so that your able to communicate any ingredients you may be allergic to. She will also send you her Gougères recipe, after the dinner in Word document form. Speaking of which—the food.. The Gougères to start was fun to make, and really set the tone of the evening. Along with some French wines, the Gougères was accompanied with a salmon purée (forgot the name) which was a last minute change, but a change my wife and I were thrilled with, being such huge fans of seafood. The main dish was Poulet à l'Estragon, Gratin Dauphinois, Ratatouille à la Provençale. Imagine chicken, sliced potatoes, and vegetables, but now imagine their best versions of each on one plate—that’s what Poulet à l'Estragon, Gratin Dauphinois, Ratatouille à la Provençale is. Finally for dessert, to end a perfect evening, we had a Peach Almond Tart. Can’t say enough about the food, but I will reiterate how amazing Andrea & Stéphane were as hosts. Conversations with them over such great food was our favorite part. In fact, this experience is, honestly, our favorite thing to do in Palm Springs (and this includes a couples massage!). If you’re hungry, looking for a safe and fun experience, and possibly looking for a well-mannered dog (Levi) to greet you as you enter and walk you to the door as you leave.. this is THE thing to do. Thank you again Andrea, Stéphane and Levi. - Rosalyn and Jason
- Rosalyn and Jason March 24, 2021
We had a lovely time with Andrea and Stéphane, they were incredibly welcoming hosts. The ambience, food and friendliness made for an exceptional evening. I would absolutely do this again, they even accommodated our special request. Highly recommend this experience!
- 101ber February 26, 2021
Andrea welcomed us into her beautiful home like we were old friends. She gave us a quick hands on demonstration of the French dish “gougéres “, then we sat (socially distanced) at the table with her family and made easy conversation while they treated us with more amazing French dishes, wine and dessert. The experience was beyond pleasant and one I would highly recommend to anyone looking to make new friends, dine on delicious food and learn a little bit about French culture.
- Justin February 21, 2021
Andrea and Stephane welcomed us into their lovely home. We learned how to make gougeres au forage (these really delicious and airy cheese puffs), and how to tinker with the recipe by adding different ingredients if we want to. They both have very interesting backgrounds, and both the conversation and the food were wonderful. Such an enjoyable experience!
- Stevehn February 04, 2021
Read More
9e892831 c462 4354 8309 8eff97cc884f

Andrea

$78 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $78 Not offered
Alcohol
$9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $78 Not offered
Alcohol
$9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-1:00pm 4:30pm-6:30pm

Meet Andrea

Andrea is a warm and fun host who loves to cook - her kitchen is always open and pretty much her favorite place to be! Andrea now lives in La Jolla, 20 minutes northwest of San Diego (previously she lived in Palm Springs). Andrea moved to the USA from France, where she had lived for 25 years. Her family and friends all over the world have definitely influenced her culinary skills but Andrea is especially inspired by her son - a formally trained French chef. Andrea and her son operate and experiment vicariously through one another's cooking experiences. She strives to ensure that her food is presented attractively on the plate and finds it extremely important that taste is enhanced naturally through herbs, spices and essences. This is a unique opportunity to have Andrea introduce you to French cooking - specifically a tasting and cooking of French appetizers. It is her dream is to share her knowledge of French inspired cuisine with travelers!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (2-3 guests) Join your host Andrea at her beautiful home and kitchen in La Jolla (20 minutes northwest of San Diego) to learn to prepare French appetizers from different regions of France. Your hands-on French cooking experience will last about 1.5 hours during which you will learn to prepare two appetizers and a dessert from scratch. Andrea also provides the historical and cultural context of the food you will prepare and eat. Some of the French appetizers you might learn to cook are gougères au fromage (doughy cheese puffs), a seasonal savory soup or appetizer such as a chilled cucumber soup, and for dessert, Moelleux au Chocolat, French molten chocolate cake in a ramekin. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in preparing French appetizers and dessert before you sit down at the table to enjoy what you have prepared with host Andrea. Weather permitting, Andrea will offer an outdoor eating experience! You may also take home a bag of leftover gougères! Andrea is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic cooking class in La Jolla.

If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, Andrea offers a glass of French wine.

Notes: Andrea is happy to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free requests. Please note this is a light meal of French appetizers and a dessert, not a complete French meal.

