Joanne Weir's Cooking School

Take an exclusive hands-on cooking course with me in San Francisco - in my private home!
Come cook with me one-on-one in my professional home kitchen which is also the set of my PBS television series, "Joanne Weir's Cooking Class". Bring a friend, family member, or come by yourself for a wonderful cooking holiday with me in San Francisco.

My courses are limited to 10 students so you get plenty of personal attention in the kitchen, as we prepare recipes from my favorite food and wine regions, my latest cookbooks, TV shows, and my travels around the world. I will teach you classic cooking techniques, share some fantastic recipes and tips for entertaining, and of course I'll show you some of my favorite cooking tricks! Each morning we'll meet in my kitchen to review recipes, divide into groups and begin cooking together. Then we'll sit down to enjoy the dishes we've prepared along with some of the most amazing wines! And you'll still have plenty of time to explore the sights of San Francisco.

Come cook with me in San Francisco! I promise it will be such a fun and informative experience.

Here is the schedule of cooking courses for 2010:

Rolling in Dough: Homemade Pasta, Pizza and Pastry Weekend Cooking Course
February 5-7, 2010
US $1,000.00*

A Trip Around the Mediterranean
July 19-23, 2010
US $2,000.00*

Sauce Camp: from Simple to Spectacular Weekend Cooking Course
August 13-15, 2010
US $1,000.00*

Weir University: 50 Techniques in 5 Days
November 8-12, 2010
US $2,000.00*

Course Details

I love to teach and I have so much fun coming up with the themes for each of the cooking course programs at my house in San Francisco. I am always inspired to teach my students to cook seasonally, using the ingredients available at your local farmers' market or supermarket. I come up with menus that will teach you different cooking techniques and show you how to balance different flavors and textures. And of course I love to create the "wow" factor with dishes that look like they took hours to cook, but are simple with spectacular results!

I had a lot of fun coming up with the menu themes for each class of my week-long Summer in San Francisco course! We have access to such wonderful fruits and vegetables, and we'll use them to create some of my favorite recipes for easy summer entertaining!

Did anyone say tequila? I love tequila so much I wrote a book about it! I am really excited to teach you how tequila is produced and how to cook with it during our TEQUILA Weekend Cooking Course. I'll teach you how to mix tequila cocktails and how to prepare delicious savory and sweet dishes featuring this fantastic and complex spirit. We'll prepare fabulous menus paired with tequila cocktails Tequila: Types, Flights, Cocktails and Bites. Let the fiesta begin!

Fall is one of my favorite seasons - especially during harvest. I am really excited to have you join me for the Harvest in Wine Country cooking course where we will prepare lots of recipes perfect for the holidays and entertaining. We'll even prepare a holiday cocktail party menu featuring recipes from my latest book, Tequila: Types, Flights, Cocktails and Bites. Let the party begin!

Classes

Each hands-on cooking class will include recipes designed to highlight the typical dishes of a particular region, theme and/or cooking technique. After reviewing the recipes together, students will divide into teams to work on recipes together.

When we are finished cooking each day, we'll sit down in my spacious dining room and enjoy hand-selected wine pairings with each of the dishes we've prepared.

Wine Pairings

You know how I feel about wine so a delicious meal is not complete without the perfect pairing of wine! At the end of each class and paired with the meal we have prepared, we'll taste a variety of wines whose flavors and acidity have been selected to match those of each dish, and we'll learn about the grape varietals and origin of each wine and discuss them together. Wine tasting notes will be provided. We will also have a very special guest(s) pouring wines at some of our meals!

Accommodations

After cooking during the day, you will still have plenty of time to enjoy San Francisco and all of its wonderful views and sights. We can provide a list of nearby hotels and bed & breakfasts to choose from for your stay. We can also arrange for car or taxi service from/to your hotel to Joanne's home. We are also happy to provide a list of Joanne's favorite San Francisco restaurants, cafes, wine bars, shops, and farmer's market locations. You can find some of her local favorites here.

Course Details

Weekend courses are $1,000* per person, and week-long courses are $2,000* per person. The cost includes hands-on cooking instruction, copies of all recipes, apron, and a multi-course lunch complete with wine pairings. Full payment for the course must be included with your completed reservation form. Credit card payments via PayPal are accepted for cooking courses. Due to limited availability we cannot provide any refunds for cancellations.

*Note: Course fee does not include accommodations or transportation to the cooking school location.

Classes begin at 10am and finish at approximately 3pm. Classes are limited to 10 students so everyone gets lots of personal attention and a real hands-on experience. We recommend wearing closed-toe, rubber-soled shoes and comfortable clothes for the cooking classes.

Questions? Contact us.