The Healthy Cooking Coach

Online Cooking Classes

I’ll admit it. I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea. When KC Miller, the owner and founder of SWIHA (Southwest Institute of Healing Arts), in Tempe, AZ, first mentioned the idea of taking my 5-week Whole Foods Cuisine I and II courses online, I dismissed the idea.

The picture on the right was made by one of my online Whole Foods Cuisine I students. It's the Parboiled Crudité Platter of Seasonal Vegetables with Cashew Dill Dip, (the recipe also works with macadamia or cashew macadamia nut butter).

I’ve coached people by phone, answering their cooking and nutrition questions, but I didn’t see how we could replicate the experience of the on ground cooking classes without a face to face format. Seeing, smelling, and tasting the food is what attracts people to a cooking class, right? 

The plan
When the director of dducation contacted me to set up a meeting with the curriculum developer, I knew they were serious. They’d already taken many of their courses online. The were going to do it with or without me…and I wanted to be in. I spoke with Kathy, the curriculum developer. She took the courses and learned what the students learned, watching from the position of a student and a curriculum designer. We discussed which recipes and techniques we thought the students would want to see on videos, the teaching points we wanted to emphasize with weekly study questions, how we could facilitate interaction between the students from a distance, and my role as a facilitator. In the process, Kathy and her entire family became fans of my recipes and cookbooks and shared them with their friends.

Roll em
We created a taping schedule for the videos utilizing their in house Video Producer and Media Specialist, Merry Lucero, and one of her colleagues, Ben Avechuco. Merry scouted for a kitchen we could use for taping and we settled on Classic Cooking Academy in the McDowell Mountain Ranch area. We set six dates for taping between December of 2009 and April of 2010. We had our last taping session on May 3rd.

Take two
I had so much fun using the clapperboard. You may have seen something similar on outtakes from movies where the director said “cut, cut!” or “take two,” noting the act or scene being re-shot. I recently learned what that board is so important.

A clapperboard is used to assist in the synchronizing of picture and sound; additionally, it is used to designate and mark particular scenes and takes. Merry uses it in editing to sync up the audio and video tracks on the tape from two different cameras.

The loud clang it makes produces a spike in the audio file that allows her to line up two tracks of tape shooting the same scene from different angles. You write on it with chalk, erase, then repeat as needed for different acts, scenes, and takes. In our case, Merry wrote the name of each recipe and the version we were taping.

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about clapperboards

Before taping each new recipe I had to say the name of the recipe than clap the two pieces of wood together loudly. If we had to tape a recipe in parts, for example, because we had to wait for it to finish cooking, the fruit gel wouldn’t release from the mold, I tripped over my words, broke into laughter, or I accidentally flipped a spoon, or spilled something, or  we had to stall taping until a garbage truck backed up to all the dumpsters in the strip mall, then I had to clap the board again when we resumed shooting.

For the first four days of video taping we didn’t have an actual clapperboard, so I had to loudly clap my hands at the start of each new video or segment to mark the audio and video files. By the fifth day of taping, we had an actual board, made by one of Merry’s friends or relatives.

You can see the clapper board above in the picture and YouTube video. Watch the video through to the end to see my blooper, when I put down the squash. There was a funnier scene taping the same recipe where I hit the end of a spatula with my hand and it flipped off the counter. I kept a straight face and kept going for maybe a minute, then broke into laughter and another one of me serving the pie, which was not as firm as I had intended. These scenes are not on the tape but I plan to post them on my blog with a few more bloopers this summer, after Merry gets caught up with editing for the classes. Here's the Vanilla Ice Dream (photo right) and Dark Chocolate Ice Dream (right below) that I made for the camera last week (recipe for Vanilla Ice Dream here and in my Ice Dream Cookbook).
Photo credits: Rachel Albert, 2009

I got so excited, like a little kid with a new toy, whenever it was time to clap the board. I actually wanted to take it home with me. I imagined how fun it would be if something didn’t go smoothly in my own life and I could just whip out the clapboard and say “Cut! Cut! Let’s take that scene again, this time with a little more_______ ” or “with less_______.” If someone said something harshly, I imagined clapping the board and saying, “Let’s take that scene again. Can you say that again, this time with a little more tenderness in your voice?” I know it’s just a fantasy but don’t we all have acts and scenes in our lives we wish we could do over? I would also like a magic wand but I don’t know who would make one that actually works!

