High Voltage Herbs: Flavor Powerhouses

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 14 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here. 

Herbs are not merely ingredients; they are characters in the grand opera of your kitchen. Too often cast as extras, these flavor powerhouses are ready for their close-up. In this class, we’ll unearth their secrets, exploring their personalities and surprising versatility.

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs: A tale of transformation. We begin the class with a taste test of a wide assortment of fresh and dried herbs. Discover the nuance, the subtle yet profound shift between garden-picked vitality and pantry-shelf wisdom.
Proper Handling: Treat fresh herbs with the reverence they deserve. Learn the art of washing, storing, and preserving their fleeting brilliance.
Herbs as Main Ingredients: Picture parsley stealing the spotlight in a lemony salsa or dill taking center stage in a lentil salad that is more herb than legume. These are no longer mere supporting players.
Soft vs. Hard Herbs: Know your stars. Tender, delicate basil requires a feather-light touch, while rosemary’s robustness demands a firm hand and clear vision.
Using Stems and Leaves: Waste not, want not. Even the stems have stories to tell—earthy, complex, and full of flavor.

Recipes will emerge as canvases for your creativity—modular, flexible, and ready to adapt to your whims. 

MENU

Herb Oils: Five varieties, dill, mint, basil, parsley and mixed herb

Herb Spreads: A tangy salsa verde and a piquant chimichurri 

Roasted Vegetables with Herbs: Two varieties: one roasted with dried herbs and the other roasted and then mixed with fresh herbs.

French Lentil Salad with Mixed Herbs: A vibrant mix of parsley, dill, and tarragon with a pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. 

Herb-Infused Poached Seasonal Fruit: Two varieties of herbs, served with a dollop of Bi-Rite Creamery’s vanilla ice cream.

This menu contains the following common allergens: Dairy (we can obtain a DF ice cream, please give us notice when you purchase your ticket), wheat (We can obtain GF bread, please give us notice when your purchase a ticket). If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Marie Brennan is a vegetable enthusiast, keen fermenter and an avid traveler. Her explorations are fueled by the desire to find her next pantry staple and learn yet another way to use onions. Her culinary focus is vegetarian, Californian cuisine that is imbued with global flavors. Her classes are known for their healthyish and punchy flavors as well as her non-dogmatic and enthusiastic approach to food. 

Marie graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Dietetics and in 2014 moved to the Bay Area to attend culinary arts school. She stayed for the produce and the sunshine. Marie lives in Berkeley California and works as an educator, consultant, private chef and recipe developer. You can learn more about Marie at www.hedonistinmoderation.com