Our Teachers

We are so fortunate to work with such a diverse and talented group of teachers. They have years of experience spanning different cuisines and techniques and they are ready to help you become a better home cook.


Meghna Agarwal

MEGHNA AGARWAL teaches Indian cooking classes, caters parties, runs her private chef business, and occasionally feeds the hungry souls of San Francisco’s numerous startups. When asked about her ... READ MORE

Kausar Ahmed

KAUSAR AHMED was born in Karachi, Pakistan. She is a writer, food stylist and chef with over 25 years of experience in culinary arts. She has been a culinary instructor and cooking show producer and ... READ MORE

Jackie Apple

As a youngster, JACKIE APPLE loved hanging out in the family kitchen, sitting on the counter watching her mother prepare classic Argentine food. Jackie spent long stretches of her youth abroad in ... READ MORE

Peri Avari

PERI AVARI is a Mumbai native and chef, culinary instructor, and food writer with over two decades of experience in the professional food and hospitality industry. She is passionate about elevating ... READ MORE

Bebe Black Carminito

BEBE BLACK CARMINITO is a food stylist, recipe developer, content creator, and professional makeup artist. Her debut cookbook, The Curated Board: Inspired Platters & Spreads for Any Occasion, ... READ MORE

Viola Buitoni

VIOLA BUITONI, chef instructor and food writer, was born in Rome and raised in Perugia, Italy. The stories and knowledge from six generations cross with the best of California agriculture and the ... READ MORE

Deirdre Davis

DEIRDRE DAVIS has worked as a culinary instructor and pastry chef for over 25 years in the Bay Area. Originally from the east coast, she moved to California to attend the ... READ MORE

Naz Deravian

NAZ DERAVIAN is a writer, home cook, and actor born in Iran. She grew up in Italy and Canada and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. ... READ MORE

Kitiya Ditpare

KITTY DITPARE is the owner and chef of KITIYA THAI EATS in San Francisco. She grew up immersed in her family's restaurant business in Bangkok, Thailand and fondly ... READ MORE

Greg Dunmore

GREG DUNMORE is a San Francisco chef and co-founder of The Japanese Pantry, a company dedicated to bringing artisanal Japanese ingredients to cooks in the United ... READ MORE

Linda Tay Esposito

LINDA TAY ESPOSITO is a teaching chef whose food represents a tribute and a commitment to the authenticity of the cuisines of the Pacific Rim. Since 2004, Linda has shared her passion and knowledge of ... READ MORE

Sara Forte

SARA FORTE has been sharing plant-forward, practical recipes by way of her award-winning food blog, Instagram, and meal planning subscription, Sprouted Kitchen Cooking Club, since 2010. ... READ MORE

Agustín Gaytán

AGUSTÍN GAYTÁN is a chef, teacher, consultant and culinary researcher. Born in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, in central Mexico, he learned to cook at an early age in his mother's kitchen, and ... READ MORE

Yana Gilbuena

YANA GILBUENA is a Philippine-born, critically-acclaimed, ancestrally-taught writer, teacher and chef whose work centers on decolonization/redigenization through food. ... READ MORE

Aliza Grayevsky Somekh

ALIZA GRAYEVSKY SOMEKHIS is the Oakland-based founder of Bishulim SF, where she shares her love of contemporary Israeli cuisine as a caterer and culinary instructor. ... READ MORE

Amisha Gurbani

AMISHA DODHIA GURBANI, author of Mumbai Modern: Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by Indian Roots and California Cuisine, is a recipe developer, photographer, and the creator of The Jam Lab, where ... READ MORE

Erica Holland-Toll

ERICA HOLLAND-TOLL is a San Francisco-based chef and instructor with over 25 years of culinary experience. Her career has spanned innovation centers like The Culinary Edge and The Stanford Flavor Lab, ... READ MORE

Dianne Jacob

DIANNE JACOB is the author of the multiple award-winning book, Will Write for Food: Pursue Your Passion and Bring Home the Dough Writing Recipes, Cookbooks, Blogs, and More, now in its Fourth ... READ MORE

Jeremy Jarman

Meet JEREMY JARMAN, a pastry chef, cooking teacher and recipe developer hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area. He firmly believes no meal is complete unless it ends with something sweet! ... READ MORE

Michael Kalanty

MICHAEL KALANTY is a professional bread baking instructor and writer. His curricula and baking talents have built baking programs at many of the country's most prestigious institutions, including the ... READ MORE

Beth Lee

BETH A. LEE grew up on the East Coast before moving to Northern California, far away from the traditional Jewish food she was raised on. ... READ MORE

Camila Loew

CAMILA LOEW has spent her life among three cultures: Argentina, the US, and Spain, yet she swears she was Japanese in a past life. She is the founder of Sobremesa and Sobremesa Culinary Tours, ... READ MORE

Rosemary Mark

ROSEMARY MARK remembers the day her kindergarten teacher said, “Rosemary, today you need to play somewhere other than the kitchen or the grocery store”. But she didn’t know where else to play! ... READ MORE

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 ... READ MORE

Nisha Panchal Patel

NISHA PANCHAL PATEL is a chef, recipe developer, and culinary instructor with a deep connection to her Gujarati (Indian) roots. She believes every meal can be a celebration of tradition and flavor! ... READ MORE

Hanif Sadr

HANIF SADR is chef and co-founder of Komaaj Food Group, a northern Iranian restaurant group in the Bay Area. Chef Sadr grew up in Tehran and spent summers on his grandparents’ farm in northern Iran. ... READ MORE

Micah Siva

MICAH SIVA is a chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer, and food photographer specializing in modern Jewish cuisine. Through her blog, Nosh with Micah, she shares Jewish-inspired, plant-forward ... READ MORE

Christina Sunae

CHRISTINA SUNAE is a renowned chef and culinary instructor based in Argentina. Originally from the United States and of Korean blood, she spoke her first words in Japan and spent her childhood in the ... READ MORE

Pierre Thiam

PIERRE THIAM is a celebrated chef, restaurateur, author, entrepreneur, and environmental activist. Born and raised in Senegal, he is known for his innovative cooking style, at once modern and eclectic ... READ MORE

Anna Voloshyna

ANNA VOLOSHYNA was born in southern Ukraine and relocated to the United States in 2011. She is a chef, blogger, and culinary instructor who translates Eastern European cuisine into approachable dishes ... READ MORE

Karen Wang Diggs

KAREN WANG DIGGS (Chief Fermentation Officer) is a classically trained chef and instructor, inventor, fermentation expert, author, and Certified Nutrition Consultant. She teaches in San Francisco and ... READ MORE

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 ... READ MORE

Lorraine Witte

LORRAINE “The Chinese Lady” WITTE was born in Hawaii to Chinese immigrants and first became aware of her multicultural heritage through food. Her father showed her how to cook with his hands over ... READ MORE