Winter Squash Wonderland

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. 

Winter Squash is a wondrous ingredient to work with. Not only is it sweet, tender, earthy and satisfying, it also is packed with nutrients. The deeper into winter we get, the sweeter the squash tend to get so let’s cook them up in a myriad of ways to celebrate all that they have to offer. We are lucky to source all of our ingredients from Bi-Rite Market so we will be able to showcase and incredible array of varieties grown on local farms!

In this class students will learn to make a silky pureed squash soup top with fried sage leaves, they’ll bake up delicious filo wrapped Burekas filled with caramelized leeks, fennel and winter squash and topped with a fennel frond and golden raisin salsa verde. They will roast chunks of delicata squash to crispy perfection and use them to top a crostini with whipped ricotta, pomegranate and mint, they’ll perfect their pumpkin cheesecake and top with salty caramel and candied pecans, and more! Our love for this ingredient will not be squashed! 

MENU 

Crostini with Whipped Ricotta, Crispy Delicata Squash, Pomegranate, Mint 

Chicories, Pistachio, Pear, Squash “Croutons”, Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette 

Butternut Squash and Brown Butter Puree with Fried Sage and Hazelnuts 

Caramelized Leek, Squash, and Feta Bureka with Sesame, and Fennel Frond Golden Raisin Salsa Verde  

Red Curry Squash Cheesecake, Graham Cracker Crust, Salted Caramel, Candied Pecans 

This menu contains the following common allergens: Tree Nuts, Dairy, Wheat. 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!

Gracie Schatz has been in the food industry for over fifteen years. In her career, Gracie has worked in a variety of places: as a baker and private chef in Eugene, OR, farming and cooking in Italy, raising pigs in the Sierra Foothills, butchering at the Fatted Calf in San Francisco, managing Avedano’s in Bernal Heights, cooking at Bay Area restaurants Molina and Cala and her own pop-up restaurant, Bread and Bones Supper. In Eugene, she started her own food justice nonprofit, Marigold Cooking Collective. After working with 18 Reasons as a guest instructor for the past 7 years, Gracie has decided to move from Eugene to San Francisco and join us as our head Chef. Her dream is to never stop learning about delicious food, to never stop exploring the many nuanced ways that food brings us joy, connection to culture, identity, seasons and community. 18 Reasons feels like the perfect place to explore this dream and she is so excited to be here!