Where are we now?
I’m now teaching my second online section of Whole Foods Cuisine I. I have eight students in this section. I had 9 students in the previous section. We plan to launch the first section of Whole Foods Cuisine II in June. Click here, here, or check SWIHAs website for details. Or call the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts at 480-994-9244.

Here are pictures of some of the dishes my recent crop of students made and emailed to the group along with their homework. I think they did a fabulous job of replicating the recipes after watching the cooking videos and reading through the recipes. They’re expressing a lot of enthusiasm about what they’re learning.

Honey Mustard Chicken and Blanched Crudite Platter of Seasonal Vegetables with Cashew-Dill Dip from The Garden of Eating

How does the online cooking class work?

Students are required to do weekly readings from The Garden of Eating: A Produce Dominated Diet & Cookbook (for Whole Foods Cuisine I) and from The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces (in Whole Foods Cuisine II). They are given DVDs that include videos of the recipes and techniques covered in the course. Interactions happen through a discussion board. Students also have the option of sending in some of their assignments as audio files.

Better Barbecue Sauce, photo right, also taken by one of my online cooking students

Each week the students must

• watch the recipe and technique videos that go with the week’s assignments
• answer two discussion questions
• make at least two recipes from the book and/or supplementary recipe packet
• write about their experiences making the recipes
• write about any “ah-ha moments” (successes they had integrating material from the class)
• write about at least one “uh, oh" moment (a challenge they faced integrating the course material and recommendations
• respond to at least two posts made by classmates on the discussion board for the course
• email photos of the recipes they make, if possible
• email cooking related questions; I respond to their questions and posts

Each week I read their posts on the discussion boards, email comments, answer questions, look at the food photos they submit, and grade their participation. It’s a very different format. So far we’ve had very positive feedback and students have found the course life changing (something I hear regularly in the on ground courses).

Click the links below to read more about the course objectives and curriculum and the kinds of recipes covered in Whole Foods Cuisine I and Whole Foods Cuisine II. If you have trouble with those links, check out the web site for Southwest Institute of Healing Arts or call them at (480) 994-9244. If you’d like to take the classes in person, you’ll see a schedule of upcoming dates (scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the dates). To find out about upcoming dates and fees for the online version of the classes, click here.

This is the Spicy Peanut Sauce from The Garden of Eating with a different blanched veggie tray, also taken by one of my online students

A Thai Cooking Class

On June 29th, 2009, I met my cooking assistant, Mary Rondeau, at Cooking Studio AZ for a Thai cooking class. This time, I wasn’t teaching and she wasn’t prepping. We were attending a cooking class titled “Tottie’s Asian Tapas” led by Tottie Kaya, chef/owner of Tottie’s Asian Fusion Cuisine. So we sat on the other side of the counter.

The attraction
Mary and I had both eaten at Tottie’s and wanted to learn how to make some of her recipes. The menu included Calamari Poached in Coconut Broth with ginger and lemongrass, Marinated Grilled Chicken slathered in Peanut Sauce, and Grilled Pork Thai Salad wraps, plus one of Tottie’s signature dairy-free Asian ice creams. 

Round one
For the first dish, Tottie simmered the calamari in a little bit of water then made a sauce from red curry paste, coconut milk, Kaffir lime leaves, Thai fish sauce, a dash of sugar, and fresh Thai basil leaves. She simmered this separately then poured it over the calamari. Tottie suggested variations for this recipe using chicken, shrimp, or other seafood. 

