Short and Sweet: Vegetables for the Holidays

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.

The holidays are a time to gather friends and family around a shared dinner table and celebrate what brings us together, not what makes us different. This class is designed for the vegan chef looking for holiday dinner inspiration, as well as omnivore cooks who want to make their tables as inclusive as they are delicious. These two recipes deserve to be part of any celebratory meal, whether as a side to a omnivore spread, or as a main dish for a vegan table. Bring everyone to the table!

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Savory Autumn Vegetable Crisp

Rosemary Smoked Tofu and Mushroom Strudel

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.