California Culinary Retreats

It is with the greatest sadness that I have to announce the death of my partner in California Culinary Retreats, Carol Cotner Thompson, known to anyone who came on a retreat simply as ‘Chef’. She passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last Saturday from heart failure and my heart will never be the same. She was an extraordinary person to so many, and changed lives with her brilliant, accessible teaching - her vibrancy, expansive knowledge of all things culinary, infectious laugh, and gentle friendship will be missed by all that knew her. From the moment I experienced her brilliance while attending cooking school, I knew Chef was special and I wanted to share her gifts with as many people as possible. This company we built together over 10 joyful years has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors of my life. The passion we fostered, the confidence we instilled, the experiences we facilitated for so many students, who became friends, surpassed all our expectations. I know how much pleasure every single retreat gave to Chef. Our long drives to and from the retreats were some of my best memories of being with her. We sorted out our lives together, our families, our goals and our dreams. What a gift. Sharing this news with her followers, friends and fans is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I will send more details about the celebration of her life when they become available.
x. Jill

We absolutely love what we do! Mediterranean Cuisine in all it's glory! Delightful new friends and a couple that was on their 5th retreat with us!

Tuscan Cooking in Los Olivos - September 22-24
We've got one beautiful room left for 2 guests with a private bathroom! Reserve now - it's our last room of the season! http://www.californiaculinaryretreats.com/tuscan-cooking

California Culinary Retreats Travel to one of our unique destinations for a weekend of cooking and seasonal, market-inspired foods, with California Culinary Retreats, far from the buzz of your busy world.

Italian deliciousness! 🧡🧡🧡 Perfect weather for an outdoor pizza party!

Lovely folks from all over the state as well as Boston joined us this past weekend to make delicious French food in the Santa Ynez Valley!

Can't wait for our Regional French Retreat April 19-21. If you'd like to join us, book here ⤵️ ....

http://www.californiaculinaryretreats.com/regional-french-cooking

We've got a gorgeous weekend planned....

Friday Evening - Provence
Shrimp & fennel soup with rouille crostini
Caramelized onion & niçoise olive tart
Provencal stuffed vegetables
Almond cake with lavender sugar

Saturday Day - Normandy
Chicken paillard with calvados, apples, and shallots
Grilled artichokes with brown butter & herbs

Croissant Workshop

French Cheese Tasting

Saturday Evening - Southwest
Cassoulet (demo by Chef)
Asparagus velouté
Endive, walnut & goat cheese salad
Strawberry galette

Sunday - Normandy
Coq au vin
Potato gratin

Bay Leaf Wreath Workshop

Reserve your space before we sell out!

Fresh beautiful croissants - it's a slow process, but worth the effort! We made plain, chocolate and almond! Delicious 💖
We'll be making croissants again at our next French Retreat, April 21-23. Book your space today!
http://www.californiaculinaryretreats.com/regional-french-cooking

Book your spot today - spaces limited 🇫🇷

California Culinary Retreats Travel to one of our unique destinations for a weekend of cooking and seasonal, market-inspired foods, with California Culinary Retreats, far from the buzz of your busy world.

Italian Favorites never looked better - what a fun, engaged group! We created beautiful food all weekend long - pizza, gnocchi, ragu and fresh pappardelle, whole Branzino on the grill, and butternut squash risotto, to name a few - then we finished our weekend off with a lovely bay leaf wreath making workshop - 💕
We'll be doing this Italian Favorites retreat again May 19-21, spots go on sale soon. Be on the look out -

2023 retreats on sale now - makes a great holiday gift ❤️ www.californiaculinaryretreats.com

Another great weekend making and eating our way through gorgeous Italian food - we had so many in-depth classes and made wonderful dishes - ricotta gnocchi w brown butter and sage, Roman style meatballs, bolognese lasagna (fresh noodles), Tuscan grilled chicken, tiramisu, fresh local swordfish with pine nut butter and creamy polenta, tons of local vine ripe tomato salads, caponata, amatriciana - we really covered it all! Did I mention our incredible guests - from Utah, Sacramento, Wisconsin, and LA. Each one a delight!