Welcome to all my new friends. And thanks to those of you who have attended my recent online cooking classes for the Cancer Support Community of the Bay Area and for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI  @Berkeley). I’m delighted to present the following new classes. To register, follow the links below. I do hope you’ll join me on Zoom!

First Quarter 2023 Cooking Classes

I’m gearing up to teach some exciting new cooking classes, all via Zoom. I hope you’ll be inspired to join me.

Healthy Cooking on a Budget: Veggies with Panache

Presented by the Cancer Support Community of the Bay Area via Zoom

Thursday, January 12, 4 to 6 pm PT

• Roasted Cauliflower with Coconut Chile Crisp
• Caramelized Carrots with Creamy Nuoc Cham and Roasted Cashews
• Savoy Cabbage with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Red Pepper Flakes

Once a month for the past two years, it’s been my pleasure to teach a free cooking class for the local Cancer Support Community (CSC). Every class features seasonal, plant-forward recipes. These free classes are open to anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. To create a member account and register for any of CSC’s terrific classes, workshops, and support groups (many of which meet via Zoom): www.cancersupport.net

Seasonal Entertaining Menu

Presented by Garden Guild via Zoom

Friday, January 27, 2023, 10 am to Noon PT

• Savory Ricotta Board
• Mandarin Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds and Puffed Rice Vermicelli (AKA Almost-Pasadena’s-Green-Street Dianne Salad)
• Dark Chocolate No-Bakes

Quite unwittingly, this menu happens to be entirely gluten-free. And you  could make it vegetarian with a few simple adjustments. This will be the fourth demonstration cooking class I’ve taught for our local Garden Guild, and they’ve graciously allowed me to invite friends and family to join us at the guest rate of $30. To register, make a check payable to Garden Guild and mail to Cindy Deans, 60 Roble Road, Berkeley, CA  94705. Be sure to include your email address so Cindy can send you the recipes and Zoom link. The deadline to register is Monday January 23. 

Cooking by the Book (a four-part series)

Presented by OLLI @Berkeley (livestreamed via Zoom and recorded)

Four Wednesdays: February 15 through March 8, 9:30 to 11:30 am PT

Among the canon of cookbooks collected by an enthusiastic cook over the years, inevitably, a few become favorites. In this course, we’ll explore four such gems, each of which i’ve carefully selected for its distinctive recipes, techniques, and voice. You needn’t have a copy of the books to participate—the featured recipes will be posted the weekend before each  class. This course is presented by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UC Berkeley. OLLI is a dynamic community of learners 50 years of age and older. You must be an OLLI member to register. Membership is $50 for the current Winter term (or $100 for four consecutive terms) and includes several informative free lectures, seminars, and presentations throughout the term, most via Zoom. The registration fee for Cooking by the Book is $120 for the four classes. You needn’t be present to attend these classes, as they’re recorded and available for viewing through the end of the term. For membership, course registration, course syllabus, etc.: 

https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs/courses

Books presented this term:

• Week 1: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes & Cooking Lessons from San Francisco’s Beloved Restaurant, by Judy Rodgers
• Week 2: Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World’s Most Versatile, Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes, by Joe Yonan
• Week 3: Cucina Rustica: Simple, Irresistible Recipes in the Rustic Italian Style, by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman
• Week 4: Naturally Sweet: Bake All Your Favorites with 30% to 50% Less Sugar, by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen

Healthy Cooking on a Budget: More Breakfast Favorites

Presented by the Cancer Support Community of the Bay Area (via Zoom)

Thursday, February 23, 4 to 6 pm PT

• Eggs Florentine with Creamy Spinach and Foolproof Poached Eggs
• Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Hash 

This free class is open to anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. (See the aforementioned Healthy Cooking class listing for more information about the Cancer Support Community of the Bay Area.) To create a member account and/or register for any of CSC’s classes, workshops, and support groups (many of which meet via Zoom): www.cancersupport.net

Stay tuned…

• I’ll be teaching a new four-part OLLI course, The How’s and Why’s of Good Cooking, during  Spring term 2023, on Wednesdays from April 5 through 26, from 9:30 to 11:30 am PT. Registration and more information will be available in February at https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs/courses 
• And my upcoming Healthy Cooking on a Budget classes will take place  on March 30 and April 27 at 4 pm PT: www.cancersupport.net