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
Easter Lunch with Frances
Sun | Apr 09, 2023 | 10A
Get Sharp!—Kitchen Confidence
Part of the Learn to Cook (Wednesdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Wed | Apr 12, 2023 | 6P
Get Sharp!—Kitchen Confidence
Part of the Learn to Cook (Thursdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Thu | Apr 13, 2023 | 6P
From Field & Garden
Part of the Learn to Cook (Wednesdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Wed | Apr 19, 2023 | 6P
From Field & Garden
Part of the Learn to Cook (Thursdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Thu | Apr 20, 2023 | 6P
Cooking with Fish and Shellfish
Sun | Apr 23, 2023 | 10A
From the Sea
Part of the Learn to Cook (Wednesdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Wed | Apr 26, 2023 | 6P
From the Sea
Part of the Learn to Cook (Thursdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Thu | Apr 27, 2023 | 6P
Taking Stock—Chicken & Leftovers
Part of the Learn to Cook (Wednesdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Wed | May 03, 2023 | 6P
Comfort—Braises & Beans
Part of the Learn to Cook (Wednesdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Wed | May 10, 2023 | 6P
Taking Stock—Chicken & Leftovers
Part of the Learn to Cook (Thursdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Thu | May 11, 2023 | 6P
Breakfast All Day—Eggs
Part of the Learn to Cook (Wednesdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Wed | May 17, 2023 | 6P
Comfort—Braises & Beans
Part of the Learn to Cook (Thursdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Thu | May 18, 2023 | 6P
Breakfast All Day—Eggs
Part of the Learn to Cook (Thursdays) - Spring 2023 Series
Thu | May 25, 2023 | 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.
