This 4-part class can be taken individually or as a series. We will discover a wealth of techniques and recipes to give flavor to a base of nutritious and healthful foods. The whole foods philosophy maintains that minimal processing maintains nutritional integrity. The vegan philosophy maintains that removing (and at the very least limiting) animal products in the diet is beneficial for the body of the individual and the body of the planet.

Faced with these limits, people often have trouble finding both what to eat and how to cook it. In this series we will learn techniques and recipes to create both intense and balanced flavor within the seeming restrictions of the vegan whole foods diet which is proving itself, through research to be the most healthful diet available.

The series is split into 4 sections: Vegetables, Beans and Grains, Soy foods, Soups and Sauces, and draws on culinary traditions from around the world.

1. Vegetables
The vegetarian diet is ideally suited to having vegetables at its center. Using vegetables as a focal point allows us to eat seasonally, and therefore locally, which I maintain being the healthiest way to eat. The range of phytonutrients is wide and varied over the year, fiber and micronutrient content is maintained. Recipes will be included and general guidelines discussed.

2. Beans and Grains
Beans and grains maintain the healthy protein balance essential for life. Eating a wide variety of beans and grains ensures that the body has available all the essential amino acids. We will provide techniques and recipes for cooking a very wide variety of different beans and grains.

3.Soy Foods
Soy is important in the plant based diet due to it complete protein profile. It contains all the essential amino acids necessary for life and has become an important component of the plant based diet. We will discuss which soy products are most important, including those that are less desirable. Again a wide variety of techniques and recipes will be provided.

4. Soups and Sauces
Soups are important to include as they are highly digestible and the nutrients easily available to the body. Soups are also important in their ability to use up leftovers! Sauces add a final level of panache to dinners and can help elevate a very simple preparation to a higher level, both for the individual and in the context of dinner parties. Recipes will be provided and techniques applicable beyond these recipes will be discussed.