The calamari in broth was ladled over individual bowls of rice vermicelli noodles and garnished with finely shredded carrots, red cabbage, and green onion. Garnishing hot soup or stew with finely shredded raw vegetables provides a crunchy contrast.

How to cook rice vermicelli
Tottie advises cooking rice vermicelli in boiling water for 15 minutes, then rinsing in hot water, draining, and covering the bowl with a plate or foil. It should look sticky. Don’t try to make these noodles look like Italian pasta. The strands won’t be all separate.

My picture of the rice vermicelli didn't come out well. You can see this uncooked picture from Wikipedia >>>

The verdict
Wow! Fabulous dish–– spicy, salty, pungent with a hint of sweetness. We practically licked our plates clean. Mary and I gave this dish a 9 ½. I stopped at an Asian market on the way home to pick up the ingredients to make this dish later in the week.

his picture on the right show's cooked rice vermicelli also from Wikipedia >>>

Dish number two
The second dish consisted of chicken marinated for 4 or more hours in a mixture of chopped lemongrass, ginger root, garlic, shallots, Thai fish sauce, cilantro, and coconut milk, with a little bit of sugar. The chicken was broiled (grilling works too) and served over cucumbers and onion with rice vinegar, garnished with shiso leaf, red cabbage, carrot, and bean sprouts and topped with peanut sauce. The marinade for this dish also works well for beef, pork, shrimp, or a rack of ribs. Tottie also recommended it for marinating eggplant, zucchini or other veggies destined for the grill.

We didn’t receive the details (read: recipe) for Tottie's Peanut Sauce, just a listing of some of the ingredients. I could tell the list was not complete at peanut butter, sake, and fish sauce with red pepper. I can understand why she wouldn’t want to give away her signature recipes, lest people stop buying them at her restaurant.

However, I would have preferred that she give us A RECIPE for the sauce with specific ingredients and amounts, even if it was a variation on or slightly different version of her restaurant recipe. I expect that in a cooking class whether I'm teaching or taking one. Never mind, I plan to look up different versions of peanut sauce in Thai cookbooks and on line and tinker with the ingredients. I’ve made peanut sauce before yet I find the differences from one restaurant to another make me curious about their make up.

Shiso leaves––sold in Asian markets––have a light peppery flavor and make a great addition to salad wraps, or minced and used as a garnish. I’d eaten them pickled with ginger root but hadn’t used the fresh leaves before.

Fishy sauce? Not!
Fish sauce is made from anchovies aged in barrels. The fermentation process removes most of the fishy flavor. Read labels carefully when shopping for everything, especially sauces. If you’re sensitive to gluten or MSG know that some brands of fish sauce contain both of these ingredients. Some brands even contain wheat! I did find a brand without wheat, gluten, or MSG at an Asian market near my house.

The third round
The next dish Tottie demonstrated was Grilled Pork in Thai Lettuce Wraps. The pork tenderloin was thinly sliced, then cut into ¼-inch strips and marinated in a mixture of Thai fish sauce, sugar, chopped Thai chilies, garlic, white pepper, and chopped roasted almonds and scallions, then stir fried and served with fresh lettuce leaves.

The verdict?
I thought the dish was good but would be great if the marinade contained more fat. I can imagine adding coconut milk or coconut or palm oil for additional moisture or using a fattier cut of pork. However, I know Tottie tends to go very light on fats and oils in her cooking, so I doubt she would change that.

Buy banana leaves
Tottie suggested wrapping this and other marinated pork pieces (or beef or chicken) in banana leaves (sold in Asian markets), tying it with kitchen twine, then baking or grilling to seal in flavor and keep the marinade and surface of the meat from drying out or burning. Candy Lesher, The woman who runs Cooking Studio AZ, mentioned cooking a rack of lamb ribs wrapped in banana leaves. Sounds like something to experiment with.

