About the chefs
Jayne Reichert
Cooking School Director
The Cooking School, under the direction of Chef Jayne Reichert, has an ever-changing roster of classes, programs and tastings. These are held in concert with the Bay Area's treasure trove of small organic farms, artisan producers, vineyards and innovative chefs. The impressive list of noted guest chefs who have shared their expertise in the Cooking School includes Kelsie Kerr, Gayle Pirie, John Clark, Bryant Terry, Rebecca Katz, Joanne Weir, Michael Tusk, Traci des Jardins and many others. Cavallo Point's own Pastry Chef, Ethan Howard, also appears frequently.
Jayne Reichert was raised on a farm where fresh eggs came from the neighbor's chicken coop, meat was butchered at her grandfather's farm, and vegetables were picked from the garden in the yard. As a girl, she helped harvest green beans for dinner, made mud pies in the yard, and played with her Easy Bake Oven. Growing up in this wholesome environment with the opportunity to watch her mother prepare meals from scratch provided Jayne with ample culinary inspiration from a very early age.
Jayne studied journalism at Arizona State University while she continued to cultivate her own set of culinary and entertaining skills. In college, she hosted many a dinner for roommates, friends and family. Upon graduation, she received an offer to build a Catering, Culinary and Event Program for The Sports Club Company in Irvine, CA. Jayne was a natural hostess with the drive of an entrepreneur, and before she knew it had transformed this forte into her career choice.
Over the next 19 years, Jayne developed and orchestrated events and culinary programs for The Sports Club Company, KBA Marketing, Disney Studios, Chateau St. Jean and The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. In 1998, she made a bold decision to enroll in the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. After graduating from CCA, she opened a cutlery and knife-sharpening store called Razor Sharp Cutlery in San Francisco. Jayne also launched a Personal Chef and Catering Company called BITE, with clientele in San Francisco, Sausalito and Tiburon, CA.
Jayne comes to Cavallo Point with background rooted in creating homegrown innovative culinary events. She is a consummate hostess with a dash of Chicago bravado (her great grandmother was one of the first female cooks at The Palmer House in Chicago), and has a penchant for sharing good food with a firm belief that cooking should be fun and accessible for chefs of all levels of expertise. Jayne currently resides in Sausalito with a 4-legged friend named Ted.
Linda Tay Esposito
Linda Tay Esposito is a self taught chef whose food represents a tribute and a commitment to the authenticity of the cuisines of the Pacific Rim. She grew up in Malaysia, lived in China and Hong Kong and traveled extensively in the region exploring the vast culinary offerings and traditions, and capturing the essence of the local cuisines. She brings these exciting flavors, passion and knowledge to the classroom. By demystifying the traditional dishes and techniques from the region through easy to follow and intuitive instructions, her style of teaching makes even the most complex of curries simple to make and a gastro-adventure experience.
Linda previously taught the Asian curriculums at Sur La Table Cooking School in San Francisco and at Whole Foods Market Culinary Center in San Mateo.
AZALINA'S HANDMADE in SAN FRANCISCO
Azalina is from Penang, a historically rich trading hub island off the western coast of peninsular Malaysia. She is a member of the Mamak tribe, a people deeply tied to spices and many of whom were renowned cooks for Malaysian royalty. After a successful career as a pastry chef, Azalina moved around, cooking in Singapore, Japan and several other countries before finally moving to the United States. It was here in San Francisco that Azalina rediscovered her love of her native Malaysian cuisine and culture. She started cooking informally for friends at dinner parties, receiving tips from her mother on more complex recipes and spice combinations and processes. Eventually, she debuted at a local farmers' market before finally joining the incubator program at La Cocina. Azalina has since launched her own line of traditional Malaysian simmer sauces. visit Azalina's official website
