Short and Sweet: Pan Sauces

A hands-on cooking class culminating in a family-style dinner served with wine and beer.

Not every eager home cook can devote a whole evening to an in-depth cooking class at our 18th Street Classroom. To help those cooks out, our "Short and Sweet" series asks only two hours from your busy lives to learn something new and have a delicious meal. You'll get to enjoy all the perks of being in our space: meeting new people, learning from our teachers, and walking away with recipes that can inspire future meals.

In this installation of our "Short and Sweet" series, Chef Mike will guide you through a useful technique with repeated applications in your kitchen: how to make a pan sauce. From a quick dinner on Wednesday, to a show-stopping feast for company on the weekend, pan sauces are a delicious way of stepping up the flavor and impressiveness of your next meal. We will cook two dishes to master the technique, and then sit down to a shared meal to celebrate the food. This is a hands-on cooking class designed to teach one versatile technique.

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Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Mustard Cream Sauce
Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Green Olive Pan Sauce

Born in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, Mike Weller grew up in suburbs of San Jose, where he discovered cooking as his first profession and lifetime passion. After wandering through typical teenage jobs at pizza joints and ice cream parlors, Mike’s first “restaurant” job was with Sambo’s Coffee Shops, slinging hash and cooking eggs for the bar rush and Sunday breakfast crowds.  He moved on to help open several restaurants, attend the California Culinary Academy, and study under European chefs with Michelin backgrounds. Later, Mike served as an executive chef for catering companies, wineries and country clubs.  When his son was born, Mike transitioned his career into teaching, returning to the CCA where he eventually became the Executive Chef and Director of Academics.  Having taught for Le Cordon Bleu North America in both online and brick and mortar schools, Mike is thrilled to return to teaching in a neighborhood-based community.  When he is not teaching he tends to his backyard garden, helps his wife to can and preserve food, and loves to cook for his friends and family.