Master Cooks Corps (2)

have to take matters into our own hands, not only by advocating for a
We
diet for everyone - and that's the hard part - but by improving our own.
better
that happens to be quite easy. Less meat, less junk, more plants. It's a
And
formula - eat food. Eat real food. We can continue to enjoy our food,
simple
we continue to eat well, and we can eat even better. We can continue
and
search for the ingredients we love, and we can continue to spin yarns
the
our favorite meals. We'll reduce not only calories but our carbon
about
We can make food more important, not less, and save ourselves by
footprint.
MASTER
COOKS CORPS
Community - Based Culinary Eduction
A
Intervention
A SOLUTION
TO INCREASE LEADERSHIP
IN COOKING, NUTRITION, & WELLNESS EDUCATION!
doing so. We have to choose that path.” – Mark Bittman

to cook elevated humans from lone animals into increasingly intelligent, civilized
Learning
and though we spend scant time doing real cooking, we’ve become obsessed with
groups,
arts and wellness are the viability needed to make a difference in our nation's health. With
Culinary
of obesity rising, the top causes of American deaths are related to poor diet. The nation needs
rates
culinary education as a nutrition intervention that stretches across many of the barriers
interactive
prevent healthy eating practices. However, making nutrition principles and healthy cooking
that
accessible is useless without also making them applicable. Therefore, hands-on culinary
easily
outreach programs focused on producing sustainable healthy eating behavior through
nutrition
confidence and nutrition empowerment is a successful approach to begin the restoration of
culinary
country's state of well-being across a variety of areas. Empowering community cooks to share
our
knowledge with their neighbors creates a promising set of tools to promote positive changes in
their
preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals around health, wellness,
food-related
Cooks Corps is a train the trainer program designed by Nadine Nelson and a service of
Master
Local Gourmet. For more information, please contact 917- 719-6859 or
Global
MASTER COOKS CORPS
watching people cook--a paradox that points to longing for a lost experience. - Michael Pollan
community, healthy food choices, and cooking.
nadine.nelson@gmail.com and globallocalgourmet.com

one believe that if you give people a thorough
For
of what confronts them and the basic causes
understanding
produce it, they'll create their own program, and when
that
people create a program, you get action. ~ Malcolm X
the
Cooks Corps is a volunteer community – based cooking training
Master
program comprised of the most passionate adult and youth
service
which draw from the diversity of the neighborhoods in which they
chefs
because they are the citizens of those communities. Master Cooks
serve
is active on the front lines of a critical nationwide effort
Corps
address our country's relationship with healthy food, wellness,
to
and using food as a communal building asset. Partnering and
cooking,
with food justice, culinary education, scholastic, medical,
collaborating
helping organizations to stir up solutions to the nation's food issues
and
cooking itself well, makes this work even more enriching and far
while
Master Cooks Corps seeks to create communities of wellness
reaching.
increasing knowledge of, engagement with, and access to healthy
by
to fulfill the overwhelming requests for cooking education,
Created
Cooks Corps is a scalable solution to the national obesity,
Master
and preventative disease epidemic. In America where wealth
diabetes,
compound widening health gaps, citizens are at an elevated
disparities
for chronic diseases and many negative health outcomes when
risk
to other nations. Master Cooks Corps addresses the root
compared
of both: lack of culinary education, tools for supporting wellness
cause
change, access and knowledge on how to purchase healthy
lifestyle
Master Cooks Corps curriculum is
The
on Mark Bittman’s essay
based
Fry, Boil: Eating for One or 6
“Chop,
Billion”.
Cooks Corps members are
Master
to facilitate teaching
trained
healthy, culturally relevant
about
and how to make wholesome
food,
accessible to everyone that
food
easy to make yet can be prepared
is
a limited budget. They learn to
on
participants where they are at
meet
terms of their food preferences,
in
knowledge, and resources
skills,
in the communities in which
available
live and serve.
they
Heritage Diet Pyramids
Oldways
Mediterranean, Latin,
(Vegetarian,
and Asian) and pedagogical
African,
that support culturally
practices
sustainable, popular
relevant,
and experiential teaching
education
support the curriculum and
also
a culinary pedagogical tool
create
in which to draw from later for
kit
Cooks Corps Members who
Master
students from a variety of
teach
in an array of
demographics
MASTER COOKS CORPS
food.
food within one's budget.
settings.

