Teacher

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 1990 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.

Upcoming classes taught by Frances Wilson

Teen Cooking Camp: Day 4

Part of the 5-Day Teen Cooking Camp Series

Celebrate Day 4 of our Teen Cooking Camp with a taco bar, complete with crispy fish or steak and a rainbow of traditional sides.

Thu Jul 16 | 10A

Teen Cooking Camp: Day 5

Part of the 5-Day Teen Cooking Camp Series

Celebrate the final day of our Teen Cooking Camp with sweet and savory baking recipes, plus homemade ice cream!

Fri Jul 17 | 10A

Pantry Recipes

Part of the Learn to Cook More: Self-Sufficiency—Fall 2026 Series

Learn how to stock your kitchen with store-bought items to up your everyday cooking game with minimal effort.

Wed Sep 09 | 6P

Learn to Cook More: Self-Sufficiency—Fall 2026

What’s for dinner? Learn to answer this question with ease, with strategies for stocking your pantry and freezer, make-ahead cooking, and transforming leftovers into great low-stress meals all week long.

Wed Sep 09 | 6P

Multi-Meal Planning

Part of the Learn to Cook More: Self-Sufficiency—Fall 2026 Series

Set yourself up for success by cooking a big batch of something on one day and transforming the leftovers into several creative meals throughout the week.

Wed Sep 16 | 6P

Simple Strategies

Part of the Learn to Cook More: Self-Sufficiency—Fall 2026 Series

Become a more empowered eater by batch cooking, harnessing the power of your freezer, and learning to make quick dishes that serve one or two, with or without the use of a recipe.

Wed Sep 23 | 6P

Kitchen Confidence—Get Sharp!

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Thursdays Series

Transform your home cooking in our Learn to Cook Series: We’ll teach you to season food properly, read & follow (or ignore!) recipes, and vastly improve your knife skills.

Thu Oct 01 | 6P

Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Thursdays

Build a strong foundation for any culinary challenge thrown your way. Get ready to face the fundamentals—from chopping to sautéing to steaming, we’ve got it covered!

Thu Oct 01 | 6P

Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Saturdays

Build a strong foundation for any culinary challenge thrown your way. Get ready to face the fundamentals—from chopping to sautéing to steaming, we’ve got it covered!

Sat Oct 03 | 11A

Kitchen Confidence—Get Sharp!

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Saturdays Series

Transform your home cooking in our Learn to Cook Series: We’ll teach you to season food properly, read & follow (or ignore!) recipes, and vastly improve your knife skills.

Sat Oct 03 | 11A

From the Sea

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Thursdays Series

Learn to select seafood and prepare it using a variety of techniques. We will also include grain and vegetable dishes, with plenty of inspiration and recipes to expand your repertoire.

Thu Oct 08 | 6P

From the Sea

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Saturdays Series

Learn to select seafood and prepare it using a variety of techniques. We will also include grain and vegetable dishes, with plenty of inspiration and recipes to expand your repertoire.

Sat Oct 10 | 11A

From Field and Garden

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Thursdays Series

In this vegetable-focused class, we’ll work with a rainbow of seasonal produce, widening your vegetable horizons to help you make varied, inviting, and nourishing meals.

Thu Oct 15 | 6P

From Field and Garden

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Saturdays Series

In this vegetable-focused class, we’ll work with a rainbow of seasonal produce, widening your vegetable horizons to help you make varied, inviting, and nourishing meals.

Sat Oct 17 | 11A

Taking Stock—Chicken & Leftovers

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Thursdays Series

Stock your pantry, freezer and recipe collection with basics for easier menu planning. We’ll show how a simple chicken and pantry staples can yield enticing meals all week long.

Thu Oct 22 | 6P

Taking Stock—Chicken & Leftovers

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Saturdays Series

Stock your pantry, freezer and recipe collection with basics for easier menu planning. We’ll show how a simple chicken and pantry staples can yield enticing meals all week long.

Sat Oct 24 | 11A

Comfort—Braises & Beans

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Thursdays Series

Fall months call for heartwarming recipes to nourish us through the season. Learn to make comforting braises, hearty bean dishes and satisfying main course salads.

Thu Oct 29 | 6P

Comfort—Braises & Beans

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Saturdays Series

Fall months call for heartwarming recipes to nourish us through the season. Learn to make comforting braises, hearty bean dishes and satisfying main course salads.

Sat Oct 31 | 11A

Breakfast All Day—Eggs

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Thursdays Series

Learning to cook with the versatile egg can yield countless tempting meals. Join us to poach, fry, boil, bake, soufflé and scramble your way to egg expertise.

Thu Nov 05 | 6P

Breakfast All Day—Eggs

Part of the Learn to Cook—Fall 2026 Saturdays Series

Learning to cook with the versatile egg can yield countless tempting meals. Join us to poach, fry, boil, bake, soufflé and scramble your way to egg expertise.

Sat Nov 07 | 11A