In-Person Cooking Class

Airy: Air and Steam in Baked Goods

Thu | Feb 08, 2018 | 6–10P PT

Part of the Learn to Bake - Winter 2018 Series

Teacher Sasha Crehan

Co-Founder Jen Nurse

Chefs Jen and Sasha will show you how to use tiny bubbles of air to your baking advantage. Air and steam, usually enhanced by heat, make our meringues feather-light, our crusts flaky, and our cakes and soufflés rise to every occasion. This class will have you walking on air with lots of techniques and fun recipes to use at home.
class notes:
A light supper will be served in class, along with beer and wine. As the evening ends, we'll sample our sweet creations, often with plenty left over to take home.

Menu | Recipes

Meringues
Many Ways

Pâte à Choux
for Cream Puffs & Eclairs

About the teachers

Sasha Crehan

SASHA CREHAN teaches The Civic Kitchen’s Learn to Bake series for home bakers. She believes that once her students understand the chemistry behind the magic of perfectly whipped egg whites, the multifaceted personality of sugar, and the glory of butter, they can fully immerse themselves in the joy of successful baking.
Sasha studied Pastry Arts at Tante Marie’s Cooking School. After years of working as a pastry chef at Bay Area restaurants and bakeries such as Bay Wolf, Garibaldi’s, Café Rouge and Sweet Adeline Bakeshop, she returned to her alma mater to teach the Professional Pastry Course and many recreational classes. Sasha has also worked as a freelance baker of specialty cakes and desserts for weddings and other celebrations.

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

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