Spanish Cooking Class: a Night in Spain

Learn how to cook classic Spanish dishes in San Francisco



3 hours Class size 1 to 15     label $135

Looking for fun things to do in San Francisco? Be transported to Spain for a day with Chef James and learn how to cook a beautiful paella!

Gather your friends or colleagues and try out this exciting cooking class in Chef James' home kitchen. Great for birthday party ideas or team building activities, this interactive class will give you an understanding and deeper appreciation for classic Spanish flavors and ingredients.

On the menu is a series of Spanish tapas, a beautiful paella, a salad, and a dessert. This cooking experience is interactive and during the class Chef James will share his knowledge and recipes so you can recreate everything from the comfort of your own home!

You will participate in creating elements of the meal but some dishes and ingredients will be prepped before the class to save time. Due to the nature of paella this is not a hands-on experience such as pasta making but is highly interactive.

At the end of your Spanish cooking class, sit down and taste your delicious meals. You are more than welcome to bring along your own wine or beer to enjoy throughout the class.

Please note: Public dates for this class require at least 4 guests to run. In the unlikely event that we don't reach this number, we'll cancel the class; in this case we'll inform you and allow you to get a refund or reschedule, so please watch your email/SMS one day prior to the class.



Knowledge required
Beginners welcome.
 
What you'll get
Your delicious Spanish feast!
 
What to bring
  • Please wear closed-in shoes.
  • You are welcome to bring your own wine or beer.
Suitable for

This class is great for individuals and couples as well as for a team building activity, birthday or bachelorette party.

This would also be a lovely gift for her, gift for mom, anniversary gift, Father's Day gift or birthday gift.


Cook With James is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and adheres to COVID-19 government guidelines.

Location

1373 Masonic Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117

Your teacher
Cook With James
Cook With James

5.0 (46)
19k

James grew up on a 50 acre horse farm near the Salinas Valley. His great grandfather emigrated from Yugoslavia into the Central Valley and started an apple farm. His grandfather later moved to the very fertile Salinas Valley and started one of the first produce companies. It was called Sun Harvest. My mother raised us mostly on local fruits and vegetables though there was still the occasional cooking “out of a can” given the generation. Canned beets! The one thing we always had was a bowl of fresh fruit, cut up and put into a bowl for us before we went to bed.

James earned a masters in Spanish literature and linguistics through Middlebury College and lived in Spain for two years. He later entered into the technology business and worked at various advertising agencies in San Francisco over a 12 year period. Along the way he started cooking as "therapy" for his corporate day job. CookWithJames was created 15 years ago as an underground supper club. James would prepare multiple course regional Italian and Spanish dinners in his home for guests and friends. James staged at Quince restaurant after they opened in 2004, and has also lived and cooked in both Italy and Spain. After leaving his day job in advertising in 2009 James launched CookWithJames as a full-time business, offering private sit-down dinners as well as cooking class parties for all occasions.

Verified reviews

We only show reviews from customers who have paid for and attended this class


Jessica Galicia May 2023


It was a great class and time to meet other people I want to do it again.

Spanish Cooking Class: a Night in Spain review by Jessica Galicia - San Francisco

Brent Stapleton Nov 2022


James was great, he was very knowledgeable, friendly, and had a beautiful kitchen. The paella we made was a very accessible recipe, and the resulting meal was delicious.

Anne Gamino Nov 2022


We absolutely enjoyed this cooking class with Chef James! He was personable, professional, and he gave us lots of tips and answered all our questions. The class format was relaxed and intimate. The entire experience exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to signing up for another class with Chef James again soon!

Michael Cott Sep 2022


James did a great job! Friendly, informative and knowledgeable. He made everyone feel at home and we all really enjoyed the paella

Daniella Schepps Jul 2022


Our evening with Chef James was unforgettable! His house is stunning and the most perfect vibe for an evening of cooking and fine food. James was informative, interesting, and it was the best paella any of us have had. He made for a really special for me family and me.

Cooking class review by Daniella Schepps - San Francisco

Suvita Viswanathan May 2022


It was a great class. We absolutely enjoyed our evening of learning and eating great food!

See 5 more reviews   

Mark Ciopyk May 2022


James was unbelievably kind, fun to talk to, and very informative. I look forward to not only trying the recipe at home, but reserving our next time with him.

Claudia Guerra Apr 2022


Great experience with chef James. We were a small group of 4 people and we felt at home during the class and experience. We learned how to cook paella over great conversation amongst friends. If you would like to have an amazing intimate evening immersing in the Spanish food and culture, I absolutely recommend it.

Cooking class review by Claudia Guerra - San Francisco

Christina Vailas Feb 2022


This was a super fun evening in a beautiful setting. The food was delicious and Chef James was very welcoming and a great host!

Marissa Pardini Jan 2022


This experience was great! James was extremely knowledgeable. I went with my Dad and we had a blast. The food was delicious and it was really interesting to learn about the background and history of the food.

Spanish Cooking Class: a Night in Spain review by Marissa Pardini - San Francisco
4FHB8OR140 b96a490f1dd90bcefdba5812d2d1076a production San Francisco CA US san-francisco