Cooking By Instinct: 1 Meal, 8 Techniques

Saturday, September 26
and Saturday, October 3
5-8 PM

Tiburon Yacht Club
$200 per person

This session: Sol Food at Home

Learn to recreate one of Marin’s favorite meals—and become a more confident cook along the way.

In this hands-on class, we’ll recreate Sol Food’s signature plate from scratch. But I want you to leave class with something much bigger than that.

I want to help you find self-assurance in the kitchen.

I’ll teach you fundamental approaches and skills you can use every time you cook.

You’ll learn how to trust yourself more and rely less on recipes.

Most of us cook from a script.

  1. Find a recipe.

  2. Follow the steps.

  3. Hope it turns out.

This class is about learning to break away from recipes and trust yourself instead. Cooking based on what's actually in front of you: the ingredients you have on hand, what you're in the mood for, and who you're feeding.

We'll use one meal (Sol Food!) as the means to learn 8 cooking techniques. You'll leave with fundamental skills you can rely on to cook something that fits your situation anytime.

Videography: Sophie Murray
Editing and voiceover: Chef Mark

What you'll learn to do

  • Balance flavor by tasting and adjusting as you cook

  • Make foolproof white rice without a rice cooker

  • Deep-fry safely and with minimal waste

  • Build a vinaigrette from scratch

  • Use simple shortcuts to create big flavor on a weeknight timeline

  • Cook with more confidence and trust your instincts in the kitchen

What we’ll make

Pollo al Horno

Puerto Rican-style oven-roasted chicken packed with garlic and herbs.

I’ll show you the secret I discovered to perfectly re-create Sol Food’s rice. No rice cooker required.

Perfect White Rice

Puerto Rican Pink Beans

According to past class participants: even better than the restaurant.

Tostones

Crispy twice-fried plantains with garlic oil.

Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

The exact flavor from Sol Food, plus a formula you can use to create your own vinaigrettes at home.

You won’t believe how simple this iconic hot sauce is to make at home!

Pique

Register Now

Schedule

  • Welcome + class introduction

  • Chef Mark demonstration

  • Workstation setup

  • Hands-on group cooking

  • Sit down and enjoy the meal together

  • Questions + send-off

    3 hours, including dinner

Registration Includes

  • A 3-hour hands-on cooking experience

  • The complete Sol Food plate we’ll prepare together

  • A beautiful bound recipe booklet to take home

  • Digital copies of every recipe for easy reference and sharing

  • Practical cooking techniques you can use far beyond this class

  • A shared meal with your fellow TYC members

Location

Tiburon Yacht Club
400 Trinidad Dr, Tiburon
(Google Maps Link)

The class will take place in the TYC kitchen and adjoining spaces.

Space for the first classes is intentionally limited to 10 participants, so everyone has plenty of opportunity to cook, ask questions, and participate.

 

Meet your instructor

~

Meet your instructor ~

CHEF MARK

I’m a music-teacher-turned-chef obsessed with helping home cooks become more confident in the kitchen.

Rather than simply teaching recipes, I focus on the techniques and instincts that help you understand why something tastes good—and how to recreate that result on your own.

My goal is for you to leave class with a great meal, a handful of new recipes, and skills you’ll actually use the next time you walk into your kitchen.