What's Cooking?

By Anne Woodhouse, CHN

Give a friend a fish, and they will eat for a day.
Teach a friend to cook fish, and you will be invited to dinner for a lifetime.

Do you find yourself microwaving a meal, then using the time you saved watching the Food Network? Why live vicariously through media mega-chefs, when you can whip up healthy and elegant meals in your own home? A cooking party hosted in your home is a great way to achieve better health for you and your loved ones, learn new kitchen techniques, and have a fun time with friends.

A cooking party designed around “A Bounty of Vegetables” offers delicious and accessible approaches to a variety of fresh local vegetables, and ideas for incorporating them into every meal. Perhaps you’ve read magazine articles extolling the merits of whole grains, but you can’t tell bulgur, millet, and quinoa apart. Have you ever enjoyed whole grain salads at restaurant, but aren’t sure whether to soak, steam, or boil? Cooking whole grains is easy, once you learn a few basic techniques. In a party designed around whole grains, we’ll work together to prepare delicious dishes using quinoa, millet and whole brown rice.

Are you looking for a way to reconnect with old friends, or liven up an event? Cooking classes can be customized around many themes. For example, a novel book group meeting would be preparing foods that relate to the place or time in the book. A group of school friends can get together for a “Roll Your Own” evening and learn to make Sushi, spring rolls, and lettuce wraps. Instead of an old school bachelor party, why not get the wedding party together for an evening of cooking, bonding, and toasting the newlyweds? Kids love to cook and want to learn the skills needed to be trusted in the kitchen. A cooking party is a terrific way to celebrate your child’s new age.

Call our office (208.338.0405) or check out our web page for more information on how to book a custom cooking class. http://www.boisenaturalhealth.com/services/nutrition

Anne Woodhouse, CHN
Anne first learned cooking as a child from her mother and grandmother. Her grandmother was a “locavore”, before eating local was trendy and both cooked with fresh whole foods. As an adult, she studies the relationship between food and health, and now provides nutritional counseling at Boise Natural Health as well as private and group cooking classes, grocery store tours and pantry makeovers. Whether you are new to whole-foods cooking and looking for the basics, or an accomplished cook interested in exploring new foods, Anne would love to work with you.