Summer Classes: Peninsula-Here-I-Come & Underground Cheese and Wine
In honor of my move, a pic of one of the cheeses I served at my favorite peninsula winery (but that's technically in Santa Cruz)... Ridge Montebello!
Silicon Valley seen from Montebello hills
Big news: I'm moving to the peninsula at the end of this month!
Which.... may mean more for me than you. Since, you know, I'm the one calling the movers and all that. And San Francisco and East Bay cheese lovers and friends, don't worry. I'm moving just 35 minutes from the city. I'm not leaving you; I'm just moving to a place with more trees and parking. My business continues to be mobile.
But peninsula friends, I'm excited to start teaching more public and private classes near you! Know a place where you'd like to see me teach? I'd love to hear about it. August and September public classes follow. As always, classes fill up fast- consider reserving your spot early. If interested in a private class for your friends, party, or employees, please email me directly.
Summer Classes
Pennyroyal’s Velvet Sister making an oozing appearance at the Ridge Montebello release
Mozzarella Stretching & Cheese and Wine Pairing
Aug 15th, Tuesday 6:00-9:00pm, Los Gatos, Cafe Enoteca
Kirstin Jackson is back by popular demand to teach another cheese making class here at Enoteca! This installment will feature and in-depth and hands on course on stretching Mozzarella curds, making shaped and marinating them. After the cheese is made we will then have a wine pairing session featuring 4 Italian selections from Girasole Imports and 6 cheeses. Each ticket is good for the course, wine pairing and a portion of fresh cheese to take home. Please be ready to get your hands dirty and alot about 3 hours for the entire class. Tickets are extremely limited so get yours immmediately!
Basic Cheesemaking: Chevre, Marscapone and Ricotta
August 20th, Sunday 11- 2pm, San Francisco, The Cheese School
Chevre, mascarpone, and ricotta are the cheeses that make appetizers and main courses sing. In this hands-on class, cheesemaker Kirstin Jackson will teach you how to make the cheeses that will become staples in your fridge for many more meals to come. You'll try your creations in class and bring some home to share, or not.
California's Unsung Cheeses and Wines
August 23rd, Wednesday 7-9pm, San Francisco, 18 Reasons
With its trophy cabernets and castle wineries, Napa draws more tourists than Bi-Rite Creamery's lines on a summer’s day. Down a winding road (or two) is Sonoma and Marin - home to the legendary creameries that put our state on the dairy map. Past the shiny surfaces of these celebrated regions, bottles, and wheels, you’ll find a California that, while less glittery, is packed with gems that make wine and cheese geeks swoon.
Mozzarella & Burrata
August 27th, Sunday 11-2pm, San Francisco, The Cheese School
Mozzarella on nearly every aspiring home-cheesemaker’s to-do list. Yet, it’s not easy to get it right. Why won’t your curds form a ball? When you do get the ball to form, why is it hard enough for a game of hacky-sack? These are the mysteries of mozzarella. In this class, your instructor, who is also a cheesemaker, will not only demystify the mozz, but also get you on the road to making perfect ovalini and bocconcini just in time for all that wonderful summer produce. But wait! There’s more! We’ll use our curds to make everyone’s favorite cheese, burrata.
Cheesemaking: It's Not You, it's BRIE
Sept 6th, Wednesday 6-9pm, San Francisco, 18 Reasons
Smooth, rich and decadent, bloomy-rinded cheeses like brie engage senses in a special way. They also lend themselves to a wide variety of pairings and cooking methods. And you can make them at home! In this hands-on class, author and cheesemaker Kirstin Jackson will teach us to inoculate milk with a culture and how to proceed through ripening, churning, and draining the curds. She'll cover aging conditions, breathable wrappings, vegetable ash, and ripeness. After we sit down to a light meal (made with brie, of course!), we will each leave with a freshly made baby brie wheel to age at home.
Cheesemaking: Fresh Cheeses with Leaves and Flowers
Sept 10th Sunday 11-2pm, San Francisco, The Cheese School
Few of the new year’s pleasures are greeted with as much joy as the wobbly legs and little sounds of baby animals and the first bright blooms in the garden. In this class you’ll learn to make queso fresco, fromage blanc, and ricotta from scratch, then marinate each in its own springtime bouquet of leaves, herbs, and flowers.....
Italian Wine & Cheese Pairing
Sept 12th, Sunday 6:00-7:30pm, Albany, Solano Cellars
Take a guided trip to Italy with the help of Sommelier Kyla Knox and cheese guru Kirstin Jackson. Learn about a handful of delicious wines from all over Italy and how to pair them with selected cheeses to experience the ultimate in Italian delight. This class is capped at 25 participants. Tuesday, September 12th 6-7:30PM! Hope to see you there!
End of Summer Reds
Sept 13th, Wednesday 6:30-6:30pm, San Francisco, The Cheese School
While white and rosé wines typically hold court in summer, there’s no need to banish red wine. In fact, light-bodied reds can be a delicious pairing for cheese. In this class you’ll meet four light red wines perfect for late summer sipping and the cheeses that love them. Author and wine and cheese pairing master Kirstin Jackson leads.