
Professional Development: Open Kitchen Event with Susan Spungen and Phyllis Grant
$20 per person
Instructor
Pursuing a career in food means constantly learning in order to build, grow, and evolve. Our Professional Development Series is designed to educate everyone from new entrants to seasoned industry professionals about the many aspects of being a professional in the culinary world. Led by experts in their field, these panels and interactive discussions will leave you with a fresh perspective, as well as many tips and tricks to use as a guide as you propel your own career forward.
About This Class
Join author and food stylist Susan Spungen in conversation with Phyllis Grant. In honor of Susan’s gorgeous new book, Open Kitchen, she and Phyllis will talk cooking, food careers, styling, and writing books – they’ll both have a lot to share.
We will have a few light snacks inspired by recipes in the book as well as wine, and Susan will be signing books at the event as well. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet, and learn from, two incredible and prolific women in food.
Details
- Wine included
- Ages 18+
FAQ
All students must show proof of vaccine before entering school and will be required to wear a mask unless eating/drinking.
We understand and respect that lifestyle decisions during Covid are an individual choice. If you test positive for Covid while the class is in session, you will be asked to send a friend in your place until you have a negative test. Classes will not be rescheduled, credited or cancelled. Once the class session starts the class is non-refundable. This was our policy pre-Covid and continues to be our policy today. We hope you find this policy acceptable and understand that this policy is required for a small school like SFCS to operate and open our kitchens for great food experiences.
The average duration of our current cooking classes is 4 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. Most of the time you’ll be working with a partner or small group on a few different recipes.
Doors will open 10 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 to have their vaccine cards checked the first week of class (these will only need to be checked once).
Please arrive at the school with your own mask on. New, disposable masks are available should you need to replace yours while in class.
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.
You will sit down with your classmates to eat what you’ve all prepared, along with some wine. We do suggest you have a small snack before class as dinner does happen towards the end of each session.
Wear casual clothing you can easily move around in, and comfortable close-toed shoes. Long hair must be pulled back and masks are required while in the building.
Cancellation Policy
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Susan Spungen

SUSAN SPUNGEN is a cook, food stylist, recipe developer, and author. She was the food editor at Martha Stewart Living from its founding in 1991 to 2003. She was the culinary consultant and food stylist on the feature films Julie & Julia, It’s Complicated, and Eat Pray Love. She is the author of Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook, What’s a Hostess to Do?, and Short Stack Editions’ Strawberries. She also co-authored Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook, which was a bestseller. She lives in New York City and East Hampton, New York.
Phyllis Grant

Phyllis Grant is an IACP finalist for Personal Essays/Memoir Writing and a three-time Saveur Food Blog Award finalist for her blog, Dash and Bella. She has cooked in world-renowned restaurants, including Nobu, Michael’s, and Bouley. Her essays and recipes have been published in a dozen anthologies and cookbooks, including Best Food Writing in both 2015 and 2016. Her work has been featured in Esquire, O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, Real Simple, Saveur, HuffPost, Time, San Francisco Chronicle, Food52, and Salon. She is the author of Everything is Under Control, a memoir with recipes, coming out April 21st, 2020 from Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. She lives in Berkeley with her husband and 2 kids.