Cooking Classes

Please contact Juli if you can’t find a good date on Airbnb Experiences.

I’m a trained chef and lifelong cooking enthusiast with a background in hotel food and beverage management. I went to culinary school in San Francisco and have lived all over the country and traveled extensively throughout North America and Europe, always seeking out the best and most interesting foods to share with others.

I am a food writer, a restaurant consultant, and I love to help others cook better by learning proper technique. I always share my tips and tricks.

My husband, Walter and I take at least one day every week to tour the area’s wineries, breweries, and cool foodie places.

Reviews

Zanna
Dinner Class - Learn to Cook in Scenic Wine Country
We had SUCH a great experience with Chef Juli! As part of a week in Sonoma, my mom and I signed up for Juli's experience. She was such a wonderful host, teacher, and chef! We had a great time learning more about the food of the area and cooking new things. Juli was patient and fun as we learned new skills. She was also kind enough to send us a list of places to visit in the area, which was so helpful. It was so great to meet Juli's husband Walt, neighbor Linda, and two dogs Bella and Rita, who were wonderful company at dinner. The wine pairing was excellent as well! I would give more stars if possible!

John
Sourdough Bread in Minutes Class
We loved our time with Juli! My wife is a huge sourdough fan and was so thrilled to take this class. Juli is so kind, knowledgeable, and hospitable. We both kind of wish she was our grandma. The dogs were so sweet and the home was so cozy. We loved hearing Juli's stories of her travels and her past experiences, and she even gave us a few recommendations for our upcoming trip to Japan! But the real star of the show is Walt. You'll want to take this class just for him. He's the Vanna White to Juli's Pat Sajak. Juli sends you home with starters and instructions that are easy to understand and follow along at home. My wife's been home for a week and already made two loaves that turned out beautifully and, more importantly, tasty. Thanks for showing us the ropes Juli!
Juli thank you so much for inviting us into your home and teaching us your magic! We both deeply enjoyed our time with you and Walt, and Liah is so thrilled to have this new ability in her repertoire. Ps the starters held up during our flight and there were no messy explosions! Thank you again!

Tammy
Sourdough Bread in Minutes Class
Juli was wonderful, and she gave us so many interesting and thoughtful cooking tips that I was not expecting, beyond baking sour dough bread. She clearly has years and years of culinary expertise professionally under her belt and it shows. If ever you have cooking questions about anything big or small, she is patient and kind in her responses. A solid instructor, and I learned so much from spending just a couple of hours with her. I would definitely recommend this experience, and I will be telling others in my circles about it.

Juli, thank you so much for hosting us this afternoon. My husband and I had a fabulous experience, and we look forward to baking bread from the starter that you gave us. The whole experience was so relaxing and informative, and we both came away feeling so pleased with everything. With our deepest appreciation, I thank you for working with us this afternoon and showing us the best ways to bake sour dough bread. Also, the shrubs and toast samples were delicious!

Alexander
Bake Bread, Create Cheese, Flip Omelets
This was an experience to remember! We are beyond grateful for the opportunity to work with Juli. We got to learn so many skills, recipes, and tips we can take home and share with friends and family. Nothing was rushed but completely thoughtful for the time it takes to learn and take each step. We made bread, cheese, tartines, and french omelettes (the real stuff). This was all accompanied with drinks made by Juli that you just can’t get anywhere else. They also had a surprise course and dessert! The experience was heightened with the service of Walter and his attentiveness to making the experience smooth for everyone and a joy all around. We were also welcomed by Linda who was able to support us all with clean up. Everything about our experience today far exceeded any expectation we had. We definitely will be using these recipes and sharing our experience with others!

Kristen
Sourdough Bread in Minutes Class
Juli's Almost No-Knead Sourdough Bread class was way beyond my expectations. I went in thinking I'd be happy if I learned some new tricks for an easy bread recipe. I left with a host of new tips and tricks for baking and cooking in general. Juli's knowledge and depth of culinary experience is beyond most kitchen professionals. She delivers her knowledge in a humble and straightforward way. If you know nothing about baking you'll learn some great fundamentals, and if you have years cooking you'll walk away with some new nuggets of wisdom. I'd give Juli a 10 and make sure you get in on some of Walt's humor, he's more than just a dishwasher.

Mary
Sourdough Bread in Minutes Class
We learned so much from this experience! You are learning bread making from an incredibly experienced chef. We came home with a few thorough recipes, a sourdough loaf each, some instant yeast, and some sourdough starter (by request). Juli even gave us some great recommendations beforehand on things to see and do in that area. Walt was also so kind and helping out behind the scenes. I was inexperienced in bread making before this class, but now feel excited of all the possibilities (including sourdough crackers and croutons). Dont miss out on Juli’s homemade shrubs and kombucha!

Jacqueline
Bake Bread, Create Cheese, Flip Omelets
WOW! What a Lovely experience. My husband and I both love to cook, and we learned so many great and useful tips & tricks from Juli and this experience- it was so fun, interesting, and satisfying.. everything was delicious. I love how Juli and Walt shared their home with us, as well as so many homemade/homegrown quality treats. Juli was so efficient with our time, at first I was not sure how we would squeeze in so many things AND be hands on, but it was only possible because of how masterful Juli truly is, and Walt really is a backbone to the operation working behind the scenes- he's hilarious too! I'd love to come back to visit Juli and Walt again and bring friends and family, highly recommend!

