Private Cooking Lessons
In Marin County, CA
(Or take a moment to learn more below before deciding.)
How it Works
What
After you’ve registered and purchased any needed cooking tools (see the list below), you can schedule a meeting time. The lessons are designed to fit together as a 10-week course, but you can enroll in as many (or few) as you like. Each week, we will cover one essential meal and one foundational skill, such as how to roast a chicken or how to use your knife to make a refreshing Thai-inspired salad (see below for the complete list).
Where
Lessons take place in your home kitchen, and we will work together in the actual space where your student will be cooking day-to-day. I learned how to cook in some tiny/terrible apartment kitchens, and I discovered early on that you can do amazing things without the best space or equipment. It’s the knowledge and skill that produce great food, not the kitchen.
When
Lessons are 1 hour long.
Once you have registered, I will email you a link to my calendar so you can choose your preferred time.
How much
Each 60-minute session is $100 per student, and I request that payment be made in full at the first lesson. I accept cash, check, credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
Essential Tools
I have put together a comprehensive list of only the absolutely essential tools you need to cook nearly anything. These are the things I use on a daily basis that I have found to be reliable and easy to use.
Course Roadmap
10 Skills
How to meal plan & grocery shop
How to season (make simple food taste amazing)
How to roast anything
How to use a knife (all the essential skills)
How to make a salad (no more store-bought dressing!)
How to pair foods
How to cook starches (no gluey mashed potatoes)
How to sauté (and how to do that cool flip thing)
How to improvise (and not end up with a train wreck)
How to reheat leftovers (a trick from professional kitchens)
10 Meals
Tortilla soup
Chana masala (Indian stewed chickpeas)
Roast chicken
Stir fry
Thai salad
Burgers
Breakfast tacos
French toast
Frittata (fluffy baked eggs)
Pesto & red sauce
Here are some of the foods I have cooked with my students
(photo credit: Curtis Mitchell, Tamiscal High School student)