The finale
For our final tasting Tottie served one of her popular 100% dairy-free coconut milk ice creams. Whereas many Thai restaurants use a combination of coconut milk and cow’s milk or cream to make their coconut ice cream, Tottie uses only coconut milk then adds sugar and herbs, spices, fruits, or vegetable purées.

We sampled Lychee Coconut Milk Ice Cream, made with a fragrant, sweet tropical fruit fruit that grows well in China, India, Madagascar, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, southern and central Taiwan, northern Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Southern Africa and Mexico.

I found the dessert light (I think it was made from lite rather than full fat coconut milk), tangy, and pleasantly sweet without being cloying. I could have eaten another scoop if it had been offered. Although we didn't receive the recipe for this dish, I created an entire book (The Ice Dream Cookbook) filled with dozens and dozens of low-sugar, naturally sweetened, dairy free coconut milk-based ice cream alternatives sweetened with honey and stevia, so I have do doubt that I could replicate something like what she made, maybe even better! If I decide to make that dessert I’ll use one of my Ice Dream recipes as a stepping off point. I have no doubt that I could find the fruit for it at the 99 Ranch Market in Phoenix or the Lee Lee Market in Chandler.

My overall impression
I thought the class was fun and the portions for the three entrées were generous. I learned how to use some unfamiliar ingredients. I went home armed with fun food facts, ideas for using familiar ingredients in new ways, and recipes to play with.

Fun facts
Chilies are indigenous to America.  Originally Asian cuisines used black pepper. Thai chili is not as hot as Habanero pepper. It’s similar in heat to Serrano chili.

Did you know––you can make a relaxing, nourishing, and moistening non-dairy milk bath by pouring a few cans of coconut milk into a hot bath and taking a soak? Sounds great with a generous sprinkle of oil of lavender added or maybe a sprinkle of cocoa powder.

Cooking Studio AZ
The set up for the class was spacious room. We sat at round tables with black table clothes. We had room to spread out with our notes, printed recipes, water, and plates of food. Although we didn't receive recipes for two of the dishes we sampled, I enjoyed the food, the information, and the experience.After taking the class, I received a coupon for $10 off on the next class I take. I plan to go back for another class to expand my repertoire and see how other instructors teach. 

You can check out the classes I'm teaching at Cooking Studio AZ by clicking here

From presentation to practice
I made the Calamari Poached in Coconut Broth infused with ginger and lemongrass at home a few days after the class. To keep the carbs down I replaced the rice vermicelli with Konjac root pasta (Miracle Noodle), a grain-free, gluten-free, zero carb pasta made from a traditional Japanese vegetable.

I made one mistake in shopping for ingredients. I bought large rather than small calamari, which I’ll be careful not to do next time. I preferred the look and taste of the smaller calamari and the way they spread throughout the soup.

Calamari Poached in Coconut Milk
(Serves 4)

Recipe from Tottie’s Asian Tapas class with Chef Tottie Kaya held at Cooking Studio AZ on June 29, 2009.

Ingredients:
8 ounces of small prepared (trimmed, cleaned) calamari
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used coconut oil; I don’t buy vegetable oil)
1 ¾ cups unsweetened full fat coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (I bought a wheat free, MSG free brand)
1 tablespoon sugar (I used palm sugar; 2 teaspoons honey would also work)
2 tablespoon fresh Thai basil, torn or thinly slices into strips
2 tablespoon Red Curry Paste (she used Mae Ploy brand)

1. Rinse the calamari and pat dry on a paper towel. Add calamari to a pre-heated wok and stir-fry without oil (using water) for about 4 minutes. Remove the calamari from the wok and set aside. 

Note: Mix a little water or fish sauce with the dry lumps of red curry paste before adding it to this or any other sauce.

2. Add the remaining ingredients (except calamari) to the wok and mix ingredients well. 
Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the calamari and cook for about 2 minutes, taking care not to overcook the calamari to ensure that it remains tender (overcooking makes it tough and leathery!).