age of Nutritionism has come)…which implies the
(The
for a priesthood. For to enter the world where your
need
salvation depends on unseen nutrients, you need
dietary
of expert help. - Michael Pollan
plenty
is mounting evidence to link the trend of unhealthy dietary
There
with the lack of cooking at home and nutrition education.
habits
with a greater understanding of nutrition naturally eat a
People
mix of vegetables than people with less cooking knowledge
healthier
confidence. Many Americans simply lack the know on how to
and
and prepare foods for wholesome meals. In a study of
purchase
prevention and health promotion, nutrition education
obesity
a much greater emphasis when compared to physical
received
or media education in obesity prevention. Some research
activity
cooking skills are declining, thus compromising the public's
suggests
to prepare nutritionally sound meals. Now more than ever,
ability
crave a better grasp of what wellness really looks, tastes,
Americans
feels like. Moreover, individuals who report being more involved
and
food purchases and preparation or who cook more often, are
in
likely to meet healthy dietary guidelines. With all sorts of
more
for maintaining a nutritious and fit lifestyle, such as
obstacles
of dining out, insufficient time or money, taste leanings,
frequency
and lack of nutrition expertise and skills, designers of
stress,
cooking education programs must expand their scope of
successful
nutrition education and wellness in a nimble,
implementing
WHY IS CULINARY
EDUCATION IMPORTANT?
Cooking is an art and
patience a virtue...
Careful shopping, fresh
ingredients, and an
unhurried approach are
nearly all you need.
There is one more thing
- love. Love for food and
love for those you invite
to your table. With a
combination of these
things you can be an
artist - not perhaps in
the representational
style of a Dutch master,
but rather more like
Gauguin, the naïve, or
Van Gogh, the
impressionist. Plates or
pictures of sunshine
taste of happiness and
love." – Keith Floyd in A
Feast of Floyd
effortless, affordable, and convenient manner.

Each class is structured to encourage several outcomes, in the form of both
•
concepts and interactive cooking-related skills and knowledge
theoretical
Learn to teach delicious, balanced, and easy-to-prepare whole-food, plant-
•
meals sourced locally with cultural humility
based
Understand the influence of dietary patterns on health and illness, and the
•
denominators of good health around the world and what has proven to
common
effective
be
Gain practical tips, customized tools, and menu plans to fit a variety of dietary
•
and cultures
lifestyles
Discover new food preparation skills and cooking techniques that draw out
•
properties and the most flavorful qualities of foods, herbs, and spices
healing
from around the world
inspired
Learn how to teach creativity and flexibility in food preparation
•
Learn how to teach basic cooking techniques including the preparation of grains,
•
the end of this course students will have considered a wide range of ideas
By
to food, allowing them to teach others how to:
pertaining
Understand the life cycle of food, from farm to fork
•
Understand the link between diet and health:how do our dietary decisions affect
•
bodies? our
Understand how to facilitate discussions and activities around the intersections
•
the social/cultural/political/economic/environmental importance of
between
Consequently, how do communities celebrate organize/make a living,
food?
of free, health-promoting, quick-and-easy recipes
•Hundreds
materials, handouts, and worksheets
•Course
TO GLOBAL
INDIVIDUAL
SYSTEMS
FOOD
Goals
Cooks Corps is a Train-the-trainer
Master
to prepare instructors to present
program
effectively, respond to
information
questions and lead activities
participant
reinforce learning around teaching
that
process of cooking, wellness, and
the
empowerment. Master Cooks Corp
health
are equipped to direct
members
to supplementary resources
participants
reference materials. Instructors learn
and
lead discussions, listen effectively, make
to
observations and help
accurate
to link their cooking goals with
participants
instruction. New instructors get
customized
watch an experienced instructor teach,
to
the exercises themselves and
complete
practice teaching segments to other
then
Activities
train-the-trainer workshops, the
During
learn to apply adult learning
participants
principles. Additionally, activities
theory
instructors to build relationships
prepare
participants. For example, the
with
in a train-the-trainer workshop
facilitator
an ice-breaker welcome activity
conducts
show participants how to get people to
to
themselves. Each participant
introduce
to say his name, his expectations
stands
his current expertise level with the
and
Practice
instructors receive coaching
Inexperienced
mentoring from experienced teachers
and
facilitators. The seasoned personnel
and
the less experienced in developing
guide
skills and knowledge they need to
the
the course themselves. For
deliver
they provide tips and techniques
example,
observing a new instructor teach
by
segments and then offer
program
feedback. Additionally, an
constructive
instructor might produce
experienced
and video recordings
audio
themselves teaching the sessions. These
of
may also help new instructors
recordings
to use presentation
learn
kitchen tools and other
equipment,
associated with running a cooking
logistics
or experiential culinary instruction
demo
or workshop.
activity
MASTER COOKS CORPS
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
WHY IT WORKS
COURSE HIGHLIGHTS
participants.
fruits, vegetables, and proteins and where to buy them inexpensively in your area
TRAINING LEARNING OUTCOMES
topics.
nourish themselves around food?
CULINARY EDUCATION RESOURCE ACCESS
•Ongoing support network and online community
DIAGRAM OF FOOD

