Love this store. Like the new location even if parking can be a pain. Got a new vinegar mother and…read moresome sour dough starters for a friend on my last visit.

This shop has a good selection of fermentation-related supplies, some of them hand-crafted. They…read moreare not cheap, but often not too expensive. You can also buy plastic lids for Ball mason jars here, which I could only find on Amazon before. I use variously sized mason jars a lot for fermenting and they always come with metal lids which corrode and smell awful, so it's nice to be able to buy plastic lids locally. This store also sells fermentation weights which I use in the jars. Unfortunately the "100% cotton twine" ("NORPRO" brand, "QUALITY FOR THE COOK") sold here is not 100% cotton but has some plastic in it, which is not good if you were planning to use it with food. If you light the end of some of this string on fire and blow it out, it smells like burnt plastic. "Made in China" of course. It seems fairly common for Bay Area retailers to sell items that they don't quite know the provenance of, which may just be a sign of the times. I think most consumers do not know about this easy flame test for the purity of natural fiber products. I found a "REGENCY NATURALS" "100% natural cotton" "cooking twine" product at Ace Hardware which seems slightly cleaner. The best cotton twine in my collection came from Target I think, but the cardboard spool just says "blade included" on it, I don't see a brand name. It is only 10 yards or so. Also, the "Yelp!" website seems to be hacking my computer, so everyone should be grateful that I took the risk of helping inform my community via this medium.

Bliss Belly Kitchen was one of my daughter's favorite camps this past summer. She enjoyed the…read morecooking and yoga and I enjoyed not having to pack her a lunch each day (the kids eat what they cook for lunch). I found the camp well-organized and enjoyed the cookbook she brought home at the end of the week. Would recommend this summer camp to budding cooks and yogis!

I sent my child to the camp in Walnut Creek. They have so much staff turn over! That means that…read moreeither they treat employees poorly or do not know how to manage a business. My child could not develop a relationship with staff because they kept leaving (or were fired?). I do not recommend -at least not in Walnut Creek.

OK, so there was this event in Jack London Square where they had all these bakeries and candy…read moremakers showing off their goodies, and you know what was off the hook? The chocolate bark with cranberries from the Bread Project. Turns out that they also have a little cafe in the school where they turn out some pretty awesome eats, that are freshly prepared. They purchase their produce in the area. In addition to being a classroom. If you are in the area, stop by, pick up a sandwich or some muffins or the fresh made soup. Also, they cater. Planning a wedding or birthday party? They make cupcakes for $1 each! Whooo whheeee, that's what I'm talking about. Sustainability Education Fresh Eats Easy on the wallet **Support your local nonprofit**

Bought a small summer fruit pie for $5 at their stand in the Emeryville Farmer's Market. First of…read moreall, I haven't seen a pie priced so reasonably for at least 10 years. Second, the crumble on top was sweet crunchy heaven, the crust was perfection and the fruit not overly sweet or loaded with slimy cornstarch. I also tried the generously portioned brownie which was straight from mom's kitchen: cakey, not fudgy. Yum, I'm hooked.

I find Mexican cuisine amazing. I mean really, how many delicious permutations of corn, cheese,…read moretomatoes, beans and peppers could you come up with?! Tacos, bureeetoes and quesahdilluhs don't count, folks. And yet the richness and diversity of the fare is astounding. Three hours with Edible Explorations unlocked the magic, we discovered it's all about the spices! Offering cooking classes in a welcoming Oakland home, private group lessons and catering, Edible Explorations will take you for a ride with fresh, organic ingredients, authentic Oaxacan recipes and colorful context/history. The tamale session gave us a solid foundation for whipping up these pockets of corn goodness, and I'm now inspired to host my own tamale fiesta! At $40-60 (sliding scale), the investment for two meals, fun times and tasty education is outstanding. I want seconds! Mole, you haven't seen the last of me...

