Hands-On Cooking Classes and Cali-Co Culinary Fiesta Dinner with Vaughn Vargus
Week of May 25, 2024
Vaughn offers hands-on culinary experiences, 3.5 hours each, during which you will enjoy preparing your own meal along with fellow cooks. Classes take place at La Cocina Que Canta, our culinary center on Tuesday and Wednesday, at 4pm. In addition, Chef Vaughn will collaborate with La Cocina Que Canta’s Executive Chef Reyna Venegas and her team to create a special feast (with wine pairing!) on Thursday at 4:45pm.
Tuesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM Sign Up
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.
Wednesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM Sign Up
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.
Thursday Cali-Co Culinary Fiesta 4:45 PM Sign Up
Celebrate the abundance of our organic farm and the connection to community with a Farm-to-Table dining experience – a perfect blend of health, tradition, flavor, and fun! Cost is $150 per person, tax and wine pairing included. The maximum number of guests is 30. Sign Up at the Appointments Desk or through the link above.
Chef Vaughn Vargus is the Executive Chef at UC San Diego’s Dining • Hospitality Department, focusing on flavorful foods, ethnicity, sustainability, and modernization of the classics with a great love and respect for tradition. Throughout his extensive career, he has embarked on a variety of culinary travels to experience the foods of Southeast Asia, Bahrain, Europe, and Mexico, with many “South of the Border” trips. Plant forward, food and life style variations that enhance overall health are of great interest to him. Always fun and exciting, he loves to teach about food, flavors, skill and techniques where they are understood and applicable for the everyday cook!
Chef Vaughn has been a participating Chef for the San Diego Food Bank’s annual Gala for the past 9 years and SD’s Local Kitchens for Good program and finds this to be a very fulfilling experience, he is honored to support his home city of San Diego.
He is an avid ocean-goer who grew up cooking nights and spending days on the beach. He began his culinary journey at an early age and has been passionate about food ever since. He has been able to frequent the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley and New York, but is largely self-taught. “I have vivid memories as a child and being in the kitchen when my grandmother was cooking. She was a phenomenal cook; she grew up in the Dust Bowl era. For some reason, I was the only one she would let in the kitchen when she was cooking. It probably had some influence on my career choice.”
Chef is an active member of the ACF ( C.E.C., C.C.A. ) and NACUFS and has been immensely involved with culinary competitions, both as a competitor and administrator nationwide.