In-Person Cooking Class

Learn to Cook - Winter 2020

6 Class Series

Join Chefs Frances Wilson and Jen Nurse for this six-week course and learn the basics of cooking. We want you feeling comfortable and confident in your own kitchen, whether you’re getting dinner ready for yourself or your family, or impressing guests.
Learn to Cook is designed to help you build a strong foundation for any culinary challenge thrown your way. Get ready to face the fundamentals—from sautéing to searing to steaming, we’ve got it covered!
This course meets on six Wednesday evenings from mid January to late February. Missed classes may easily be made up during future Learn to Cook series.

Get Sharp - Knife Skills

Wed | Jan 15, 2020 | 6–10P

Teacher Frances Wilson

Teacher Jen Nurse

Our Learn to Cook course is all about making you feel confident in the kitchen. In the first class of the series, we will teach you basic knife skills, how to read (and not necessarily follow) a recipe and show you how to bring out the best flavors in your cooking by understanding your ingredients and seasoning them well.
Our aim is to make preparing dinner enjoyable rather than a chore. By the end of this class, you will be chopping, dicing and slicing your way to more satisfying home cooking.

Menu | Recipes

TBD


Nourish – Vegetables & Fish

Wed | Jan 22, 2020 | 6–10P

Teacher Frances Wilson

Teacher Jen Nurse

Learn the basics of choosing fish and shellfish, and use them in simple dishes that will become part of your regular repertoire.
We will also focus on a rainbow of seasonal vegetables - including some you may never have cooked with before - to make healthy, inviting, nourishing meals.

Menu | Recipes

Moroccan Carrot Confit

Turnips
with White Miso Butter

Moules à la Marinière
Mussels with White Wine and Herbs

Salmon Bibimbap (Korean Rice Bowl)
with Quick Pickled Carrots & Radishes

Fish en Papillotte


Carrying Flavor–Sauces & Dressings

Wed | Jan 29, 2020 | 6–10P

Teacher Frances Wilson

Teacher Jen Nurse

In this class, you will learn many of the ways salt, acids, seasonings, and sauces enhance the taste of your food. These elements of cooking - often requiring no cooking at all! - keep your meals varied, your tastebuds engaged, and your friends, family and guests asking for second helpings (and the recipe!).
We'll teach you how to build flavor in your favorite skillet by making a pan sauce. We'll show you how to blend spices to bring out the best in your ingredients. We will pair herbs and dressings with various dishes to show you how to make them sing.

Menu | Recipes

Berbere Spice Mix

Spiced Fennel Salad

Broccoli Rabe
with Harissa and Herbs

Brussels Sprouts
with Pancetta, Preserved Lemon and Parsley

Steak au Poivre


Taking Stock-Grains & Chicken

Wed | Feb 05, 2020 | 6–10P

Teacher Frances Wilson

Teacher Jen Nurse

Stocking your pantry and freezer with basic ingredients can make meal planning and preparation much easier. Just as helpful are a handful of go-to main course recipes in your repertoire, especially those that can be repurposed into additional meals.
One of the best & simplest dishes of all is a roast chicken. We will teach you to roast it to perfection and provide lots of inventive ideas for using the leftovers over subsequent days. We will also show you how to make chicken stock with the carcass.
Our menu will showcase a variety of grains, ideal for creating side dishes to accompany your chicken, but just as well suited for main dish meals of their own. You'll learn simple methods to make cooking delicious & achievable any day of the week.

Menu | Recipes

Chiang Mai Chicken
with Rice

Simple Roasted Winter Vegetables

Grain Fritters
(Master Recipe)

Farro
with Preserved Lemon and Parsley

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce
(Simplified Romesco)


Comfort-Braises & Beans

Wed | Feb 12, 2020 | 6–10P

Teacher Frances Wilson

Teacher Jen Nurse

In this session, you'll learn classic techniques to use for cooking the less expensive but delicious cuts of meat. We'll teach you how to choose the best meats for braising and grilling, and we will use those cuts to make tender flavorful stews.
We'll also share ideas for hearty, vegetarian-optional main course Winter salads and teach you many ways to use nutritious, economical beans in your everyday home cooking.

Menu | Recipes

Chicken Tagine
with Preserved Lemons & Olives

Lamb Kofta
with Mint and Lemon

Warm Bean, Escarole and Hazelnut Salad


Breakfast All Day-Eggs

Wed | Feb 19, 2020 | 6–10P

Teacher Frances Wilson

Teacher Jen Nurse

Eggs are great for breakfast and beyond - serve a poached egg atop a lunchtime salad or scramble up a few for frittata as a super quick and easy supper.
This class will teach you to poach, fry, boil and bake eggs with confidence, then incorporate them into a variety of satisfying winter menus.