Can you saw AUTHENTIC, Yummy, tasty and amazing all in one sentence?!....well, I just did and that…read moreis what Becca and Edible Explorations IS! It is an exploration into another world of Mexico that I had no idea was there until i started taking classes from Becca. The unique chicken tamales we did with amazing mole sauce were to die for. We made rice once with a sprig of mint in it! who would have thought that rice could be so flavorful?.... The most amazing thing I have eaten would have to be these things called MEMELAS They are fresh prepared masa (what you make for corn tortillas) hand flattened out, grilled on each side, then topped with her amazing refried black beans, home made verde (green) salsa and Queso fresca (fresh cheese) and topped with avocado....ok, i'm drooling now. oh! and we made fresh chile rellenos!!! with an amazing tomato sauce. She also teaches you about the culture (which she tends to specify to Oaxacan) which I knew nothing about until taking some of her classes. All organic food and local and great as a gift for someone (catering) or for a class to take and improve your friends and loved ones with tastes from Mexico that they have never tasted before!

A fun, interactive, and incredibly well done "Travel Around the World" Smart Cooking and Wine…read morePairing Event. My team and I had an amazing experience at Miggi's Kitchen. We learned to cook with the Thermomix while working in teams at different stations, preparing dishes from around the world. It was hands-on, interactive, and a lot of fun - every dish turned out delicious. Miggi is a fantastic teacher: clear, detailed, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable. She explains techniques in a way that's easy to understand, and we all walked away genuinely better cooks. We also paired the experience with wine tasting and learned how to taste and appreciate wine properly, which made the evening even more memorable. On top of that, Miggi's fun, warm personality really brings the whole experience together. My office team loved it and is still talking about it. Highly recommend for team events or anyone looking for a unique, engaging culinary experience.

Our group of 12 just completed an "around the world" cooking class with Miggi and we could not have…read morebeen happier. What a great environment - even better food, and Miggi was very entertaining and informative. We will definitely recommend this to friends. John S

On April 5, I took a cooking class from Kim through Piedmont Adult education at the high school…read more The class was about cooking dishes with nuts in them. We made soup, a romesco sauce, an appetizer with dates and almond butter and cashew milk! It was very informative, professional, fun and hands on! Not only did we try all the food, bu we also got to take some home! The recipes are easy and delicious with minimal ingredients. I would recommend taking Kim's classes or she even does one on one instruction to cater to what you want to learn and your dietary needs!

I have worked with Kim twice. There's so much I appreciate about Kim. She simplifies cooking in a…read moreway that's incredibly empowering. Kim shared recipes with me that are incredibly easy to prepare and that elevate ordinary fare to something special. She introduced me to greens that I have overlooked for years. I have long thought of myself as a great salad maker and yet Kim elevated my salad game. It can feel vulnerable discussing eating habits and diet. That said, it's easy to talk to Kim. She is encouraging and very thoughtful about the suggestions she offers. I came away with several new recipes to try--and was inspired to do so right away--as well as a newfound sense of motivation around cooking. Kim followed up with an incredibly detailed email on what we discussed. I got a lot of value and really enjoyed my experience with her. If you're looking for a generous, gracious ambassador to offer you new perspectives on the sometimes dizzying world of eating/cooking, I enthusiastically recommend Kim.

Chef Oliver does a superb job! From the moment he sits down to understand the event and helps you…read moredefine the menu to when he leaves kitchen - knives packed up - he manages to eliminate any stress you might have with his comforting presence and can do attitude. He goes on to deliver food that satisfies the soul (even with all the strange dietary requirements you and your guests might be bringing to the table). It's been nothing but a pleasure to have him in our kitchen. Chef Oliver has catered several medium sized events (30-40 people) for us as well as dinners for just the two of us when we were too busy to cook for ourselves. Every event has been a food success! He has the timing down and can manage to work in any kitchen site unseen. Our super foodie friends chat Chef Oliver up wanting recipes and tricks which he gladly walks people through. Out picky eaters leave having found food they can enjoy and our hearty eaters leave feeling full to the brim but knowing we still have leftovers. We're happy to have found someone who we can trust to do an outstanding job every time!

From the moment I started working with Chef Oliver, the experience was lovely. He was amazingly…read morehelpful and flexible in creating a menu for a group with a number of dietary restrictions and preferences. The great experience continued on-site. Chef Oliver was super chatty and friendly and answered all of our food questions. He was involved in conversation when it was appropriate but knew when to let us be. He also was quick on his toes--the house had a garden and when we inquired about using an ingredient from there for a little side dish, he was more than willing to create something (delicious) for us. The meal was amazing. The portions were a great size and his explanations of the dishes were perfect. We even had some leftovers to enjoy the next day. Overall I would love to have Chef Oliver cater another party for me and the entire Kitchit experience was really pleasant and positive!