Clèmence Gosset is the head of the Gourmandise School out in Santa Monica that teaches a wide variety of classes from bean to bar chocolate making, baking bread, handmade pasta, knife skills, fish techniques, and more, while also getting well known local chefs to teach their cultural cuisines. 

 

We talk about her time growing up in France and early baking experiences and French food culture. We chat about her very first kitchen in Los Angeles, and her stories of selling cookies from her cubicle before going full time into food. We discuss why cooking and baking aren't arts or sciences but rather, how you can blend them both and become the alchemist. 

 

We also take two deep dives into two of her favorite things: bread and chocolate. In the renaissance, chocolate we discuss the history of the bean from its colonial roots to how to choose the best chocolate at your grocery store while navigating terms like fair trade and direct trade. 

 

With bread, we talk about different types of wheat berries, working with your hands, and experimentation, and tips on your very first loaf of bread. We also discuss purchasing practices as an expression of values and how that relates to food subsidies with the Farm Bill.

 

We ended the chat talking some of her favorite bakers and bakeries in LA, why the food scene is so drastically different from other areas of the country, and tips on how to specifically browse your local farmer's market. If you even remotely like food, you're going to love this conversation. 

Here are additional links to Clèmence work and other awesome things mentioned in the podcast:

 

The Gourmandise School:

https://thegourmandiseschool.com/

395 Santa Monica Pl #323, Santa Monica, CA 90401

 

Surfa's:

https://www.surfasonline.com/

3225 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018

 

Dandelion Chocolate:

https://www.dandelionchocolate.com/

 

Republica Del Cacao:

https://republicadelcacao.com/

 

The Farm Bill:

https://www.farmers.gov/manage/farmbill

 

Christine Moore's Little Flower Candy Company:

https://littleflowercandyco.com/

424 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105

 

Christine Moore's Lincoln:

https://lincolnpasadena.com/

1992 Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103

 

Zoe Nathan's Huckleberry:

https://www.huckleberrycafe.com/

1014 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

 

Roxana Jullapat's Friends & Family

https://www.yelp.com/biz/friends-and-family-los-angeles

5150 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

 

Na Young Ma's Proof Bakery:

http://proofbakery.com/

3156 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039

 

Carlos Enriquez's Bakers Kneaded:

https://www.bakerskneaded.com/

 

Bub & Grandma's:

http://www.bubandgrandmas.com/

2433 Riverside Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90039

 

Gjusta:

https://gjusta.com/

320 Sunset Ave, Venice, CA 90291

 

Republique:

https://republiquela.com/

624 South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

 

Santa Monica Farmer's Market:

https://www.smgov.net/portals/farmersmarket/

155-199 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401