Join us for a cooking class with Almir Da Fonseca, award-winning Executive Chef and Culinary CIA instructor , and discover the flavors of Brazil right here in Sonoma County! 

This hands-on, collaborative cooking class will last 2.5 hours, with time to enjoy your meal together at the end. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just starting out, our classes offer a fun, engaging learning environment, while raising funds for Sonoma Family Meal’s free culinary job training and food-security programs.

If you haven’t been to the SFM Kitchen yet, this class is also the perfect chance to visit and experience where the magic takes place and how the work gets done.

WHEN: Thursday October 8th, 2026, 5-7:30pm
WHERE: SFM community kitchen, 1370A Redwood Way, Petaluma

***PLEASE WEAR CLOSED-TOE SHOES TO ALL CLASSES***

If you have a specific food allergy or have any questions about the menu, please contact hannah@sonomafamilymeal.org.

The Menu:

• Feijoada Completa — Brazil's national dish

• Pão de Queijo — Brazilian cheese bread

• Salada de Feijão Verde — black-eyed bean salad

• Moqueca de Peixe — fish moqueca

• Moqueca de Vegetais — vegetable moqueca

• Brazilian rice and sautéed collard greens

• Brigadeiro — chocolate fudge balls

ABOUT THE CHEF:

Chef Almir Da Fonseca is a native of Brazil's Southeast Region and an award-winning executive chef with more than four decades in the food service industry. His path began in marine biology before his passion led him to the professional kitchen.

After his apprenticeship, he built a career as an executive chef across restaurant and hotel kitchens before moving into corporate, private, and winery catering. He owned and operated his own restaurant, and continues to run his catering and gastronomy company, Flavor Source Fonte Sabor.

He found equal purpose in culinary education, teaching at the California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu International, and, for nearly two decades (!), The Culinary Institute of America, where he is a devoted professor of culinary arts.

For years he has researched the regional cuisines of his home country, sharing that work in print, at www.chefalmirdafonseca.com, and now in his award-winning book, The Brazil Project.