Iranian chef and master chocolatier Shekoh Moossavi, whose culinary career spans more than 30 years, is opening a culinary institute at her Dogpatch studio, with virtual and in-person classes beginning next month.
Moossavi will launch the Shekoh Culinary Institute in September from her second-floor studio at 2565 Third Street, where students will be able to take hands-on workshops covering everything from basic kitchen techniques to Persian and European cooking, as 48 Hills reports.
The first two in-person sessions, beginning September 9, will draw on Moossavi’s upbringing in Iran and the culinary traditions that have influenced her work. She is also accepting students for French and Italian cuisine classes, weekend chocolate workshops, and additional courses planned for October.
The in-person classes will be limited to 10 participants and run for about two hours, with prices ranging from $120 to $150.
Moossavi is also offering a catalog of $35 online classes for beginner and intermediate students. The courses include knife skills and stocks, French mother sauces, breakfast and brunch, and signature cocktails, with additional lessons covering hors d’oeuvres and classic and contemporary cocktails, per 48 Hills.
According to the San Francisco Examiner, Moossavi said the idea for virtual classes came partly from family and friends living abroad who regularly told her they wished they could come to San Francisco to take her classes. The online format gives her a way to reach those students, along with people who simply discover the institute while browsing online.
Chocolate will also have a prominent place in the curriculum. Students can learn to make bonbons, the confection Moossavi has become known for in the Bay Area, including the Persian-inspired combinations that reflect her background and years spent in Europe. Per the Examiner, Moossavi’s chocolates incorporate flavors such as saffron and orange blossom.
Before moving to San Francisco, Moossavi reportedly operated cafés on the Peninsula in the early 2010s and held cooking classes for groups of up to 10 people at her restaurants on her days off.
Moossavi also previously worked as a chef and instructor at Culinary Institute LeNotre in Houston and at The Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach, Florida, before joining the San Francisco location. She later earned master-chocolatier credentials in Canada and France, including studying at Valrhona École du Grand Chocolat.
The Examiner reports that Moossavi opened her online chocolate business, Shekoh Confections, about a year ago, which she operates from the same Third Street kitchen. Her products have also been served at Ritz-Carlton hotels in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, and Lake Tahoe.
Susan Eslick, treasurer of the Dogpatch Art and Business Association, said the institute is a natural fit for the neighborhood.
“Dogpatch has a long history of makers, artisans and creative businesses,” Eslick said, speaking to the Examiner. “A culinary institute where people can learn and participate sounds like a wonderful addition to that tradition.”
Moossavi said teaching has been part of her career for decades, but the new institute will give her a dedicated space to make it a larger part of her work. She said the classes will expand as demand allows, with individualized lessons also planned.
“Somebody took the time to teach me,” Moossavi told the Examiner. “I went through my learning curve as well.”
Moossavi said she wants to pass that experience along to home cooks looking to improve their skills, as well as people considering a career in the culinary field.
“I don’t think I will ever retire,” she said. “I love my job. From this point on, teaching will be the main portion of my career and sharing what I know with other people.”
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