Written By Brandy Centolanza
I recently wrapped a three-year column for The Health Journal, Local Flavor, in which I highlighted a different fruit/vegetable and included a recipe from a local restaurant featuring that food as an ingredient. One of the chefs I contacted for my column, Chef Troy Camacho with Casual Gourmet at The Culinary Institute of Virginia, invited me last month to participate in one of the community cooking classes his program offers. I jumped at the chance to learn something new, even though I am not that fond of cooking. I enrolled in the class on holiday hors d’oeurves, and spent three hours discovering my way around the kitchen preparing some pretty and delicious appetizers. The class was hands-on, and we were divided into groups and left to our own devices to create the dishes we wanted. My group and I made seafood crostinis, and I came away with a trick on how to quickly and easily peel and devein shrimp, one of my favorite foods. I also picked up a great tip on how to cut melon. The class was informative and worthwhile, and it wasn’t the only one I was fortunate enough to take part in. Williams-Sonoma offers free kitchen technique classes on Sunday mornings, so I also decided to give that a try. The class I observed was on Thanksgiving Sides, and I walked away with some great tips for mashed potatoes and stuffing, but what I ended up making on Thanksgiving Day for my family was Williams-Sonoma’s recipe for green bean casserole, a healthier version of the Campbell’s Soup classic using fresh ingredients instead of something from a can, and I must say it was delicious. When it comes to cooking, the less time I spend in front of the stove the better, but I am realizing more and more that quick and convenient isn’t always the best or the healthiest for my children or me. Taking part in these two classes really made me aware of that, and I hope in 2014 to make a better effort to think more about the meals that I am preparing for my family.