
The Art of Flavor Book Event
$10 per person
Instructor
When it comes to enjoying food, cooking and eating are just the beginning. Our Special Events expose you to the legends, thought-leaders, and other culinary talents whose work will help you foster a deeper appreciation for food and food culture.
About This Class
Michelin two-star chef Daniel Patterson and celebrated natural perfumer Mandy Aftel are experts at orchestrating ingredients. In a world awash in cooking shows and food blogs, they noticed home cooks get little guidance in the art of flavor. With a set of revolutionary principles and tools such as the Four Rules for creating flavor and the Seven Dials that help fine-tune a dish, and with more than seventy-five recipes that put each concept into practice, Patterson and Aftel share the secrets to creating delicious food that will help cooks at any level.
Join Mandy and Daniel for a demo and conversation about one of our favorite chapters in their book, the Flavor Compass. Often the last ingredients to be added in a recipe, plant-based ingredients like herbs, spices, citruses, and flowers are rich in essential oils that can transform the flavor of a dish. “The Flavor Compass” helps cooks think structurally about these intensely aromatic yet frequently overlooked ingredients. They reveal their similarities and differences, and explain how to use them to create unique flavor combinations in easy, joyful, and fruitful ways.
Coffee and light snack will be served, and Omnivore Books will have a limited number of additional books for sale at the class.
The price of entry is $10 for the demo, or $28 for the demo + copy of the book.
Details
- Light snack served in class
- Ages 18+
FAQ
The average duration of our current cooking classes is 2 hours, which is predominately hands-on work. You will be standing for the majority of class, cooking at your work station as your instructor demonstrates techniques and walks around providing individual feedback.
Due to COVID-19 regulations, we can not have students congregate in the building before class starts. Doors will open 5 minutes prior to class starting and we will begin promptly on time. Students will be asked to queue up outside the door of the school, safely distanced (sidewalks are clearly marked) and will be let in the school just before class begins.
Please arrive at the school with your own mask on. You will be given a new, disposable mask to wear in class to ensure what you have on hasn’t been contaminated prior to entering SFCS. We will have extras available should you need one while at school.
Wear comfortable clothes and close-toed shoes (remember, you’ll be on your feet cooking). The kitchens at SFCS are fully equipped with everything else you need, including clean aprons.
Due to COVID-19 regulations, we will not be serving food or drinks during class, We will, however, be sending you home with both ingredients and finished food items so you can enjoy them later, and practice as well.
Wear casual clothing you can easily move around in, and comfortable close-toed shoes. Long hair must be pulled back and masks, provided by SFCS, are required while in the building.
Cancellation Policy
Daniel Patterson

Daniel Patterson exemplifies the modern version of California Cuisine. Having nurtured the careers of the some of the Bay Area’s best chefs at his restaurant Coi, Daniel is driven by pursuing the how and why behind how things work in a kitchen. He is intensely curious and uses this curiosity to continually be learning and teaching others.
Having been named Best New Chef by Food & Wine, Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, and Chef of the Year by San Francisco Magazine, Daniel never stops striving for more. He recently opened several outposts of Locol with Los Angeles chef, Roy Choi, where his fine dining roots transform into creating wholesome ”fast food” in underserved areas of California.
Mandy Aftel

Mandy fell in love with natural aromatics more than twenty-five years ago, and has worked in their world ever since. In her practice of perfumery, she has curated thousands of gorgeous essences from all over the world, many of them antiques themselves. Mandy has authored 4 books about natural perfumes, teaches people how to create natural perfumes through my workbooks and in-studio classes, and works with a variety of chefs around the world via her line of Chef’s Essences.