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

http://www.foodbanknega.org/teachingkitchen http://www.foodbanknega.org/teachingkitchen http://www.foodbanknega.org/teachingkitchen http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - August 2017