The Civic Kitchen Cooking School

Jackie Apple has loved hanging out in the family kitchen since she was a youngster sitting on the counter watching her mother prepare classic Argentine food. Jackie spent long stretches of her youth abroad in Europe and South America. Some of her most vivid memories are of the flavorful meals shared with relatives and her host family: cherry clafouti in Vichy, France; pasta alla norcina in Perugia, Italy; empanadas de carne in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In college and graduate school, Jackie cooked whenever possible. Friends always jumped with joy when she offered to make a meal, and she even met her husband that way! Eventually, cooking on nights and weekends was not enough—Jackie enrolled at the Tante Marie Cooking School in San Francisco. There, despite stressing about every success and failure, she had the time of her life. She realized without a doubt that the kitchen was THE place for her.

Jackie has been teaching cooking for more than 20 years, taking great pleasure in seeing students learn something new that they will share with others. Like many of her students, Jackie has a family to feed and a busy schedule. She understands the importance of creating recipes that can be made quickly and efficiently.

The most important message Jackie has for her students is “Just Cook!” You will be amazed at the dishes you can create for your family and friends.

Kara Nielsen, The Sweets Professor, is a baking instructor, pastry chef, food writer and trendologist based in the San Francisco bay area. Kara fell in love with desserts as a child, when one of her favorite Christmas gifts was a Hamilton Beach Donut Maker, an early tell. She discovered the world of French pastry during a year abroad in Paris and has never looked back. After training as a pastry chef, she made fine-dining desserts for several years in Bay Area restaurant kitchens.

Passionate about sharing her knowledge, she has taught classes ranging from donut and dessert making to chocolate tasting. Kara’s interest in food culture and education led her to manage food, wine and culinary arts programs at Copia: The American Center for Wine Food & the Arts in Napa, Boston University, and Sur La Table. One of her favorite activities is guiding clients on trend tours, visiting retail and foodservice spots, with plenty of tasting along the way!

For nearly twenty years, Kara’s work as a trendologist has provided expertise in food and beverage trends to guide product development and brand strategy for food manufacturers and foodservice operators. She is a frequent commentator on trends in the national media and at food industry conferences across the country. Her writings on gastronomy have appeared in Gastronomica and the Sage Encyclopedia of Food Issues.

Kara holds a Master’s in Gastronomy from Boston University and a Bachelor’s in French Studies from Northwestern University. She also earned two certificates from the UK-based Wine & Spirits Education Trust. She is the current president of Les Dames d’Escoffier, San Francisco Chapter; a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals; and a past board member of the San Francisco Professional Food Society.

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.