notion of culturally responsive
The
is premised on the idea that
education
is central to student learning.
culture
to Gloria Ladson−Billings, " It is
According
approach that empowers students
an
socially, emotionally,
intellectually,
and politically by using cultural
artistcally,
to impart knowledge,
referents
and attitudes." The use of cultural
skills
in teaching bridges and explains
referents
mainstream culture, while valuing and
the
the students' own cultures. If
recognizing
want to create change in behavior,
we
someone's cultural ties to
understanding
is important. In teaching cooking and
food
it is imporatant to look at culture
wellness
a variety of perspectives that impact
in
decisions and how to approach
food
instruction to impact the students
culinary
are teaching .
you
instruction is more than just a
Culinary
or basic cooking technique, with a
recipe
philosophy that is based on the
teaching
benefits of cooking as a
educational
to teach many themes and
catalyst
beyond food. Cooking is a
concepts
dimensional learning possibility
multi
opportunity. Food education is
and
to inspire people to learn and
designed
themselves creatively in the kitchen
express
and the kitchen at home, while
classroom
traditional learning disciplines.
reinforcing
this in mind, classes incorporate a
With
range of subjects: history, geography,
wide
reading, social studies, nutrition,
math,
science, foreign
wellness,
culture, and art all find a place
language,
the kitchen.
in
culinary nutrition outreach
Hands-on
focused on producing
programs
healthy eating behavior
sustainable
culinary confidence and
through
alertness are a successful
nutrition
to begin the restoration of our
approach
health. Experiential education is
nation's
philosophy that informs many
a
in which educators
methodologies
engage with learners in
purposefully
experience and focused
direct
in order to increase
reflection
develop skills, clarify values,
knowledge,
develop people's capacity to
and
to their communities.
contribute
and all that is related to food
Cooking
gardening are inherently hands - on
like
on observation and experience.
based
1
CULTURALLY RELEVANT
CULINARY INSTURCTION
THE PEDAGOGY OF
COOKING
2 3
EXPERIENTIAL
TEACHING
ART OF TEACHING COOKING
WORDS OF WISDOM
One of the greatest pleasures of my life
has been that I have never stopped learning
about Good Cooking and Good Food. - Edna
Lewis
Cooking is an art, but all art requires
knowing something about the techniques and
materials. – Nathan Myhrvold
Cooking demands attention, patience, and
above all, a respect for the gifts of the
earth. It is a form of worship, a way of
giving thanks. – Judith B. Jones
Cooking is an observation-based process that
you can’t do if you’re so completely focused
on a recipe. – Alton Brown
This is my advice to people: Learn how to
cook, try new recipes, learn from your
mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.
-Julia Child
You cannot get an influence from the cuisine of a
country if you don’t understand it. You’ve got to
study it. – Chef Ferran Adria

