Class Notes

Cooking for Life
If you or anyone you cook for has had a cancer diagnosis, The Cancer Project’s "Food for Life Nutrition and Cooking Classes for Cancer Prevention and Survival" series can be a lifesaver. The Cancer Project, an educational collaboration among physicians, researchers, and nutrition professionals, launched the program in 2001 to give participants an opportunity to learn not only about the ways foods positively and negatively influence cancer growth, but how to cook simple recipes that make the most of cancer-fighting weapons such as antioxidants, phytochemicals, and high-fiber and low-fat foods.

The course is offered at a multitude of locations, but if it has not yet reached your neighborhood, you can download The Survivor’s Handbook from The Cancer Project’s Web site. Written as a companion to the class series, it contains a wealth of information that will help you understand the role of diet in cancer prevention and survival, and learn to choose and prepare the most health-promoting foods.

For more information, call 202-244-5038, send a message to info@CancerProject.org, or visit www.cancerproject.org.

Learning From the Pros
Summer’s an ideal time to add some new culinary tricks to your routine. The Culinary Institute of America’s (CIA) Continuing Education Program is offering a variety of classes with a focus on nutrition as well as taste.

“People come to our classes knowing they should be eating more healthy, but afraid that that means sacrificing taste and consigning themselves to dishes of high-fiber cardboard and nutritional Styrofoam,” says the Institute’s Jay Blotcher. “Once they enter the classes, though, we talk them ‘off the ledge’ and show them that great taste and healthy eating need not be mutually exclusive. Moreover, we teach them to prepare these meals firsthand, so they can coax better eating habits from their families."

Here are just a few of the Institute’s upcoming classes (Sign up early because classes fill quickly):

May 19, Gluten-Free Breads: You'll learn that gluten-free baking can result in moist and flavorful breads, including French, enriched, multi-grain, and sourdough. The cost is $170.

June 9, Asian Vegetarian: Chef Hinnerk von Bargen, CHE, will give you the skills to create the illusion of "meaty" meals as he introduces you to umami—the fifth flavor element. The cost is $170.

May 21-24 or October 9-12, CIA Techniques of Healthy Cooking Boot Camp: Learn the fundamentals of healthy cooking as you work side by side with the renowned chefs of the CIA. When you graduate from the course, you'll know how to apply sound nutritional principles to the foods you prepare, examine alternative seasoning and flavoring techniques that allow you to cut the fat content of your dishes, and plan a menu that emphasizes nutrition through a variety of foods. The cost is $1,625.

For more information—and to learn about more of the CIA's one- and two-day courses as well as its more intensive Boot Camp Programs, visit www.chiachef.edu.

—Carol Sorgen