Buttercream & Olive Oil: Cultivating a Heritage

Hands-On Cooking and Baking Classes in Cleveland by food and ingredient expert, Jennifer Thornton. French Macaron, French Pastry, and Seasonal Classes. American by birth, Sicilian by blood, and Provencal at heart; Jennifer developed her passion for olive oil while living in Aix-en-Provence, France in 2007. It was in the nearby village of Les Baux that she had her first taste of this liquid gold...an experience that would change her life. The pursuit of this new found olive oil passion led her on an unimaginable adventure. Jennifer spent years working at the side of the "Queen of Olive Oil" (Christine Cheylan, owner of Chateau Virant) in France, including harvesting, milling, blending, and traveling throughout Europe for EVOO classes and conferences. From these invaluable formative years, Jennifer has gone on to participate in olive milling seasons with the most incredible and inspiring producers in Provence, Sicily, Spain, and California (The Olive Center at UC Davis). She has travelled the Mediterranean learning all she can about this sacred fruit, allowing her to be part of the national French olive oil competition's jury as well as one of the judges of the most prestigious international olive oil competition in Canada, Olive d'Or. Recruited by Olivier Baussan, founder of L'Occitane and Olivier & Co, Jennifer spent two years in Paris working with his new brand Premiere Pression Provence. The combination of olive oil and culinary bliss brought her to the Top 100 of France's first season and America's fourth season of MasterChef, where she acquired the name "Olive Oil Princess". She is featured in the educational comic-style book about French olives to olive oil and offers olive oil tasting and cooking classes. After moving back to Ohio in 2012, Jennifer started her cooking classes which range from Olive Oil and Vinegar Tasting/Cooking/Baking classes to American Historical and Cast-Iron Recipes to French Cuisine to Kids Classes to French Macaron Hands-On Workshops. Her macarons are local, seasonal, and organic; never any dyes, colorings, or flavorings. They are available for special order.