Welcome, Aspiring Cooks!

A fun, casual atmosphere where you can meet some new friends, and learn a few new recipes. I will hold cooking class/dinner parties twice a month on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings in the Mission district in San Francisco. I will demonstrate and prepare a delicious meal, and afterwards you will get to eat it! Lots of tips, techniques and secrets will be shared throughout. Classes will be limited to 6 people for now. Fee will be $40 - $50 per person depending on the menu, and includes a light appetizer, glass of wine, and dinner - all this for less than the price of dinner out!!!! Absolutely no cooking experience necessary, though I may call on a volunteer now and then to be my sous chef, and you are welcome to help in the preparation if you like :)

I have been cooking for over 25 years, taught by my Italian grandmother, Argentine mother, and countless hours of Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, and Lidia Bastianich on TV, and most recently have attended cooking classes at Tante Marie Cooking School here in SF. My approach to food is to make things that are simple to prepare, highlighting the best fresh, organic ingredients available. I love sharing this passion for food with others, since it's always more fun to cook for a group of friends!

My friends have always said I should open a restaurant. I think this is a much more fun, low stress way to share my cooking. My cooking style is to make simple but impressive and tasty dishes, using seasonal and organic foods as much as possible. I look forward to educating and feeding you!

2009 update: I have just jumped on the blog bandwagon: http://valeriesfoodramblings.blogspot.com/ I will be posting our recipes here for group members. In the meantime, feel free to check out my first posting!