Basic Knife Skills - In Person

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here. Masks are recommended.

Join Chef Elise Hayashi, for a class in the basics of using your chef's knife at home. We will discuss the ins and outs of knife use, care and safety. You will walk away knowing how to maintain a sharp edge and the best way to cut vegetables and herbs. This is a great class for beginners.

This class includes our Knife Skills manual for reference when cooking at home. The vegetables cut in this class will be used by each student to create their own individual salad, with a shared buffet of vinaigrette, fried shallots, minced chili, roasted peanuts, and optional roast chicken meat to garnish. Wine, beer and bread will also be served.

If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together!

Born and raised in Colorado, Elise Hayashi grew up in a family where knowing how to use a paring knife was more important than riding a bicycle. This sparked her passion for food and cooking at an early age, and she enthusiastically relocated to the Bay Area to pursue a BA in Nutrition Science at UC Berkeley. Outside of the classroom, Elise helped implement childhood obesity and exercise research with the Nutrition Policy Institute, and also worked as a pastry assistant to fill her free time with galettes and mousses. After graduation, she spent time abroad working on an organic farm where she gained an appreciation for the labor and commitment that goes into producing food everyday. Now, she is excited about being a part of 18 Reasons to merge her gastronomic backgrounds and to share her love of food with the Bay Area community. During the rare moments when she is not eating, Elise can be found trying out new sports, playing and listening to live music, or wandering the aisles of grocery stores and farmers' markets.