of the traditional framework of
Instead
hosting expensive third-party
organizations
to conduct workshops, Master Cooks
providers
trains local leaders to deliver an
Corps
hands-on curriculum in their schools,
interactive
churches or community centers through
camps,
lens of unique food culture. Cooking
the
are effective at improving food-related
programs
attitudes, and behaviors among
preferences,
and adults, when people understand
adolescents
programs are starting to link
Innovative
medicine, healthcare and healthy
preventative
along with culinary education. Health
eating
who are trained to empower their
professionals
by knowing how to talk to them about
patients
nutritional health and ways to improve it
their
diet can give patients practical advice
through
recipes—to help meet diet and nutrition
—even
rather than relying solely on clinical
goals,
(or, most commonly, little nutrition
knowledge
can produce classes exponentially by
You
your in house talent. By training
training
leaders to deliver the
organizations’
you build capacity within
curriculum,
that are already reaching
organizations
communities and add value to the
vulnerable
work already being done
comprehensive
minimal resources. This sustainable
requiring
targets and collaborates with
approach
that want health education but
organizations
have the resources to hire outside
don’t
to come in and lead continual
trainers
faith communities, hospitals, and
Schools,
can be instrumental in growing
organizations
food and educating people about
fresh
food. - Bryant Terry
sustainable
COOKING TEACHERS,
NUTRITIONISTS, WELLNESS
FACILITATORS, DIETITIANS
MASTER COOKS CORPS TRAINING IS
GOOD FOR COOKING UP WELLNESS
AND FOOD JUSTICE:
where their students are coming from.
DOCTORS, NURSES, & HEALTH
CARE PROFESSIONALS
“
knowledge at all).
HELPING PROFESSIONALS,
COMMUNITY LEADERS,
PARENTS
programming.

is killing us. We need a revolution. Cooking
Convenience
food is a revolutionary act. — Dr. Mark Hyman, NY
real
bestselling author, family physician, and international
Times
in the field of Functional Medicine.
leader
The simple but profound way in which such valuable information
-
presented.
was
I liked learning about different cultures through food.
-
The overall integration of cooking, community, and life.
-
I loved learning about the Oldways Pyramids. This was
-
new to me. And although I am a seasoned cook, and
completely
hundreds of seasonings, I was not familiar with the cultural
have
profiles.
food
I learned how to incorporate misc. veggies into basic ingredients
-
were tasteful and time conscious!
that
Using limited ingredients
-
The improvisational element of the cooking portion and
-
with technical errors!
troubleshooting
Being spontaneous and flexible.
-
Experiential aspect of the program; compilation of easy tips and
-
and flavor combinations.
strategies
The different heritage diets and flavor profiles. Being judgment
-
about people’s cultures. Offering solutions as options. Being
free
mindful of others’ cooking limitations.
really
Learning how much is possible to accomplish with limited
-
reserves -- learning to “make it work!”
cooking
Working, collaborating in groups with others that all have various
-
strengths.
Interchangeable ingredients across cultures.
-
chance to cook with others creatively to cook with existing
-The
ingredients!
Bridging the cultural gap between people and food.
-
Teachers modeling teaching and getting to critique and roleplay
-
WHAT WAS THE MOST
HELPFUL/RELEVANT TO YOU?
ourselves.

Spruill is a Master Cooks Corps success story. She
Serena
to the program as one of those community unsung
came
who had participated in some of the cities
heroes
food justice firsts. She was part of the inaugural
Maverick
of citizens to start the first farmers market in New
group
over 20 years ago. She also was part of the
Haven,
around the first community garden. In 1980 she
organizing
a vegetarian and then vegan after stumbling on
became
vegetarian co-op and thinking it would be good for
the
health. A mother of 5 and a former wife, Serena has
her
an active citizen most of her life. She has not been
been
difficulties, dealing with depression and
without
after her divorce. She has been a client of
schizophrenia
Mental Health and has used food as a tool
Connecticut
help in her healing process. She is now a Peer Support
to
and helps to cook nutritious food for clients in
Specialist
cafeteria to help rid their diet of processed food and
the
meals that are healthy and local. She leads groups
cook
workshop around recipes where clients get a bag of
and
ingredients of what they have cooked in class.
the
came to Master Cooks Corps very unassuming
She
somewhat shy. Her confidence has been
and
as she has gone from assisting classes
transformative
leading them. She just graduated from The Natural
to
Institute studying raw, vegan, and plant-
Gourmet
food preparation. She is a regular on local
based
sharing her passion for food and teaching
television
her vibrant smile. She is ready to take on the
with
world as the leader she has always been. Her
food
is infectious as she spreads her
personality
for healthy eating with the mental health
knowledge
and beyond. We can’t wait to see where
community
culinary journey will take her because she is just
her
She has attributed her courage and
beginning.
to the mentorship, facilitation, and
motivation
of the Master Cooks Corps program.
guidance
like hers, inspire us to continue to coach and
Stories
the next round of community culinary
teach
ready to whip up solutions for overall
instructors
in the spaces they live.
wellness
SERENA'S SUCCESS
STORY