3. Just prior to serving adjust the flavor to taste by adding a bit more Thai basil or fresh lime juice if you like. Ladle into bowls, garnish with finely shredded vegetables (carrot, scallion, cabbage) if desired and serve.

Note: You can store the curry paste in the original container or transfer it to a jar; refridgerate it either way.

Cooking Incognito

Last Fall Spectrum and Hain Foods teamed up to offer a free gourmet cooking class ($100 value) to anyone who sent in 3 proof of purchase UPC codes from their products within a certain time frame.  Since I was going through a lot of Spectrum (non-hydrogenated) shortening testing baked goods for my Ice Dream Cookbook, I had no problem meeting their requirements.

In January, I called the 800 number to find out how to redeem my certificate. The concierge service sent me an email list of upcoming classes  cooking school/kitchen shop in Scottsdale, Sweet Basil Gourmet Ware and Cooking School. I’d heard of it after I moved to Phoenix metro area six years ago, but I’d never been there. I settled on the Greek Festival class.

The class menu featured these dishes:
* Roasted Tomato Soup w/Chive Yogurt & Whole Wheat Croutons
* Beef Kofta Kabobs w/Tzatziki Sauce & Pita Bread
* Shrimp w/Tomatoes, Feta & Anise Liqueur
* Chicken Breast Spanaki (stuffed w/spinach & feta)
* Traditional Greek Baked Fish w/Tomatoes & Carrots
* Crustless Spinach & Feta Pies w/Greek Tomato Salad
 * Baklava Purses

I was expecting a demo class  
When I arrived and saw an apron draped across each chair I knew it was hands-on. I was the first to arrive so I asked the instructor about the format.  She said the first hour (6:30 to 7:30) she would lecture (walk us through each recipe), then we would break into groups and cook. We would eat by 8:45 or 9:00 p.m. I pulled my hair back in preparation (even though no one asked me to). It’s something I do whenever I teach a cooking class.

After an introduction, our instructor, Patricia Ribeiro, a woman with a thick accent who had been teaching at Sweet Basil for 6 years, told us we would break into teams of two. In the row where I sat I noticed a boyfriend with girlfriend on my far right, two girls on my right who came together, a couple on the end, and a guy on my left. I surmised he was my cooking partner.  

The accidental volunteer
When no one volunteered for the first recipe—the Roasted Tomato Soup with Chive Yogurt and baked Whole Wheat Croutons—I leaned over to tell my neighbor that it looked like we were cooking together. The teacher took this as a sign that we wanted the recipe, so she assigned it to us.

Overview
Our instructor gave us a run down of each recipe, special tips, techniques, and all the details we would need to make each recipe (supplemented with a printed recipe packet). I took notes. Since I mainly teach demo classes, I learned a lot watching someone orchestrate a hands-on class.

We took to our stations
Brant, my partner for the evening, asked me if this was my first class here (at Sweet Basil).  I said “Yes, but I’ve taken other classes at other kitchen shops.” Then I blurted out that “I also teach cooking.” His eyes widened and he said, “Oh, then we’re unevenly yoked!” I agreed with a smile.

Once we started working I easily slipped into teacher mode, offering my requisite knife safety tips, including the reminder to avoid letting your butt (the butt of the knife!) stick out (off the sides and outer edge of the cutting board). When I told him I was taking pictures for my cooking blog, he expressed concern that I would write about what a terrible or inept cooking partner I had. I assured him I would do no such thing! Brant said he was guaranteed to forget about the knife placement tips all night. I told him I was guaranteed to keep reminding him. Habit.

We halved 5 pound of roma tomatoes, quartered 2 extra large red onions, halved and seeded 2 jalapenos, separated 1 head of garlic, leaving the skins on, and combined it in an oversized stainless steel bowl with a cup of fresh basil leaves, 1/2 bunch each of parsley and thyme, and 2 (28 oz) cans of whole plum tomatoes. The recipe said extra-virgin olive oil as needed and salt and black pepper to taste. Since I cook by recipes and formulas, I told him  I usually figure 1 tablespoon of oil for every pound of vegetables. We had 8 pounds of veggies, so I suggested tossing them with half a cup of olive oil. I started with 1 teaspoon of sea salt, though we ended up adding at least two more heaping teaspoons at the end to match the enormous pot of soup our recipe yielded.

