Who Doesn’t Love a Smoothie?
After dabbling as a self-schooled chef since the age of six, I finally decided to take the plunge and attend Matthew Kenney Academy’s raw culinary training program in Oklahoma City. I’ve only prepared a few raw dishes of any complexity before, such as raw bread and raw lasagna, so everyday brings much new knowledge and experiences.
Ultimately, I chose the Matthew Kenney program as it was the only classically structured culinary education available using almost entirely plant-based ingredients. The program is not completely vegan, since it employs products from bees (honey and bee pollen) in its recipes, such as the Blueberry Bee Smoothie pictured above.
Today was Day 4 of the Level 1 class, and we’ve already learned so much: Not just several incredibly delicious recipes (juices and smoothies among the simplest), but professional knife skills, plating skills, flavor combinations, and recipe substitution and development.
I’m also learning firsthand about the differences between cooking at home vs professionally: dishes must be pleasing to the eye and the palate–not just nutritious and healthy–for a restaurant to prosper.
I invite you to stop by again to join me on my culinary learning journey!