Languages spoken: English or French

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Gougères au fromage, airy cheese puffs
  • Seasonal soup such as chilled cucumber soup or arugula purée
  • Moelleux au Chocolat, French molten chocolate cake in a ramekin

Traveler reviews

5.0 (14)
Excellent experience with Andrea and Stephane! Charming hosts, interesting conversation and a delicious dinner. We enjoying learning about the way the French select their ingredients, prepare the food, and sequence the eating adventure. I would highly recommend this adventure to anyone. Also, in these COVID times, they made us feel very safe without feeling distanced, if that makes sense! If there was a "six stars" choice I would select it!
- 67Gary January 19, 2022
Andrea was a delightful hostess as well as an accomplished chef. We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our experience.
- debd818 January 12, 2022
Where do I start with such a unique, fun, and amazing experience?! Andrea is an absolutely perfect host. Andrea was so communicative, and made sure everything was just right. We were celebrating our honeymoon, and our cooking class was one of the highlights of our trip. She is such a gracious teacher, taking time to explain things in a fun, completely non-intimidating way. Learning about French cooking and culture was so interesting! Their home is warm and inviting. We dined outside and had the easiest, most enjoyable and genuine conversation. We truly cannot say enough about how wonderful everything was, from start to finish. Highly highly highly recommend to any friend or family member - do it! You will build memories and have the best time along the way <3
- 399annah December 21, 2021
This was such a fun experience, it is a must do. Our group found this class educational and fun. The house was comfortable and the outside dining area was lovely!
- C8868 November 22, 2021
Oh my gosh, what a fabulous experience it was!! We were welcomed into their beautiful home like old friends and treated to an amazing meal that we helped prepare. I’m not sure which was better- the food or the company. We were immersed into the French culture and they had lots of history, information and stories to share. It’s a very enthusiastic two thumbs up for us
- boomer November 15, 2021
Being a part of the preparation and background on the french cooking style the hosts were intimate and accommodating. A great experience overall.
- Margarita September 28, 2021
Relaxed, hands-on visit and dinner with Andrea and Stepahne. Nice side notes and instruction about French customs and ways to enjoy a meal. Highky recommend and would repeat tomorrow.
- RayS849 July 29, 2021
This was a great experience! A night of great food and conversation. I enjoyed helping with the appetizer and have already made the same recipe at home. The main course and side dishes were delicious! The palova for dessert was very tasty served with whipped cream and strawberries. Andrea emails the recipes to you after the dinner. She and her husband, Stephane were wonderful hosts.
- Ckay711 June 22, 2021
Wonderful experience! Hosts were great teachers and fun to be with. Food and wine were delicious... would definitely book again.
- Virginia P April 28, 2021
Andrea and Stephen were excellent hosts! The dinner was extraordinary! Simple yet with finesse. I would recommend them for an evening of excellent conversation and fine dining!
- grizzliegirl March 31, 2021
Andrea and Stéphane are just amazing! Truly delighted and grateful my wife and I were able to meet such amazing people. Really glad we took this leap of faith to try something new as a shared experience, an experience that kicked off our Palm Springs getaway. Strangely and to my surprise, my wife who is normally an introvert, really opened up—I guess that’s how comfortable Andrea and Stéphane made us feel. Please note, Andrea also sends you a menu days prior to the dinner so that your able to communicate any ingredients you may be allergic to. She will also send you her Gougères recipe, after the dinner in Word document form. Speaking of which—the food.. The Gougères to start was fun to make, and really set the tone of the evening. Along with some French wines, the Gougères was accompanied with a salmon purée (forgot the name) which was a last minute change, but a change my wife and I were thrilled with, being such huge fans of seafood. The main dish was Poulet à l'Estragon, Gratin Dauphinois, Ratatouille à la Provençale. Imagine chicken, sliced potatoes, and vegetables, but now imagine their best versions of each on one plate—that’s what Poulet à l'Estragon, Gratin Dauphinois, Ratatouille à la Provençale is. Finally for dessert, to end a perfect evening, we had a Peach Almond Tart. Can’t say enough about the food, but I will reiterate how amazing Andrea & Stéphane were as hosts. Conversations with them over such great food was our favorite part. In fact, this experience is, honestly, our favorite thing to do in Palm Springs (and this includes a couples massage!). If you’re hungry, looking for a safe and fun experience, and possibly looking for a well-mannered dog (Levi) to greet you as you enter and walk you to the door as you leave.. this is THE thing to do. Thank you again Andrea, Stéphane and Levi. - Rosalyn and Jason
- Rosalyn and Jason March 24, 2021
We had a lovely time with Andrea and Stéphane, they were incredibly welcoming hosts. The ambience, food and friendliness made for an exceptional evening. I would absolutely do this again, they even accommodated our special request. Highly recommend this experience!
- 101ber February 26, 2021
Andrea welcomed us into her beautiful home like we were old friends. She gave us a quick hands on demonstration of the French dish “gougéres “, then we sat (socially distanced) at the table with her family and made easy conversation while they treated us with more amazing French dishes, wine and dessert. The experience was beyond pleasant and one I would highly recommend to anyone looking to make new friends, dine on delicious food and learn a little bit about French culture.
- Justin February 21, 2021
Andrea and Stephane welcomed us into their lovely home. We learned how to make gougeres au forage (these really delicious and airy cheese puffs), and how to tinker with the recipe by adding different ingredients if we want to. They both have very interesting backgrounds, and both the conversation and the food were wonderful. Such an enjoyable experience!
- Stevehn February 04, 2021
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $78 Not offered
Alcohol
$9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $78 Not offered
Alcohol
$9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-1:00pm 4:30pm-6:30pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.