San Francisco is a city that’s made for food lovers. From the Ferry Building Farmers Market to the restaurants of Valencia Street, there’s a huge variety of edible adventures for the curious and hungry. One great way to take home a taste of everything San Francisco has to offer? A cooking class. Learn how to make your favorite dishes from the Slanted Door or Kokkari, and then impress friends and family when you return from your trip to SF.
Although this cooking school just opened in January, with deans Daniel Patterson of Coi, Craig Stoll of Delfina and Bill Corbett of Absinthe, it already serves up the city’s hottest hands-on culinary classes. Upcoming offerings include several “Cook the Book” classes, where students cook a menu from a noteworthy cookbook (e.g., Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home); a butchery class led by renowned S.F. butcher David Budworth (aka Dave the Butcher); and “Flavors of India,” a class that covers the history, techniques, basic spices and sauces and more of Indian cuisine.
Founded in 2006, the Cheese School of San Francisco teaches people how to appreciate cheese through educational tasting events. Experts from near and far such as Laura Werlin and Juliana Uruburu come to the school to instruct the intimate classes. The calendar for March includes a “Sonoma’s New Cheeses” class led by Sonoma cheesemaker Sheana Davis (samples included); a Mediterranean cheese class that highlights the cheeses of Southern France, Spain, Italy and Greece,; and a fromage blanc, creme fraiche and feta cheese making class.
Located in the Mission District, 18 Reasons is a community center that invites locals and tourists to deepen their relationships with food and each other. The different activities range from urban gardening classes to instructional home-brewing sessions. On the weekends, there are foodie book clubs and cooking classes for kids. Notable upcoming events on the 18 Reasons calendar include “The Hills Are Alive: The Volcanic Wines of Hungary” (March 20); “Fermentation for Spring Renewal” (March 25), on the art of fermentation; and “French Cooking for Kids and Ratatouille Screening” (March 30).
Photos courtesy of San Francisco Cooking School