As the vegetables roasted on two rimmed baking sheets in a 400˚ F oven, my partner cut a loaf of whole wheat bread into cubes. I minced garlic, added the requisite tablespoon of red pepper flakes, the sea salt, and black pepper, which we tossed with olive oil—no set amount, just whatever number of shakes it took to coat about 8 cups worth of cubed bread. We tasted it for salt.

We could easily have made the recipe gluten free using gluten free bread. In fact, if I were leading the class I would have made other modifications. However, this wasn’t my class and I was there to observe and learn, not lead.

 We combined 2 cups of Greek yogurt with 1/2 bunch of chives that I minced and added about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. I love the rich taste and velvety texture of this style of yogurt, which contains a lot more fat. I think it taste a little like sour cream, but better.

We talked, cleaned our station and I snapped pictures of other dishes in process while we waited for our vegetables to soften and caramelize.  With three pans in the oven (ours along with the crustless spinach pies) it took about 50 minutes. I think our onions would have been better (softer in the allotted time) cut into smaller pieces, which is what I do when I’m roasting them at home. I was following the instructors lead here though.

We removed the skins from our onions and garlic (the instructor suggested we leave them on until after roasting), pureed our soup in batches in 2 food processors, returned it to the pot, added 1/2 cup of milk, and set it to simmer while our future croutons crisped. (I would try homemade nut milk at home, using twice as much).

The late supper
It was already 8:45 p.m. I was so hungry my stomach ached. (I’d eaten a good strong breakfast, a light snack at 1:30, and nothing since!) We waited for our fellow students’ dishes to finish cooking. Finally at 8:50 we received the go ahead to start serving ourselves from the buffet table we’d filled with our assigned recipes. Yum!

Reflections on the class
I thought the food and class were excellent.  I give both the food and class an A. If I were teaching I would have used some different ingredients—gluten free breads, non-dairy milk, unrefined, mineral rich sea salt (Celtic or Redmond Real Salt), honey in place of sugar, gluten free phyllo dough (if there is such a thing; if not I would have created something with a similar flavor but without the wheat).

As for my cooking partner—I found him friendly, polite, curious, easy to work with and flexible. No complaints. I give him an A.  He did a great job, especially since he knew he was working with someone who taught cooking for a living.  (He was the only one who knew that night. To everyone else I was just another foodie looking for new recipes, tips, and techniques). That could make anyone nervous.  

My partner (for the class) and I talked about which dishes we liked best and what we thought we’d make at home.

Brant, an architect in training, asked me if I didn’t cook or teach what would I do (for a living).  I told him I probably would have become a journalist because I love to write and I probably would have eventually gravitated to food writing or editing a food magazine.

Or, I might have gone to photography school. I loved photography and was really into it from the time I was 11 through my first year of college. I probably would have switched from animals, people, and nature shots to food. I think way more of my food pictures from the evening would have turned out great if I'd had more training in this department! Oh, well. All roads lead to the same place (or at least a similar destination) when you follow your heart. So here I am thinking about, talking about, writing about, teaching about, preparing, taking pictures of, and eating food. Not a bad way to make a living.

By 9:30 we were all ready to go home. I was psyched to write about my experience as a way to unwind from the excitement of the evening.

Would I take another class there? I’m not sure. I’m inclined to find menus and recipes that are wheat free, gluten free, and primarily dairy free, although I'm not averse to learning new dishes then modifying them at home. I'd rather take a class earlier in the day so I'm not eating dinner at 9 at night.

If you're looking for wheat free, gluten free, dairy free, low sugar or no sugar cooking classes, you're unlikely to find them at Sweet Basil GourmetWare & Cooking School, You will find them if you click here.