"Cooking is so tedious!"
"I want to enjoy cooking, but it takes so much out of me."
"I would do more than warm frozen food, but I burn everything."
"It's easier to eat out. Cooking is too overwhelming."
"Cooking for myself takes too long!"
Does any of this sound familiar? Do you want to change the tune?
It can be tricky to cook when we are busy and loaded with obligations. If you're not really comfortable in the kitchen or you just don't love to cook, this important task can easily feel like a burden. Wouldn't it be nice if the weight was lifted and you could feel like you can hit cruise control while you cook?
Because let's be real - while cooking for yourself is not an essential life skill, it is one that can deeply improve your well-being, boost your health status, and bolster your bank account. Imagine the money you can save by cooking from home with whole ingredients!
This course has been designed as a 5-week / 4-class series to ease your anxieties and build your confidence. Whether you are afraid to boil water or require 3 hours to assemble Blue Apron, this course will set you straight and put you on a path to ease and efficiency in the kitchen.
Imagine if you felt really confident knowing the basics. The trickiness mellows and the task of making a meal begins to be easy.
We will tackle the basics of cooking from the saute to the braise to the basics of flavor building and the many ways to cook an egg. You will learn how to season and salt appropriately, how to multi-task, and how to properly prepare a stainless steel pan so your food doesn't stick! Yay!!
This is not a gourmet cooking class . . . This is a day-to-day, packing kids lunches, making dinner in 20, get to work by 9 am cooking class!
Each class is carefully designed into a cohesive syllabus, layering skills from one week to the next.
Here are the highlights:
- This series is designed for a beginner to intermediate cook. We can get clear on that on a call, if you are not sure that you fit this criteria.
- The syllabus is not focused on gourmet cooking, but rather very practical - let's not get food stuck to the pan - strategies for assembling a home cooked meal.
- Classes will be split between demonstration and hands-on cooking.
- Emphasis will include how to integrate cooking into your busy schedule.
- Knife skill basics will be covered in class #1, and reiterated throughout the course to lay the groundwork for efficiency and ease.
- Perfectly scheduled on a Sunday afternoon, you will eat before you leave class (or take it home) and you will be prepared with some leftovers for the week ahead.
- We will keep the momentum alive in between classes in a private Facebook group where you can post questions, recipes, and receive support.
- Videos will be posted that cover the techniques from each week so you can refer to them quickly.
- You will also have homework assignments in between classes to simply cook and apply what we have learned.
- Each student will receive recipes, how-to guides, and reference guides in a customized binder to fill as the class progresses.
If you are eager to improve your culinary skills, work out the kinks, understand the exceptions, and know how to whip up a meal with confidence and precision, join us!
Scroll down for the details . . .
“The kitchen was a place of frustration because I didn’t know where to start, what to make or how to do it correctly. All those things stopped me in my tracks and I just ordered out. . . . I’m completely different now. Nancy showed me some basics that really allowed me to appreciate the artistry and precision of cooking. Knife technique, cooking temperatures, differences in pans and food prep all helped me to realize that cooking was accessible for me. ”
The details - Let's Get Cooking!
Class size will be limited to a maximum of 6 students. Instruction will be a blend of demonstration and hands-on learning. Participants will work independently and in small groups to assemble dishes and practice techniques.
The recipes we will cover will include both meat and vegetarian dishes. Most recipes will be naturally gluten free, and most allergens can be accommodated.
You will be provided with a 3-ring binder to collect the recipes and instructional guides distributed in each class. This material will compliment the content in class to support you when you go home.
You will also have access to Nancy via email and through your private Facebook group throughout the series to address your questions in between classes. The Facebook group will remain live through early November keep you going and to encourage integration of your learning.
Each class will end with a cooking-oriented homework assignment that will build your confidence and put food on your table. Video of techniques and strategies relevant to homeworkwill be posted weekly in the Facebook Group so you can refer back quickly and easily.
Augusta - Early 2018 Dates & venue TBD
All Augusta Classes will be held in at a venue to be determined. The class will be limited to 10-12 people. Participants will work independently or in teams to assemble recipes and practice techniques.
New York City - Spring 2018
All New York classes will be held at the Brooklyn Brainery.
More details to come in January. Stay tuned!
Brooklyn Brainery Work Space
Brooklyn Brainery Kitchen
class Syllabus:
The following outline is subject to change . . .
CLASS 1 -
Introductions
Knife Skills
Building Flavor, Introduction
Salt: How Much, When & Why
Dry Roasting / Toasting Nuts
Steam-Sauté Method
CLASS 2 -
Sauté and Sweating
Pan Fry
Roasting / Baking & Brining
Searing & Browning
Broiling
CLASS 3 -
Sauces
Soups
Stews
Slow Cooking & Braising
Stocks & Broths
CLASS 4 -
Dressings
Eggs - Poaching, Omelets, Frittatas
Preservation & DIY Fermentation
“I have always been intimated by the kitchen and found cooking to be stressful. Nancy taught me how to sauté, grill, roast, chop and season. Now cooking on Sundays has become something I find relaxing and look forward to. This is a big lifestyle change, which I hope to continue to expand upon throughout my life. Bonus: Not eating out for every meal has also saved me hundreds of dollars!”
Investment & Payment Structure:
~ FULL COURSE RATE $455~
Payment Plan: $100 Deposit + 2 Payments of $180
Your investment covers:
- 12 Hours of Class Time
- All Ingredients
- All Supplies & Equipment
- A Kitchen Assistant
- Prep & Clean-Up Time
- Recipes and Complimentary Learning Materials
- Videos of Cooking Techniques Covered in Class
- Facebook Group Hosting & Engagement
- Email access to Nancy with a 36 hour response commitment.
Payment Structure Options:
A $100 nonrefundable deposit is required to secure your spot regardless of the discounted rate you receive.
The remainder of your balance can be paid in 1 of 2 ways:
- Pay remaining balance ($355) in full on or before the first class.
- Pay your remaining balance in 2 payments of $180.
JOIN US!
Shift what you eat . . .
How you get it on the table . . .
And save $$ in the process!
Email us to receive updates on future classes
“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.”
“Nancy, I am really glad I held out and worked with you! You just exude a love for what you do, and a really fierce commitment to sharing your knowledge, your passion for food and cooking, and your belief that people can grow out of old patterns that do not serve. In short, you rock!”
Nancy combines her training in nutrition and integrative health, a Masters of Urban Planning and over a decade of professional culinary experience in Radiant Health. She supports her clients to redefine how they eat and their relationship to food. She guides them to build culinary skills, and fine-tune their pantries so they can feel amazing in their skin AND in the kitchen. Nancy doesn't prescribe to a particular diet or specific philosophy of nutrition. She strictly teaches whole food cooking with recipes that allow the ingredients to speak for themselves.
In her daily life, Nancy is juggling the balance of being a working mom. She gets the tug and pull of a dozen priorities needing her attention as mama, as business owner, as partner, as daughter and friend. But she knows that if she can show up even for 30 minutes in her kitchen, she will eat better, feel better, and be more grounded throughout her day. As a native Georgia girl, she was surrounded by many cooks growing up who valued cooking from scratch and meals loaded with simple ingredients made from whole food. Seasons were celebrated for their fruit and veggie arrivals . . . Still are!
Nancy is back in her home state of Georgia after 12 years in New York City. In February, she and her husband Greg packed- up their daughter and their lives in the city for greener pastures. They call home Atlanta's Grant Park, and have been devouring their new space, new kitchen, and easier life.