Dr. Julien Naylor

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Scenes from the Sitka Kitch’s Cooking Around The World series class on Turkish cooking

Students learned how to make several Turkish dishes on Monday, April 17, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This was the last of five classes in the Cooking Around The World class series offered this spring.

The class was taught by Suat Tuzlak, the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” Suat is in Sitka teaching several yoga classes at Yoga Union and two Cooking Around The World classes for the Sitka Kitch.

In this class, students learned how to make a vegan and gluten-free Turkish dinner that included red lentil soup (with onions, garlic, carrots and tomatoes), green beans with olive oil (also with onions, garlic and tomatoes), a festive rice pilaf with black currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert of pudding made with chia seeds, maple syrup and coconut milk.

This was the last class in the Cooking Around The World series, which also featured classes on Moroccan cooking, Chilean cooking, Thai cooking and Austrian strudel. The Sitka Kitch programming team currently is developing some new classes for later this spring and into the summer (including a Preserving The Harvest series in the summer). Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these and any future classes are scheduled.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

A slideshow of scenes from the Turkish cooking class follows below.

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Scenes from the Sitka Kitch’s Cooking Around The World series class on Austrian strudel

Students learned how to make a variety of types of Austrian strudel on Wednesday, April 12, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This was the fourth of five classes in the Cooking Around The World class series offered this spring.

The class was taught by Suat Tuzlak, the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” Suat is in Sitka teaching several yoga classes at Yoga Union and two Cooking Around The World classes for the Sitka Kitch.

In this class, students learned how to prepare the strudel dough, including a rolling trick using a bedsheet. They also tried four different types of fillings — three savory (spinach and feta cheese; kale, mushroom and onions; and cabbage, onion and caraway seeds) and one dessert filling (apple, raisin, nuts and cinnamon).

The final Cooking Around The World series class is:

  • Turkey — 5-7:30 p.m., Monday, April 17, taught by Suat Tuzlak. For this class, Suat, who is Turkish, will teach students how to make a Turkish dinner that is vegan and gluten-free without using sophisticated ingredients. You will learn to make red lentil soup, green beans with olive oil, festive rice pilaf with currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert, chia-coconut pudding. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, April 14.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these and any future classes are scheduled (there will be a Preserving The Harvest class series this summer).

A slideshow of scenes from the Austrian strudel class follows below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Scenes from the Sitka Kitch’s ‘Nourish’ series class on spring detox

Students learned how to make a variety of dishes for a spring detox on Monday, April 3, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This was the fifth of five classes in the Nourish: Using Food As Medicine For Optimum Health class series offered as part of National Nutrition Month this March.

The class series was taught by Holly Marban, a Sitka nutritionist and holistic health coach. In this class, students made a detoxifying green goddess salad, red beet hummus, creamy cauliflower and leek soup with homemade basil pesto, and green smoothies. Previous Nourish class topics included nutrition foundations (March 6), balancing blood sugar with whole foods (March 13), everyday superfoods (March 20) and foods to fight inflammation (March 27).

While the Nourish series is over, the Sitka Kitch still has two classes remaining in its five-class Cooking Around The World class series with space available. These classes are:

  • Austria — 6-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, taught by Suat Tuzlak. Suat is the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” For this class he will teach students how to make a savory strudel with two fillings and a sweet strudel with apples that’s great with ice cream. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 9. (Note, this class is sold out, but you can email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org to get on our waiting list if space opens up.)
  • Turkey — 5-7:30 p.m., Monday, April 17, taught by Suat Tuzlak. For this class, Suat, who is Turkish, will teach students how to make a Turkish dinner that is vegan and gluten-free without using sophisticated ingredients. You will learn to make red lentil soup, green beans with olive oil, festive rice pilaf with currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert, chia-coconut pudding. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, April 14.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these and any future classes are scheduled (there will be a Preserving The Harvest class series this summer).

A slideshow of scenes from the spring detox class follows below.

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Scenes from the Sitka Kitch’s Cooking Around The World series class on Thai cooking

Students learned how to make a Thai chicken coconut soup and panang muu (aka, panang pork curry) on Tuesday, March 28, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This was the third of five classes in the Cooking Around The World class series offered this spring.

The class was taught by Nancy Knapp, a longtime Sitka health program manager who also spent several years living and working in Laos and Thailand. She also taught a Thai cooking class last year, and both classes were sold out.