Ingredients
medium carrots
6
small onion
½
large lemon
1
Materials
small bowls • Box grater •
2
board • Measuring cups •
Cutting
spoons • Medium bowl
Measuring
M O R O C C A N C A R R O T
S A L A D
Tablespoons canola oil
3
teaspoon or tablespoon curry powder (to taste)
1
teaspoon salt
½
teaspoon ground black pepper
¼
cup dark or golden raisins (optional)
¼
Directions
1. Rinse and peel carrots and onion.
2. Shred carrots with a grater. Dice onion.
3. Rinse lemon and cut in half. In a small
bowl, squeeze juice. Discard seeds.
4. In a medium bowl, combine carrots and
onions.
5. In a second small bowl, combine oil, curry
powder, salt, pepper, and 2
Tablespoons of the lemon juice. Mix well. Let
marinate 5 minutes.
6. Pour liquid mixture over carrots and
onions. Stir in raisins. Mix well.
Chef’s Notes
• Replace half of the carrot with grated
jicama or apples.
• For best taste, allow flavors to blend before
serving. Let sit 15–20 minutes after
you have mixed in the sauce in step 6.
• Serve as a colorful side dish for fish,
poached chicken, or baked or broiled
chicken legs.
• Layer onto a sandwich with lean turkey and
fresh veggies like cucumber.
By Chef Nadine Nelson for Share Our
Strength's Cooking Matters Cookbook

Education, and other Factors that
Nutrition
Eating Patterns
Influence
practice of cooking was once lauded as the quintessential avenue
The
which to teach students everything from physics and math to
with
and biology, to geography and art. The legacy of war, feminist
chemistry
a burgeoning industrialized food system, and the rise of
backlash,
foods pushed the study of food and cooking out of our
convenience
and our kitchens. Only one-third of the population know how to
schools
and more than half of our food dollars are spent with other people
cook
our meals. The deskilling of our cooks can be tied to the
preparing
in obesity and diet-related disease, a degradation of local food
increase
suspect working conditions for food workers, and
communities,
and its related practices (producing, preparing, etc.) represent so
Eating
more than simply a means to nourish the body. As we have heard
much
“we are what we eat.” What we eat does matter and we need
universally,
take this matter into our own hands by educating people about the
to
of food production in our country. Inspired by the belief in the
reality
of food knowledge and cooking skills, Master Cooks Corps
importance
and pedagogical methodologies was designed with hopes that
curriculum
food education movement will gain traction spread throughout
the
households via institutions like school, church, hospitals, libraries
American
other organizations that can support a Master Cooks Corps cohort
and
we do best is equip schools, health professionals, and other
What
organizations with a set of interactive culinary instruction
community
to meaningfully engage with a variety of constituencies about
strategies
nutrition, and wellness. These pedagogical practices are easy and
food,
to implement while very effective in inspiring enhanced food literacy
fun
with the average person. We want to make healthy, culturally
skills
instruction available for communities to create more sustainable
relevant
"well" environments through interactive culinary education.
and
Cooks Corps is a train the trainer
Master
designed by Nadine Nelson and a
program
of Global Local Gourmet. For more
service
please contact 917- 719-6859 or
information,
and
nadine.nelson@gmail.com
globallocalgourmet.com
EXPANSION OF CULINARY NUTRITION
environmental instability.
and program.