About Home Ec Cooking Classes

I learned how to cook by watching the cooks in the Chez Panisse kitchen, by carefully tasting and training my palate, and eventually by apprenticing and working in that kitchen.  That experience blew my mind open, and after several months in the kitchen I started to recognize patterns and rules common to every dish, no matter what the ingredients or particular methods of preparation.  

I eventually came to realize that with a careful understanding of how to apply four basic elements, I could make anything taste delicious.  Over the past eleven years, everything I've continued to learn in the kitchen has essentially been a refinement of my understanding of the application of salt, acid, fat and heat.  

As a teacher of both professional and home cooks, it's my ultimate goal to give people the tools to become intuitive cooks and free them from the reigns of cookbooks, recipes, and measuring implements by helping them refine their palates, sensitivity in the kitchen, and understanding of basic kitchen science.  The most important lessons I share with my students are those that impart a fundamental understanding of universal tenets. 

I'd like to invite you into the kitchen with me for this unique, empowering series of classes.  You're welcome to take as many or few as you like, but the series is designed as an immersion and elements of each class will interplay with the others to help give students a comprehensive understanding of cooking.

In each class, I will describe and demonstrate for each element its roles and functions, basic science, and effects on taste in a dish.  We'll taste and discuss thoughtfully in an effort to give our palates a bit of contextual understanding.  And of course, because I believe so strongly in the power of experience (and muscle memory) you'll get a chance to put your new skills to use as we all cook a lovely meal together with the concepts of the day in mind.  

In the evening, we'll retire to a table set in the back garden, eat our dinner, drink some wine, and I'll answer any further questions that may have arisen while we cooked.  

You'll leave empowered and inspired to return to the kitchen, ready to practice your skills, refine your knowledge, and looking at food with a whole new perspective.  

Take a look at this sweet 90-second video shot by the folks at the San Francisco Chronicle at a Home Ec class held at 18 Reasons in 2012 to get an idea of how things work:

About Pantry Basics & Knife Skills

Before we get to Salt, Fat, Acid or Heat, I'll talk about kitchen basics.  What knives do you really need?  What's the proper way to hold a knife?  What's the difference between sharpening and honing?  I'll cover all of that, plus the three basic cuts every home cook needs to know.  Then, we'll practice together.  You'll dice like you've never diced before!

I'll also talk about how to stock and cook from your pantry, fridge and freezer so that eating seasonally and nutritiously can become an affordable, simple option for your daily cooking, instead of remaining firmly in the realm of aspiration.  I'll present three different pantries for you to consider, and talk about what you actually need to have on hand to be able to cook well at a moment's notice.  We'll cover grains, oils, spices, stocks, sweeteners, condiments, legumes and everything else hiding in those cupboards. 

Together, we'll cook a meal that puts it all into practice--everyone will get a chance to practice their knife skills and learn a bit of pantry-cooking strategy.  Finally, we'll sit down together to enjoy our meal and a glass of wine in the shade of the Pizzaiolo garden, where you'll have a chance to ask me any further questions.

About Samin

A professional cook and freelance writer, Samin Nosrat looks to tradition, culture and history for inspiration. Trained in the Chez Panisse kitchen, she cooked there for several years before moving to Italy, where she worked closely with the Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini and chef Benedetta Vitali for nearly two years. She spent five years as the sous chef and "farmwife" at Eccolo restaurant, butchering, brining, and preserving nearly everything in an effort to make the restaurant as self-sustaining as possible. 

Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, Wallpaper, NPR, and San Francisco Magazine, while her own writing has appeared in Martha Stewart Living, Yoga Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle, Meatpaper, Edible San Francisco, as well as on her blog, Ciao Samin. 

What Students Say About Home Ec and Samin

"These classes will change the way you think in the kitchen.  I've taken a lot of cooking classes over the years and stopped because I wasn't learning anything new.  I signed up for Samin's series because she's such a pleasure to be around and I was hoping to learn.  Learn I did!  The concepts she taught were simple and completely understandable.  The way fat, acid, and salt work together and counterbalance each other was fascinating.  The food we prepared was designed to demonstrate the concepts so that we could understand and remember.  There were several a-ha! moments.  It was worth every minute and every penny."

"Samin has an amazing knack for translating the inherent skills of a stellar restaurant chef to the everyday home cook.  While things like fat and acid might not sound all that sexy, you'll be amazed at how much better your cooking will be once you understand how they work.  If you have ever hoped to become more intuitive and less recipe-dependent in the kitchen, Samin's classes are perfect for you."

"Samin is more than a teacher, she is an inspiration. Her methodology goes way beyond recipes into how to think about cooking and even more importantly how to become a more visceral cook. The class I took with her has made me a much more confident and brazen cook!  Plus she is so much fun!"

The Fine Print

Please note, tickets for Home Ec classes are non-refundable. You can, however, find someone to fill your seat, send someone in your place, or write in to see if I have a waitlist to draw from (if I can sell your spot to someone else, I will happily refund you, but I can't make any promises).  Feel free to email me at ciao {at} saminnosrat {dot} com if you have any questions.