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Attend a cooking class at Studio of Good Living in San Francisco and you’ll soon discover a new world full of culinary adventures. More than just a cooking school, the Studio of Good Living shares the art of living well with all its students!
Studio of Good Living offers exceptional cooking classes and events in the Bay Area and Beyond. Want to learn how to cook or brush up on your cooking skills? Take a class with us! Escape to San Francisco for a Taste of San Francisco or indulge yourself with Cook, Shop, Spa. Burned out? Drop into Live Well, Eat Well for yoga lovers. Continue the journey with the Art of Dinner Blog and view our video classes for new ideas to spice up your dinner table. . Need a change of scenery? Join us for a total culinary and lifestyle retreat in beautiful Maine. Discover the possibilities with Chef Phoebe Schilla and the Studio of Good Living. Life is Beautiful by Design.
I’m really excited about a new project that I am putting in place. I’ll be doing cooking demonstrations at one of the Farmer’s Markets in San Francisco twice a month this summer. You know all those lovely veggies at the farmer’s market that you have never seen before and haven’t a clue how to prepare? I’ll be on hand to answer any food related and cooking questions you may have. I’ll be doing cooking demonstrations using vegetables and products exclusively from the market. I will also be selling my first product at the market too!
Selling a product and doing cooking demos at the market is far more complicated than it sounds. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and I finally think that I am ready. I have to find a commercial kitchen (got one, natch.), navigate the San Francisco Department of Public Health, change my liability insurance to cover the farmer’s market space and the commercial kitchen rental….it’s a lot. It’s why I have put off creating a product for so long. It’s time though. I’m looking at this as a test run. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. Vendor licenses have to be renewed every 90 days in San Francisco so it is a short term (although pricey) investment. My assistant and right hand, Justine, will be partnering with me on this adventure.
I’m particularly pleased that I will be doing cooking demonstrations in the community. I passionately believe that we need to support our local farmers and in doing so, our local economy. In this modern world of facebook, email and skype we need to have more family connections around a dinner table filled with authentic foods and smells. Food nourishes us and has the power to enrich our lives. I want to share with you how to best utilize your time in the kitchen so that you have more time for yourself, your family and your friends. Cooking for yourself and your family can be like homework. You may moan and groan about it, but you feel good once it is done and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor (in this case a good meal and not a good grade on a test!)
I will be sure to keep you updated as things move along. Wish me luck!!
Phoebe
What a great name, huh? I have always been a firm believer that chocolate could change the future and now I know that other people feel the same way!! I spent this evening at a great event hosted by San Francisco hotshot chocolate maker Tcho. Their chocolates are exquisite. I highly recommend that you seek them out whether or not you are a chocoholic. FRED is not all about fun and games, no matter what you might hear. This was an event with a purpose. All proceeds from the event went to three different Haiti relief efforts. I was asked to donate some hors d’oeurves to the event. I couldn’t say no to such a worthy cause. I firmly believe that we all need to help each other out in this world, in whatever way we can, whenever we can.
I was recently invited to hold a cooking class in one of the dorms at the Stanford campus in Palo Alto. I was contacted by one of the RA’s (remember those?). She had noticed that the students who were not on the meal plan were challenged in the kitchen and really didn’t know what to eat or how to prepare something that was quick (so students have ample time to study,) healthy and tasty. Sooo, I am doing a series of cooking classes in the dorms, yes, you heard that right, in the dorms.
Dorm kitchens are small—if you are like me and have long, long forgotten what a dorm kitchen looks like, it’s akin to a kitchen in a studio or small one bedroom apartment. Since time and space where both considerations in planning the class, we limited it to 6 students. We made a mixed green salad with vinaigrette, Chicken Piccata, Brown Rice, Roasted Carrots and Chocolate Mousse. Just simple, tasty food that feeds your soul. Class lasted an hour and 15 minutes, and then we sat down to eat dinner. I emphasized how to properly saute a chicken breast and how to make a classic vinaigrette—these are two fundamental concepts that will carry over into a variety of different recipes.
It was a lot of fun, and I think that the students really enjoyed it. It was interesting to hear all of their questions too, from how to make a pilaf to how long can you marinate chicken for? They were very concerned about fats—specifically good fats, such as omega 3’s and were interested in the proper proportion of carbohydrates, fats, protein and vegetables. It was a lot of fun and I’ll be going back for another class on February 21st.
I’m taking matters into my own hands, taking my own advice and getting help in re-organizing my kitchen. I’m thrilled to finally be making some changes. We moved into our house when Lily was 12 weeks old and you know what? It is really difficult to move with an infant. Even 9 months later I simply have not had the time to shop for and install spice racks, roll out shelves for the cabinets etc. This is my project for 2010! Estimated completion date: March 1st, 2010.
One of the reasons why I love older homes (ours was built in 1927) is that they have a real kitchen and dining room. I’ve spent the last decade cramming all of my kitchen stuff (and sometimes it seems that all I have is kitchen stuff) into new construction apartments or condos with tiny galley kitchens. I have a theory that the downfall of our culture is rooted in the fact that we place very little value on cooking for ourselves and sharing food with our families. It’s really interesting to me that we are fascinated with food but in a very voyeuristic way. Everybody loves to watch the food network and flip through cookbooks, but very few people cook at home anymore. But enough on that rant…
Sprout is a fantastic all organic toddler and baby store in San Francisco. They have a variety of events each month and have a really cool space available for baby showers. The first time that I walked into the store, I loved the vibe and wanted to be a part of it.
Last month I presented a shortened version of my healthy snack seminar at in their store. We all love the idea of ‘healthy snacks’ and I think that healthy snacks should be the same for both children and adults. Cheese, yogurt, fruit and nuts are all examples of basic healthy snacks. But what about when you want something a little bit more decadent? Can you find something that satisfies? Will it still be wholesome? I think that you can. Homemade fruit leather and granola can be made with a minimum of fuss and are both tasty and delicious. I also love to make fruit filled quesadillas with flour tortillas. You can use gluten free or sprouted grain tortillas if wheat is an issue. Banana and chocolate are a favorite as is apple and cheddar.
Check out my video blog for recipes and demos. Hopefully you will see more of me at Sprout in the spring! Everyone deserves to eat tasty food.
When I heard yesterday that Gourmet Magazine would be closing by the end of the year, I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t. Gourmet magazine entered my life when I was a geeky and gawky 12 year old with a paper route. Gourmet was the magazine that showed me that there was a world outside of a small New England town. My favorite articles at the time were the restaurant reviews. I vicariously ate at restaurants all over the world. Gourmet fed my dreams. Sure, I missed a few editions when I was in college, but for the most part I have been a dedicated reader since 1986. Each month I look forward to the in- depth and provocative articles about the food world.
Gourmet magazine is very different from Bon Appetit. I’ve been a steady subscriber of BA too, but it has never carved out a place in my heart like Gourmet has. Gourmet is not afraid to be provocative, to take chances, to publish really difficult recipes that make even me, a pro, take a second look. I was a little skeptical when Ruth Reichl became the editor in 1999, but she has done a bang up job and taken the magazine to a new level. It’s one of the best values out there—I mean come on, I subscribe for $12 a year. That’s hardly lunch in San Francisco! I would gladly pay triple that to keep Gourmet in business. With a million subscribers, you would think that there would be enough of us to reverse the tide. What do you think?
Gourmet, may you make a glorious, comeback. I can’t believe that you are gone. You will be greatly missed.
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