Menu | Recipes

Scrambled Eggs
with Bacon

Soft-Boiled Egg
with Warm Beluga Lentil Salad

Cheesy Grits
with Scallions and Poached Eggs

Polenta

Crispy Fried Egg Flatbreads
with Asparagus

Potato Tortilla

Meyer Lemon Soufflé


* Menus and recipes subject to change
About the teacher s

Frances Wilson

FRANCES WILSON can’t remember a time when her life has not revolved around food, from an early age cooking with her mother and then professionally as a chef and teacher. There are some that will say it's all she ever thinks about!
Frances trained as a high school teacher of Home Economics in her native Ireland. She moved to Berkeley in 1999 and was Executive Chef at the award-winning Lalime’s Restaurant for a decade, followed by four years as Culinary Director at Château Routas in Provence, France, where she catered to chateau guests and ran cooking classes.
For 10 years, Frances was Professional Culinary Instructor at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco, leading both the Professional Program and weekend specialty classes. She has taught at many other Bay Area venues including the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Sur la Table, and Copia and the Silverado Cooking School in Napa.
Frances is passionate about teaching people how to cook real food with great local ingredients. She wants her students to know that cooking simple meals doesn’t have to be a chore but can be a fun time spent with family and friends.

Other Classes taught by Frances

Feasting with Friends
Part of the Learn to Cook More Series
Thu | Mar 28, 2024 | 6P

Easter Brunch with Frances
Sun | Mar 31, 2024 | 10A

Get Sharp!—Kitchen Confidence
Part of the Learn to Cook - Spring 2024 Series
Wed | Apr 03, 2024 | 6P

Learn to Cook - Spring 2024
Wed | Apr 03, 2024 | 6P

From the Sea
Part of the Learn to Cook - Spring 2024 Series
Wed | Apr 10, 2024 | 6P

From Field & Garden
Part of the Learn to Cook - Spring 2024 Series
Wed | Apr 17, 2024 | 6P

Learn to Cook II - Spring 2024
Thu | Apr 18, 2024 | 6P

Pasta by Hand
Part of the Learn to Cook II - Spring 2024 Series
Thu | Apr 18, 2024 | 6P

Taking Stock—Chicken & Leftovers
Part of the Learn to Cook - Spring 2024 Series
Wed | Apr 24, 2024 | 6P

More Fish & Shellfish
Part of the Learn to Cook II - Spring 2024 Series
Thu | Apr 25, 2024 | 6P

Comfort—Braises & Beans
Part of the Learn to Cook - Spring 2024 Series
Wed | May 01, 2024 | 6P

Pantry Powerhouses
Part of the Learn to Cook II - Spring 2024 Series
Thu | May 02, 2024 | 6P

Breakfast All Day—Eggs
Part of the Learn to Cook - Spring 2024 Series
Wed | May 08, 2024 | 6P

Art of the Dinner Party
Part of the Learn to Cook II - Spring 2024 Series
Thu | May 09, 2024 | 6P


Jen Nurse

JEN NURSE, co-founder of The Civic Kitchen, has a passion for helping home cooks develop the skills and confidence to create great meals and have fun in their own kitchens. She relishes seeing the joy on students' faces as they realize they're mastering something they once feared. Her mission is to foster competence and civility through the medium of shared food experiences.
Before founding The Civic Kitchen, Jen led cooking classes for kids and adults at Tante Marie’s Cooking School, 18 Reasons, and elementary, middle and high schools throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
After years as a prolific and curious home cook, Jen studied pastry arts at the Art Institute of Seattle. She eventually scuttled her 15-year telecommunications career to open an award-winning boutique bakery in Seattle. After relocating to San Francisco, she worked as a pastry chef and recipe developer before enrolling in Tante Marie’s professional culinary program to gain a deeper knowledge of the kitchen's savory side. Soon thereafter, she found her deepest love of cooking when she began to teach.
Jen credits her mother’s exceptional home cooking (crêpes with Mornay sauce? Go, Mom!), her beloved Aunt Josy’s flaky-crust empanadas, and a transformative teenage year in Brescia, Italy with sparking her culinary curiosity. An insatiable bookworm, she blissfully shares her cookbook library with guests of The Civic Kitchen.

Other Classes taught by Jen

Feasting with Friends
Part of the Learn to Cook More Series
Thu | Mar 28, 2024 | 6P

Dough: Cookies and Crusts
Part of the Learn to Bake (Saturdays)—Spring 2024 Series
Sat | Apr 06, 2024 | 11A

Learn to Bake (Saturdays)—Spring 2024
Sat | Apr 06, 2024 | 11A

Knife Skills Basics
Tue | Apr 09, 2024 | 6P

Creams: Custards, Curds, and Ganache
Part of the Learn to Bake (Saturdays)—Spring 2024 Series
Sat | Apr 13, 2024 | 11A

Air: Meringues, Cream Puffs, and Soufflés
Part of the Learn to Bake (Saturdays)—Spring 2024 Series
Sat | Apr 20, 2024 | 11A

Layer Cakes
Part of the Learn to Bake (Saturdays)—Spring 2024 Series
Sat | Apr 27, 2024 | 11A