Georgia Magazine - August 2017 - 16
the facts of life ... in georgia Upcoming events at the teaching kitchen Nutritionist and teaching kitchen coordinator Cara-Lee Langston (center, in green apron) demonstrates knife skills to participants in a Cooking Matters class. Cooking Matters is a nonprofit nutrition and culinary education program that teaches low-income adults and kids how to create healthy meals on a budget. A fresh approach to cooking: the teaching kitchen BY VICTORIA SCHARF DECASTRO * PHOTOS BY PETER MCINTOSH Since 1992, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens has worked to end hunger in the mountainous region. Last year, the food bank opened a distribution warehouse and foodprocessing center in the foothills of Appalachia in Rabun County. Included in this center is the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia Teaching Kitchen. "We are here to provide a fresh approach to ending hunger. Our goals are to empower people to make healthy choices and learn new skills and to reconnect people with lost skills, like growing their own food and cooking from scratch," says CaraLee Langston, kitchen coordinator. Among its numerous programs, the teaching kitchen offers hands-on workshops on making pasta, preparing ethnic cuisine, perfecting knife skills, working with fresh vegetables and more. Classes that cover cooking for special dietary requirements are also available in addition to classes on food-preservation methods, such as canning, pickling, fermenting and quick-freezing. The facility endeavors to recon16 'We're here to help create a healthier community.' -Cara-Lee Langston nect people with the region's cultural heritage through classes that teach wild-foods foraging, wild-game cooking and Appalachian herbal traditions. The kitchen also hosts cooking demonstrations and food-tasting events that feature local chefs, such as Rebecca Lang and Jennifer Hill Booker. The teaching kitchen is available for fundraisers, dinners, private rentals, community events and farmers markets. Proceeds support the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia's efforts to increase access to fresh food and nutrition education in the region. "We are open and accessible to all," Langston says. "And we're here to help create a healthier community." To learn more, visit foodbank nega.org/teachingkitchen. Victoria Scharf DeCastro is a freelance writer based in Winder. More online at www.georgiamagazine.org * Cast Iron Appalachian Cookery, Aug. 5. Learn how to cook with and care for your cast-iron skillet and to prepare traditional Southern recipes using healthy ingredients. * EclipseFest Brunch Pop-Up! Aug. 19. Shop at the Clayton Farmers Market and enjoy a breakfast menu featuring locally produced eggs, meat, vegetables, fruit and homemade biscuits. * Herbal Liqueurs at Home, Sept. 12. Turn summer herbs and fruits into exotic liqueurs that will warm you all winter-and make great gifts! Learn the easy steps for making aromatic liqueurs using the summer sun. Take home a starter batch and an array of traditional recipes from world cuisines known for their liqueurs. Class will be taught by acclaimed local herbalist Patricia Kyritsi Howell. * Farm Food Favorites: Okra! Sept. 15. Join local organic farmer and health enthusiast Terri Jagger Blincoe of Ladybug Farms to learn about simple and nutritious ways to prepare peakseason produce. Each month, Blincoe features a different fresh vegetable from her farm in Clayton and prepares two or three quick and easy dishes using five or fewer ingredients. September's farm food favorite is okra! Participants can taste these healthy dishes and take recipes home. To purchase tickets for these events visit foodbanknega.org/teachingkitchen. GEORGIA MAGAZINE