Joanne Weir is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, chef and public television personality. Joanne is the host of "Joanne Weir's Cooking Class", a 26-part cooking series currently airing on public television.


Join Joanne for week-long culinary journeys to Province, France, Tuscany, Piemonte, the Veneto, and the Italian Riviera & Cinque Terre in Italy, Seville and La Rioja & the Basque Country in Spain, and Marrakech, Morocco. Each week is filled with hands-on cooking classes, wine tasting, and visits to outdoor markets, local artisans, vineyards, and Joanne's favorite restaurants. Joanne secures luxurious accommodations to ensure an unforgettable experience.


Cooking Classes: Joanne Weir Cooking Class Teaching is what I love to do most!. I realized that a long time ago when I taught fine art to high school kids in Boston. Though I liked it, I quickly realized that my students weren't quite as excited about art as I was! Luckily food is my other passion, and when I paired the two, teaching and food, I found what I love to do most and that’s to teach cooking!

My approach to cooking can be wrapped up in three words - simple, seasonal, and local. But then of course there’s always kind of a Mediterranean slant. I happen to love that part of the world. Maybe that’s because I love recipes that are simple but with great results - without spending hours and hours in the kitchen. Some of my favorite recipes have less than 5 or 6 ingredients and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Don't get me wrong - I also love a slowly braised stew with lots of fork-tender meat and vegetables or a luscious fresh berry pie that I spent a few hours to prepare.

As much as I love to cook, I also love to enjoy the pleasures of the table. There’s nothing better than sitting down to great food and wine with friends and family. And of course, if I haven’t quite finished preparing the meal when my guests arrive, I get them into the kitchen with an apron and wooden spoon to help. See…. It’s always a cooking class!

Speaking of classes, I've finally put time aside in my busy schedule to be home long enough to teach classes in my professional home kitchen. I have been wanting to do this for so long. I actually designed the kitchen for that purpose. My home kitchen is also the set for my PBS cooking series on TV, Joanne Weir's Cooking Class. My students have begged me to teach classes in San Francisco, and I am now offering week-long hands-on cooking classes in my home. But I have to warn you, the class size is very small which guarantees lots of individual attention. Plus another added benefit is that we really get to know each other. After a morning of cooking, we sit down at my dining table with great wines (and special wine guests) and enjoy the meal we’ve just prepared together.

As you know I teach a lot in Italy, Province, Spain and of course San Francisco, but I am still traveling around the US teaching classes at local and national cooking schools, which gives me an opportunity to meet lots of new students each year. If you haven't seen me at your local cooking school recently, please send me an email and we'll try to arrange a class near you.


Faculty : Joanne Weir hosts her own PBS cooking show, received 2005 James Beard Award for Best Cookbook in General Category & Julia Child/IACP Cooking Teacher Award of Excellence.

Costs: $1,500-$4,250 includes shared lodging, meals, tours, local transportation