Upcoming Events and Classes

Hi Folks!

The fall Healthy Cooking Class Schedule is underway as are some of the hottest food/wine events in the city.

Here’s where you can find me around town in the weeks to come:

Sept. 29-30, Wine South with Dish restaurant at the Georgia World Congress Center
Oct. 13, Taste of Atlanta with Dish restaurant at Atlantic Station
Oct. 20, Vegetarian Cooking Class for the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. in the Virginia Highlands
Oct. 23-24, Nutrition Interactive Education with Kaiser Permanente’s Worksite Wellness program at the Coca-Cola Company.
Oct. 27, Quick and Healthy Foods Cooking Class for the members of Curves at Toco Hills

If you’re interested in holding a class or seminar please contact me!

Fall Healthy Cooking Series Launches!

You may have noticed I took the end of the summer off. I was knee deep in kid-tertainment mode and then the Back-to-School shuffle that follows.

And now the first day of fall has come and gone. The kids are back in school and perhaps, like me, you’re now doing across the board inventory. You know getting ready for cooler weather, checking the car out, eyeballing the lawn and the house to see what's needed to get through the winter, pulling out boxes and bags of clothes to see what still fits and what can be donated.

Perhaps, like me, you're even left contemplating your post-summer shape. During the summer I thoroughly enjoy all the barbecue I can eat along with pool side sweet drinks and our latest obsession – Mega Buffets, and I mean anything with a sneeze guard and a warming cart. Not to mention fast food joints and pizza, hotdogs, hamburgers, nachos … well you get the picture. Any and all foods found at the movies, the skating rink, the baseball stadium, amusement parks, packed into picnics and other places we end up going with the kids.

So now that it’s September, I have months of poor eating habits and frivolous indulgences weighing me down. Instead of throwing a pity part, I’m going to do what I do best -- cook! That’s right, and I’m inviting you to join me.

ANNOUNCING: The Fall Healthy Cooking Series!

It’s time to get together and relish the bounty of the fall season, reinvent holiday favorites and rev up the flavor of some cozy, sweater weather dishes.

Let’s delve into soups, stews, compotes and dressings with reckless abandon!

Let’s see how to deliciously and nutritiously navigate traditionally calorie-heavy dishes served during holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Let’s make the most of cool-weather cooking techniques such as braising and roasting to boost the flavor of lean proteins, root vegetables and more!

Let’s come up with after-school snacks and 30 minute meals that are healthy and that the kids still love!

Stay tuned to learn details about some of the upcoming classes. Or to book a class for yourself, a group or organization, just give me a call at 404-513-6468.

Summer Salad is Just Peachy!

I don’t know what those hard fuzzy knots that popped up in grocery stores and supermarkets a couple of months ago were supposed to be. They called themselves peaches, and some of them even had the nerve to call themselves Georgia peaches, but those hairy mean little wannabes were anything but what the Great State of Georgia has long-called its pride and joy.

MMMMM peaches. Nothing says summer in the south like luscious, ripe, juicy peaches. Close your eyes and imagine the complete sensory experience of biting into the first peach of the summer… feel the fuzz on the tip of your tongue as your teeth penetrate the firm un-bruised skin and sink into the tangy-sweet oh-so-juicy meat of the fruit… hear your self slurping and crunching, smacking and gulping as each bite brings a torrent of peachy goodness flooding into your mouth and sweet ant-drawing juices dribble down your chin and arm… regress to your inner five-year-old as you actually lick the juices that are heading toward your elbow…

Ok now that I have you “jonesing” for some Georgia peaches let me show you something sophisticated and sexy that you can do with them once you get past the initial peach glutton fest that’s bound to happen.

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Chef Sheri Davis at Dish restaurant is grilling up some Georgia peaches for a summer salad that is out of this world. I love when several varieties of locally grown produce can come together on one plate, and this is one such dish featuring Georgia-grown pecans and wild baby arugula.

So how does it taste? Fantastic. Peaches love the grill. They take on that smoky flavor famously. When paired with the peppery bite of wild arugula – which blows that bagged stuff out of the water – you get a crisp salad base with a punch. You may never go back to plain old lettuce again. The toasted spiced pecans used in this dish are sweetened by their time in the oven which enhances their nuttiness and is nicely complimented by the heat of the cayenne-based spice mixture Sheri uses on her nuts. The coup de grace is creamy rich mouth-friendly sprinkle of gorgonzola cheese that goes on top, which cuts perfectly through the sweetness of the raspberry and balsamic vinegars used for dressing the salad.

Tangy. Sweet. Crunchy. Crispy. Juicy. Smoky. Spicy. Fruity. Really, what’s NOT to love here?

It takes just minutes to pull this salad together so give it a whirl the next time you get those coals hot and have some time to kill between the hotdogs and the ribs. It definitely solves the question of what vegetables to eat during a cookout, and if you want to pack the ingredients in a cooler, you can grill the peaches at a beach or park picnic and throw the salad together in just seconds.

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Chef Sheri sliced one of those fantastically gorgeous peaches and drizzled it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil which keeps the peaches from sticking and lends a layer of fruitiness all its own. Not too much oil because you don’t want it dripping down into the coals causing flame-ups which can discolor and ruin the flavor of the peaches. You want to cut the peaches into thick wedges that will be able to hang out on the grill for a few minutes with out becoming over cooked or slipping through the grill grates.

Next she seasoned them with salt and pepper, and popped them on a hot grill for about 2-3 minutes before flipping them over gently with tongs and grilling for another 2-3 minutes. It’s important that your grill or grill pan be hot enough to carmelize the juices in the peaches lending yet another layer of flavor. If the grill isn’t hot enough, not only will your peaches stick to the grill and fall apart when you try to take them off of the grill (thus ruining your chances of getting really cool looking grill marks), but the peaches will take longer to cook and lose their firmness leaving you with what is essentially just warm fruit. Not what we’re going for here. Here you want to capture the smoky flavor of the grill and still maintain the flavor and toothiness of the peaches.

Next Sheri seasoned some baby wild arugula with salt and black pepper, and tossed with spiced pecan pieces and a raspberry vinaigrette. She arranged the salad on a plate painted with a balsamic vinegar reduction, and garnished the dish with gorgonzola cheese. Finally she surrounded the salad with the grilled peach slices and viola! Perfection.

Uber-Lentils?

During a recent Food for Life: The Mature Woman’s Guide class held on June 9 at the Sylvan Hills Curves, I had the opportunity to hold court with some fantastic women who are interested in maintaining health for life. It was an honor to be in such energetic and sagacious company. Mrs. Romer, an octogenarian equipped with wit and wisdom, may have topped the list in terms of age, but all of the women were radiant, powerful and eager to learn more about staying healthy.

As we spoke about various healthful foods, some of the old standbys came up again and again: garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, turmeric, complex carbs, and phyotestrogens.

A light bulb went off in my head as I recalled a “recipe,” if I can call it that, for one of my favorite lentil dishes. My usual preparation of brown or red lentils contains all of these ingredients. So I’m going to do my best to put measurements in, but feel free to adjust this recipe to your tastes. I dedicate this recipe to the fantastic ladies of Sylvan Hills Curves and their insatiable appetite for wellness today and every day. See the notes after the recipe to learn the healthful properties of these ingredients.

3/4 cup dry brown lentils
1/4 cup dry red lentils
4 cups water
5 whole garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1/4 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 cup milk (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro


Place drained lentils into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Pour in the water, then add garlic, salt, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
While the lentils cook, melt the clarified butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook, stirring often, until they turn golden brown. Stir in the cumin, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir the onions and milk into the lentils; cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro to serve.