About Our Chef-Instructors
Our Chef-Instructors come from a
wide variety of culinary backgrounds, resulting in classes that are diverse and
stimulating. We offer classes with well-known chefs from successful restaurants,
cookbook authors, caterers and private chefs, wine experts, food purveyors, and
other culinary authorities. In alphabetical order:
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Bruce Aidells is the founder of Aidells
Sausage Company and author of nine cookbooks, including The
Complete Meat Cookbook, The Complete Sausage Book, the "Meat"
and "Poultry" chapters of the revised Joy of Cooking, and the
key meat tips in The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook. He
won the 1990 Julia Child Cookbook Award for Hot Links and Country
Flavors. His articles appear in numerous publications, including Cooking Light, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, and Food & Wine. |
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Cyrus' Bar Manager Scott Beattie helped open
Pat Kuleto's "Martini House" in 2001 and, in the process,
established relationships with a number of local micro-distilleries
including Charbay, Hangar
One, and Germain-Robin. With the opening of Cyrus, Beattie was
allowed to shape the cocktail and spirits program as he saw fit.
Beattie discovered the bounty of Northern Sonoma County and started
sourcing out local herbs and fruits to incorporate into his
cocktails. Soon Cyrus was presenting the first cocktail program of
its kind: an American regional cocktail menu. Scott and the
Cyrus Bar have been featured in the SF Chronicle, Bon
Appetit, Food and Wine, Gourmet, and other
publications. (January 12, February 16, March 22, April 19) |
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Carrie Brown owns the landmark Jimtown Store,
located in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, celebrated for its
lusty country cooking and reinterpreted American desserts. Carrie is
the coauthor of The Jimtown Store Cookbook, Recipes from Sonoma County’s
Favorite Market that includes 150 of
Jimtown’s earthy, full-flavored recipes with a special emphasis on
stylish, casual entertaining. Carrie’s unique style and recipes have
been featured in countless publications including Country Home, House & Garden, Food & Wine, and Sunset, and on
television’s Martha Stewart Living and Food TV’s Ultimate
Kitchen. Carrie is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructor
who loves to share her creative and stylish entertaining and
presentation ideas. |
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Dino Bugica grew up in Reno, Nevada, and
learned to cook with is Italian parents (Ligurian mom, Sicilian dad)
who used fresh ingredients from his grandfather's ranch and farm. He
cooked his way through Italy for seven years, including stints at
three restaurants, a Dutch chocolate maker and a butcher shop and salumerie. As the executive chef at Santi Restaurant in
Geyserville, Dino is passionate about authentic, old world Italian
cuisine where everything from the pasta to the salumi and sausages
to the limoncello is made from scratch. |
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Jack Burton brings over 30 years of world
travel and kitchen experience to the table. He is the author of the
popular guidebooks Sonoma Picnic – A California Wine Country
Travel Companion and (with Ken Stanton) Napa Valley Picnic,
as well as the collection of short stories and recipes Dreamsalad
Picnic. Jack also writes extensively on local food, wine and
agriculture and publishes an on-line magazine of California Food and
Wine Arts at
www.sonomapicnic.com. Jack will be incorporating
stories, menus and recipes in the class from his upcoming folio of
illuminated recipes titled: A Circle of Soup. |
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Kerr Craig was born and raised
in Scotland and came to the US in 1999 after a successful career in
corporate training. He has a lifetime of experience drinking malt
whiskeys (scotch) and has visited and led tours to many of the
distilleries in Scotland—he says, “too many to remember, but that’s
what happens when you visit too many distilleries.” Kerr is a
charming host who peppers his fact-filled classes with Scottish
humor.
