Chef-Instructor Shelley Handler

As the inaugural chef of the Chez Panisse Café and a cooking instructor with more than 40 years of culinary and teaching experience, I bring the perspective of both a professional chef and a lifelong teacher to every class. My culinary career began as a member of the first graduating class of the California Culinary Academy. After graduation, I traveled to Italy, where I completed a stage (a professional apprenticeship) in Milan with Gualtiero Marchesi, the visionary chef who earned Italy's first three Michelin stars, and cooked in family-run restaurants in both Milan and Venice. Those formative experiences instilled a lifelong respect for seasonal ingredients, regional traditions, and the belief that the finest cooking begins with simplicity. Returning to California, I became the inaugural chef of the Chez Panisse Café, helping establish what would become one of America's most influential restaurants and a defining force in the blossoming of modern American cuisine. I later joined the opening crew of Campton Place Restaurant and helped my friend Franca Orsi Alamanni open the beloved Ristorante Milano on San Francisco's Russian Hill, creating the original menu and training the kitchen staff. After nearly a decade teaching aspiring professional chefs at the California Culinary Academy, I chose to focus on what has become the most rewarding chapter of my career: helping home cooks discover confidence and pleasure in the kitchen. Today, my private classes welcome everyone from complete beginners to experienced cooks looking to deepen their skills. I also write "Local Dish," a monthly column for The New Fillmore, celebrating a seasonal ingredient with an original recipe designed for home cooks. Whether we're preparing a simple weeknight supper or a dinner for friends, my goal is always the same: to help you cook with confidence, curiosity, and the understanding that great food doesn't have to be complicated.