Future Cooking Around The World series classes include:

  • Austria — 6-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, taught by Suat Tuzlak. Suat is the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” For this class he will teach students how to make a savory strudel with two fillings and a sweet strudel with apples that’s great with ice cream. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 9.
  • Turkey — 5-7:30 p.m., Monday, April 17, taught by Suat Tuzlak. For this class, Suat, who is Turkish, will teach students how to make a Turkish dinner that is vegan and gluten-free without using sophisticated ingredients. You will learn to make red lentil soup, green beans with olive oil, festive rice pilaf with currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert, chia-coconut pudding. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, April 14.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these and any future classes are scheduled (there will be a Preserving The Harvest class series this summer).

A slideshow of scenes from the Thai cooking class follows below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Scenes from the Sitka Kitch’s ‘Nourish’ series class on balancing blood sugar levels

Students learned how to make a variety of dishes that will help people balance their blood sugar levels on Monday, March 13, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This was the second of five classes in the Nourish: Using Food As Medicine For Optimum Health class series offered as part of National Nutrition Month this March.

The class series is taught by Holly Marban, a Sitka nutritionist and holistic health coach. In this class, students made a vegetable frittata, a kale salad with an apple cider vinaigrette, a lentil and veggie salad with nuts and herbs, with buckwheat granola, lemon vanilla yogurt, and berries for dessert. Future Nourish classes include (unfortunately, this class series is full):

  • Class 3: Everyday Superfoods — 6-8 p.m. on Monday, March 20
    • In this class we’ll take a look at some nutritional superstars of the plant kingdom and explore ways to boost the nutrient content of everyday foods. Sprouting, soaking, and fermentation will be discussed as ways to amp up the nutritional profile of certain foods. We’ll create a colorful meal of quinoa vegetable “sushi” with sprouts, a super greens salad with hemp-ginger dressing, and chia pudding with herbed citrus compote.
  • Class 4: Foods to Fight Inflammation — 6-8 p.m. on Monday, March 27
    • In this class, we’ll explore the concept of inflammation in the body and how it can impact overall health. Learn what inflammation is, which foods more easily cause inflammation, and how to use food to decrease and/or prevent it. We’ll make a version of the recently popular warm beverage called “golden milk,” coconut-ginger braised leafy greens with chickpeas and steamed buckwheat, and a raw blueberry tart.
  • Class 5: Spring Detox — 6-8 p.m. on Monday, April 3
    • Learn how to use whole foods to support the natural detoxification processes in your body. With a focus on spring greens and other seasonal produce, we’ll make a simple green smoothie, red beet hummus with cruciferous vegetables, green goddess salad, and creamy cauliflower soup.

 

In addition, the Sitka Kitch still has three classes remaining in its Cooking Around The World class series with space available. These classes are:

  • Thailand — 5:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 28, taught by Nancy Knapp. Nancy is a longtime health educator from Sitka who spent several years in Laos and Thailand. She still hasn’t announced which dishes she will teach for this class, but she taught a Thai cooking class last year that sold out quickly and had a long waiting list. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 25.
  • Austria — 6-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, taught by Suat Tuzlak. Suat is the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” For this class he will teach students how to make a savory strudel with two fillings and a sweet strudel with apples that’s great with ice cream. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 9.
  • Turkey — 5-7:30 p.m., Monday, April 17, taught by Suat Tuzlak. For this class, Suat, who is Turkish, will teach students how to make a Turkish dinner that is vegan and gluten-free without using sophisticated ingredients. You will learn to make red lentil soup, green beans with olive oil, festive rice pilaf with currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert, chia-coconut pudding. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, April 14.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these and any future classes are scheduled (there will be a Preserving The Harvest class series this summer).

A slideshow of scenes from the balancing blood sugars class follows below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Scenes from the Sitka Kitch’s Cooking Around The World series class on Chilean cooking

barbarapalaciosmakespointsasmarylynandlisalookon

cookingaroundtheworld2017flierStudents learned how to make a pastel de choclo (a Chilean version of shepherd’s pie) on Monday, Feb. 27, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This was the second of five classes in the Cooking Around The World class series offered this spring.