Anne
Dinner Class - Learn to Cook in Scenic Wine Country
We had so much fun and learned SOOOO much from Juli! My husband and daughter and I learned to make risotto, a gorgeous salad, two different pork dishes, appetizers and dessert. It was all so fabulous. Juli, her husband Walt, and their sweet friend Linda, instantly make you feel a part of the family. Juli gives you so many great tips on how to make things that seem out of reach on a culinary level approachable. I just hope I can remember all her awesome tips! But the good thing is I know she’s just an email or phone call away. Walt will keep you laughing the whole time and Linda is such a sweetheart. She is the behind the scenes person who keeps things picked up which really helps things move along as you learn to prepare the next course. They have a wonderful backyard garden that Juli takes you through to learn about different herbs, edible flowers and some exotic fruits. She was so sweet to give my daughter some cuttings in hopes she can grow some of the herbs herself. And while the cooking lessons are awesome, the company is even better. We had such a great time over dinner chatting. Juli and Walt have led fascinating lives! We cannot wait to return the next time we are back in the area. There are so many more things we want her to teach us to make! (Especially the bread and cheese class! We will be back for this!) If you want to have a great evening, learn how to make some wonderful food, eat a phenomenal dinner and walk away sure you have made new friends that you can’t wait to visit again, then sign up for Juli’s classes. It was truly one of our favorite things we’ve done.

Click here for more images.	Dinner Class - Learn to Cook in Scenic Wine Country We’ll make a delicious, locally-sourced meal centering on Petaluma’s abundant local produce. I’ll teach you knife and cooking skills. Dishes will include unusal vegetables, fruits, and grains. You will learn knife skills such as the proper way to cut an onion. You will learn the “start-and-stop-and start” method of preparing risotto so you can finish it in 10 minutes right beflore serving it. You will have the opportunity to be hands-on with virtually all of these dishes, learning good technique by doing it once you see the proper way demonstrated to you. We may include family recipes modernized just a bit by me to make it easier for cooks to do it today. We’ll have vegetables from the local farmer’s market and a killer dessert. I’ll provide local Sonoma county wine (or very special non-alcoholic beverages instead, if you’d prefer). We’ll eat outdoors on our gazebo if weather permits, or indoors in a formal dining room if not. From $145 per person. Approximately 4 hours. Click here to register for class on Airbnb Experiences.
Click here for more images.	Brunch Class - Bake Bread, Create Cheese, Flip Omelets In this super-charged Brunch Class, I’ll teach you how to make an easy homemade sourdough bread from scratch either with or without the use of a sourdough starter. You will enjoy this bread several ways for brunch alongside other dishes. Besides the bread, we’ll also make fresh ricotta cheese, tartines, and perfect French omelets—made with Petaluma’s famous eggs. The experience will be hands-on and you will learn some valuable cooking skills and tips in this robust class—and at the end of class you’ll get to take home the loaf of bread you baked, to enjoy later as a delicious souvenir. This is a great class for beginners, or intermediate bakers, as well as for people who want to learn many general cooking tips, and who want to enjoy a delicious 4-course brunch with a complimentary glass of California bubbly. From $125 per person. Approximately 4 hours. Click here to register for this class on Airbnb Experiences.
Click here for more photos.	Bread Class - Sourdough Bread in Minutes During this class you will learn, and hands-on do, all the steps to make a beautiful artisan-quality loaf of sourdough bread both with and without the hassle of making a sourdough starter. You will taste a number of different variations of the bread, and learn how to make those variations as well. You will leave with a warm loaf of bread to take home, and sourdough starter if you wish. If baking has always intimidated you, this is a great class for you, as you will leave here with the confidence to DO IT!! Other things to note: Even if you have never baked bread before, you will leave with all the skills you need to do this at home, including a list of equipment and ingredients. If you are able to travel with it, we will provide you with some fresh lively sourdough starter to take home. This cannot go on airplanes. However, we can give you some dehydrated starter instead. From $60 per person. Approximately 2 hours. Click here to register for this class on Airbnb Experiences.
Click here for more photos.	Egg Class You will learn all about egg cookery so you can get that pleat in your chefs hat. You will learn an amazingly easy way to boil an egg so it is easy to peel. I will teach you how to make perfect poached eggs so you can make eggs Benedict even for a party. We will make Hollandaise sauce for your Benedicts. You will learn the way to make a perfect French-style omelet, your grand achievement. You will each make your own omelet to enjoy while you are here. Most people have never eaten a properly cooked French-style omelet, let alone know how to cook one! You will get to do both!! All of these processes are ones very difficult for the average home cook to master without this kind of one-on-one training. You will leave confident and able to cook eggs the right way. You will enjoy 4 courses of deliciousness, including your Eggs Benedict and your omelet. Other things to note This is an active hands-on cooking experience so please wear comfortable shoes. Aprons will be provided, as will written notes and recipes. Since this class is focused on eggs, it is not suitable for Vegans, but will work out fine for Vegetarians. Do let me know if you are a vegetarian or other. From $59 per person. Approximately 2 hours. Click here to register for this class on Airbnb Experiences.
Click here for more photos.	Ricotta, Tartines and Caccio e Pepe Class I will teach you how to make homemade ricotta cheese in a very simple way, and then how to use that ricotta to make tartines (rustic bread toasted and spread with ricotta and topped with your choices of things—we take them to a whole new level with at least 25 special ingredients I create just for you) and a quick and easy version of caccio e pepe (what I call a grown-up’s mac n’ cheese). You will learn what to do with the whey which is leftover from making cheese. We will even pick some herbs and edible flowers from my garden, and learn more about those as part of this experience. From $56 per person. Approximately 2 hours. Click here to register for this class on Airbnb Experiences.

© Juli Lederhaus 2020 - 2024
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