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 20 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. Throughout her youth, Jackie traveled often to Europe ... 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

Annie Fenn M.D.

DR. ANNIE FENN is the founder of the Brain Health Kitchen, the only cooking school of its kind focused exclusively on brain health and helping people prevent cognitive decline through food and ... READ MORE

Nafy Flatley

NAFY FLATLEY, a native of Senegal, moved to California to attend school at the University of San Francisco. After she earned her degree in business, she worked in Silicon Valley for start-up ... 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 is the author of Mumbai Modern: Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by Indian Roots and California Cuisine, as well as a recipe developer, photographer, computer engineer, and ... 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

Becky Lawton

BECKY LAWTON is a professional food photographer specializing in still life compositions in the creative culinary field, with wide experience spanning more than 25 years. Her extensive portfolio of ... 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 is the founder of Sobremesa and Sobremesa Culinary Tours. After receiving her Ph.D. in Humanities and an academic career, ... 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

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

Paul Schumer

PAUL SCHUMER has been involved in food on many levels, as a brand manager, marketing executive, cook and teacher. He has instructed at San Francisco Cooking School, where he taught tapas classes to ... 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