Season Like a Chef: Three Day Workshop

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This is a 3-part series taking place on Wednesdays April 3, 10, and 17 from 6-9:30 pm. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here. 

Think of this series as learning how to play the culinary scales. Over the course of 3 weeks we are going to arm you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to master the art of salt, sour, and umami. Through a combination of tasting seminars and hands-on cooking, we will zero in on these 3 key tastes and dive into their uses, their sources and the importance of knowing how and why to master them. 

For every exercise that we do in class, we will toggle one key ingredient and then taste. For example, we will taste and use different salty ingredients and learn how something as simple as roasted vegetables can change in character. With side by side tastings you will be able to discern the subtle differences (or not so subtle) that an ingredient brings to the table. 

No more blaming poorly written recipes or yourself. This series will help you to not only increase your dexterity in executing the latest recipes but also develop the expertise to navigate those inevitable kitchen mishaps. 

Day 1 is Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024 from 6-9:30pm

• Ingredient Tastings: we will have a guided tasting of the star ingredients of the day. This will include different kinds of salts and salty ingredients.
• Pre-seasoned Tastings: a guided tasting through simple, pre-made recipes that contain varying amounts of our star ingredients. For example, vegetable broth with Kosher salt vs. tamari vs. no salt
• Play with Your Food: students are given simple, unseasoned recipes and with their new found knowledge, will doctor them up.

Day 2 is Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 from 6-9:30pm

• Ingredient Tastings: we will have a guided tasting of the star ingredients of the day. This will include different kinds of vinegars, citrus and other sour ingredients. 
• Pre-seasoned Tastings: a guided tasting through simple, pre-made recipes that contain varying amounts of our star ingredients. For example, salad dressing with vinegar, vs. lemon juice. vs no sour element
• Play with Your Food: students are given simple, unseasoned recipes and with their new found knowledge, will doctor them up.

Day 3 is Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 from 6-9:30pm

• Ingredient Tastings: we will have a guided tasting of the star ingredients of the day. This will include different kinds of vegetarian and vegan sources of umami. 
• Pre-seasoned Tastings: a guided tasting through simple, pre-made recipes that contain varying amounts of our star ingredients.
• Play with Your Food: students are given simple, unseasoned recipes and with their new found knowledge, will doctor them up.

This menu contains the following common allergens: Soy, Tree Nuts, Dairy, Wheat. 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! 

Marie Brennan is a vegetable enthusiast, keen fermenter and an avid traveler. Her explorations are fueled by the desire to find her next pantry staple and learn yet another way to use onions. Her culinary focus is vegetarian, Californian cuisine that is imbued with global flavors. Her classes are known for their healthyish and punchy flavors as well as her non-dogmatic and enthusiastic approach to food. 

Marie graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Dietetics and in 2014 moved to the Bay Area to attend culinary arts school. She stayed for the produce and the sunshine. Marie lives in Berkeley California and works as an educator, consultant, private chef and recipe developer. You can learn more about Marie at www.hedonistinmoderation.com