www.scotchrocks.info |
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Deborah
Dal Fovo’s love for food and cooking began at a young
age and led her to Italy where she lived in Milan and Tuscany for 20
years. An authority on the fine art of Italian living, Deborah
mastered her culinary education in Northern Italian food and wine
hands-on. Her private instruction from some of Italy’s finest
Italian chefs was complimented by studies at Roger Verge’s cooking
school in Provence, France. Deborah now brings her Italian
experience to California where she lives, teaches cooking classes
and works as a Private Chef for the Bay Area elite. |
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Franco
Dunn's career as a professional
chef started with Jordan Winery where he was Executive Chef for five
and a half years. He lived in Italy for two and a half years where
he worked in fourteen different restaurants. Among these were two
Michelin three star restaurants, a two star, and a one star, and
many excellent trattorias. Franco started Santi Restaurant in
Geyserville with his long time friend Thomas Oden where he was co-chef
for five and a half years. He is currently chef emeritus at Santi where he works closely with his friend Dino
Bugica. |
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Michael Ellis grew up in a cooking family. At Christmas time, his parents would
make hundreds (really, hundreds) of ravioli—dad rolling out the
dough and passing it over to mom for filling, then on to Michael who
would crimp each one with a fork. Working in Washington, D.C., area
restaurants since his teens, he was sous chef at Charlie Palmer
Steak when Charlie selected Michael for the same role at Dry Creek
Kitchen in 2004. He was promoted to chef de cuisine earlier this
year, culminating his longtime culinary passion and dedication. He
now collaborates with Charlie Palmer to maintain a seasonally cyclic
kitchen, staying local with as many farmers and producers as he can. |
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Agustín Gaytán was born
in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, and
learned the secrets of regional Mexican cuisines in his mother’s
kitchen. He
has been featured in Sunset magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle,
on national and local radio shows, and many Bay Area television
cooking shows. He is a food consultant, an admired cooking class
teacher and culinary tour guide who is known for highlighting the
complex, colorful, and delicious cuisine of his native country. (April 5) |
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Rick Goldberg
is one of Sonoma's County's best kept secrets. He is an intuitive
cook and a great teacher who enjoys sharing all aspects of cooking,
from simple, healthy preparations to ethnic specialties to the most
sophisticated French Laundry-style entertaining. Originally from
Portland, Oregon, Rick grew up in the restaurant/food business and
is currently the co-owner of G&G Specialty Foods, a 15 year old Santa Rosa-based food
manufacturing business. |
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Jon Helquist's nineteen years of experience in the kitchen began
at Chez Panisse and included time at Oliveto in Berkeley, The Martini House
in St. Helena and
Manzanita here in Healdsburg. Now at the helm of the
Seghesio Family Vineyards winery kitchen, Jon's menus are
inspired by the Seghesio family's Italian heritage and a cooking
philosophy that pairs perfectly with the wide variety of
excellent Seghesio wines. |
Marko Karakasevic grew up around pumps, hoses and tanks. This was his father's world and the family always lived close to the Napa Valley winery where Miles, his father, made wine.
In the fall of ’95, Marko realized he wanted to apprentice under his father and be the 13th generation to carry on the Karakasevic family tradition. Marko conceived the idea of Domaine Charbay's whole-fruit flavored vodka program. He found the fruit and designed the packaging. Now, with two generations of enthusiastic winemakers & distillers behind the Domaine Charbay label, there are even more releases of "perfumes for the soul” to watch for. (January 12) |

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Following the completion of her studies at the California Culinary
Academy, Nitsa Prousalis Knoll worked as sous chef and on-site
coordinator at Barcelona’s Conde and Carreras under Conxita
Carreras. Upon her return to San Francisco, she joined the Ritz
Carlton and was lead cook and trainer in both the restaurant and
Garde Mange kitchen. She has instructed at the California Culinary
Academy, set high tea for British Royalty, and, most recently,
established her own catering business called Sonoma Culinaire.
Nitsa's strongest influence, though, is that of her father, a former
chef himself, and her yaya in Athens, Greece. |
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Renaud Kolpin
learned to cook with his parents who influenced him with their
French heritage and their extensive travels to Asia. He trained at
the California Culinary Academy and has worked at restaurants in San
Francisco, including Beetlenut, Postrio, and Embarko. Renaud is
passionate about food, knowledgeable on technique, and intuitive
with flavors. He was chef de cuisine at Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg
for several years and is now a freelance caterer and private chef. |
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Peg Melnik is co-author of
The Napa & Sonoma Book, now
in its seventh edition. She is also the wine columnist and tasting coordinator
of the New York Times-owned Press Democrat. As part of the
Press Democrat’s food and wine team, Melnik won a third place Penny-Missouri
award in General Excellence for the Features section in 2006, and first,
second and third place awards from 1990 through 2006 from the Association of
Food Journalists. Melnik's book is full of tight-lipped tips and priceless
pointers. Robert Parker Jr., the world’s most influential wine critic, says, ‘“The
Napa & Sonoma Book is a marvelous book, splendidly researched, packed with
terrific advice and considerable insider information, essential reading for any
visitor.” |
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Gerards Nebesky's interest in the culinary arts went
hand-in-hand with his travels around the world. His adventure travels always
include the goal of eating well while on the road, trail, summit, ocean or
wherever he may end up. He has become (by default) the trip cook which has led
him to perfect dishes that require as few pans as possible and easily procured
ingredients. Paella has become a favorite recently (www.gerardspaella.com) and he has cooked up Paellas
for ski mountaineering trips, sailing trips, Desperate Housewives and even on a
deserted island for the crew of Saturday Night Live. He attributes honing his
Paella skills to his Spanish girlfriend who could only be happy with socarrat, the perfectly caramelized rice
on the bottom of the pan. For without socarrat, it can get very lonely in a tent
in the snow. |
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Award-winning chef and writer Christine Piccin loves nothing better than
to taste her way through her travels, which have flavored her articles for
magazines including Bon Appétit, Saveur, and many others.
