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:

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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