Christine is a regular contributor to Santé, a magazine for chefs, a
member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and has worked in numerous Sonoma County restaurants during her chef tenure. A past winner of the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Sweepstakes
Award, Christine taps her experience in the kitchens of Hotel La Rose and Mixx
in Santa Rosa, and Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, to teach professional techniques
that make cooking at home easy and fun. |
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In 1997, after years in the test kitchen, Michael Recchiuti was ready to bring his creations to a larger audience and to introduce Americans
to real chocolate. He founded Recchiuti
Confections with his wife Jacky and the idea that once you introduce people
to truly exquisite chocolates they will be won over instantly and forever. Then,
as now, he achieved those exquisite chocolates by painstakingly selecting each
ingredient that would go into the final confection, visiting the San Francisco
farmers’ market for bundles of fresh lavender, tarragon and lemon verbena for
ingredients, frequenting local chocolate manufacturers to try their latest
offerings, and meticulously seeing to each step that turned those fine
ingredients into finer confections. |
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Charmoon Richardson has been studying & collecting wild mushrooms in Northern California
for over 25 years. He is the owner of The Wild About
Mushrooms Co., a business dedicated to sharing the joys and
benefits of wild mushrooms. He is a past president of the Sonoma
County Mycological Association and is also a member of the
Mycological Society of San Francisco. He has organized numerous
mushroom forays, camps, and events over the years, and teaches
classes on mushroom identification, cultivation, and cooking.
Charmoon has appeared with noted chef Bobby Flay on his show Food
Nation. He was also featured in Sunset, mentioned in the
Wall Street Journal, and been the subject of numerous local & SF
Bay Area news features and guest radio programs. |
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Josh Silvers grew up consumed by the love of
good food. He began cooking at the tender age 17 and quickly rose
through the ranks of pantry, finish line and sous chef before
venturing out on his own as an executive chef. He gained a breadth
of experience at several restaurants including Mustard’s Grill in
Napa with Chef Cindy Pawlcyn, Café
SFA (Saks Fifth Avenue) in San Francisco, and the Orinda Grill in
Orinda where he also shared his culinary vision and skills by
teaching cooking classes. In 1999, Josh Silvers and his wife Regina
moved to Santa Rosa to open their dream restaurant – Syrah Bistro—where he
continues to celebrate the pairing of food and wine. |
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Amy Schaefers
graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. After
working at restaurants in California and New York, Amy cultivated
her interest in the Pastry Arts. After moving to Sonoma County, she
worked at both the Graton Bakery and the Downtown Bakery. She is now
a freelance caterer and pastry chef available for private parties,
specialty desserts, and wedding cakes. |
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Paul Smith graduated from Johnson & Wales University Culinary Arts program followed by three years working with Chef Cedric Tovar at Joel Rubichon in New York. He then freelanced as a private chef for a variety of guests at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. He finished his time in New York as Sous Chef at Bobby Flay's Bolo before coming to Sonoma County. (April 5) |
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Erin Solin is a biologist/botanist by training and a chocolate princess by
passion and profession. Erin sees the world as an
unadulterated chocoholic’s fun zone. She loves sharing tidbits
of both chocolate and chocolate lore as part of her business La
Barre de Chocolat. Erin is a member of the Sonoma County
Culinary Guild and, most recently, was invited to speak at the
California Academy of Sciences during their Chocolate Exhibition.
Drawing on her passions she leads all of her students thru the
sciences of T. cacao and the responsibilities of consumers to
buy chocolate and preserve the rainforest and the way of life for
the T. cacao farmers. |
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Marlena Spieler broadcasts and writes internationally on her favorite
subject: food. He bon viveuer, wit and humor result in an
unpretentious style of writing and teaching, and her original
recipes are distinctive and innovative. With over fifty cookbook
titles to her credit, Marlena conjures up flavors and dishes from
the Mediterranean to Mexico and California to the Italian Islands.
Everyone from BBC Radio to NBC Weekend Today agree:
Marlena can talk about food...and talk and talk and talk.
Marlena is passionate about discovering and sharing the good flavors
of life. She lives in Britain with her husband and returns
frequently to San Francisco to share her latest discoveries. Catch
up with her culinary adventures in her The Roving Feast
column at the SF
Chronicle or on her
website. |
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Born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay, Chef & Co-Owner Mark Stark received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in
Hyde Park, New York. He created a sound foundation in Washington,
D.C., with the Four Seasons Hotel, Maison Blanche and the City Club
of Washington, then in Seattle with the Bellevue Club. Mark spent
several years as a regional chef for the California Café Restaurant
group as well as a corporate chef for Gordon Biersch Brewery
Restaurants. His desire to establish culinary roots and define his
own style led him to Sonoma County where, with his wife Terri, he
opened Willi’s Wine Bar in 2002, Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar in
2003, Monti's Rotisserie in 2004, and Barcode in 2005, all to rave reviews. |
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Frank Toledo
has been on a quest for the perfect martini for almost 20 years. He
comes equipped with the finest martini-making supplies and has been
known to dazzle audiences with cocktail facts and lore. |
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From his extensive travels through Europe and Asia,
Jake Whitely attained a deep respect for the power of tea to
bring people together and help bridge cultures. In 1994 he began
blending tea at Flying Goat Coffee in Healdsburg, which he opened
with two partners, and established relationships with many importers
of rare and unusual teas. He and his wife Christine Hanna opened
Bungalow Coffee and Tea in
2004 with the goal of marrying their love of the Craftsman artisan
aesthetic with a teahouse/café environment. At Bungalow, Jake has
developed his own tea blends, some of which reflect traditional
profiles, while others are a personal pursuit of the strange quirks
of human history and geography. |
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Chef-Instructors
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