The class was taught by Barbara Palacios, a Chileno who works as a chef with the Westmark Sitka Hotel and the Dock Shack (Totem Square Inn). Barbara taught students how to make the pastel de choclo, which features a layer of ground beef and onions, chicken, boiled egg, olives, a layer of creamed corn, and pebre (a Chilean pico de gallo without the jalapeños).

Future Cooking Around The World series classes include:

  • Thailand — 5:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 28, taught by Nancy Knapp. Nancy is a longtime health educator from Sitka who spent several years in Laos and Thailand. She still hasn’t announced which dishes she will teach for this class, but she taught a Thai cooking class last year that sold out quickly and had a long waiting list. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 25.
  • Austria — 6-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, taught by Suat Tuzlak. Suat is the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” For this class he will teach students how to make a savory strudel with two fillings and a sweet strudel with apples that’s great with ice cream. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 9.
  • Turkey — 5-7:30 p.m., Monday, April 17, taught by Suat Tuzlak. For this class, Suat, who is Turkish, will teach students how to make a Turkish dinner that is vegan and gluten-free without using sophisticated ingredients. You will learn to make red lentil soup, green beans with olive oil, festive rice pilaf with currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert, chia-coconut pudding. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, April 14.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

nourishclassseriesspring2017flierAlso, the Sitka Kitch has another upcoming class series this winter/spring — Nourish: Using Food As Medicine For Optimum Health — which will be taught by Sitka nutritionist Holly Marban during National Nutrition Month in March.

Class topics include nutrition foundations, balancing blood sugar, everyday superfoods, foods to fight inflammation, and and detox. There will be five classes from 6-8 p.m. on Mondays, March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 3. When we opened registration, the entire series was posted first (we sold out of our spaces set aside for a series-purchase discount), and now the individual classes are being posted about a week or so before each scheduled class as we fill any empty spaces remaining.

Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these and any future classes are scheduled (there will be a Preserving The Harvest class series this summer).

A slideshow of scenes from the Chilean cooking class follows below.

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Scenes from the Sitka Kitch’s Cooking Around The World series class on Moroccan cooking

juliennayloraddseggstoherbalbrothtocook

cookingaroundtheworld2017flierStudents learned how to make a variety of Moroccan dishes on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This was the first of five classes in the Cooking Around The World class series offered this spring.

The class was taught by Dr. Julien Naylor, a Sitka internal medicine specialist who also trained and worked as a chef. She taught the class how to make a bisteeya de Fez, a chicken-onion-garbanzo bean mix cooked in a tagine, Berber couscous topped with a mix of stewed winter veggies, a carrot salad, a beet salad, an orange-date-almond salad over lettuce, and a dessert called The Snake.

Future Cooking Around The World series classes include:

  • Chile — 6-8:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 27, taught by Barbara Palacios. Barbara. who is Chilean, is a chef with the Westmark Sitka Hotel and the Dock Shack (Totem Square Inn). She will teach students how to cook a pastel de choclo (a Chilean version of shepherd’s pie with corn and meat) with pebre (a Chilean pico de gallo). She taught an empanadas class last year that was very popular. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24.
  • Thailand — 5:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 28, taught by Nancy Knapp. Nancy is a longtime health educator from Sitka who spent several years in Laos and Thailand. She still hasn’t announced which dishes she will teach for this class, but she taught a Thai cooking class last year that sold out quickly and had a long waiting list. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 25.
  • Austria — 6-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, taught by Suat Tuzlak. Suat is the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” For this class he will teach students how to make a savory strudel with two fillings and a sweet strudel with apples that’s great with ice cream. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 9.
  • Turkey — 5-7:30 p.m., Monday, April 17, taught by Suat Tuzlak. For this class, Suat, who is Turkish, will teach students how to make a Turkish dinner that is vegan and gluten-free without using sophisticated ingredients. You will learn to make red lentil soup, green beans with olive oil, festive rice pilaf with currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert, chia-coconut pudding. The registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, April 14.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

nourishclassseriesspring2017flierAlso, the Sitka Kitch has another upcoming class series this winter/spring — Nourish: Using Food As Medicine For Optimum Health — which will be taught by Sitka nutritionist Holly Marban during National Nutrition Month in March.

Class topics include nutrition foundations, balancing blood sugar, everyday superfoods, foods to fight inflammation, and and detox. There will be five classes from 6-8 p.m. on Mondays, March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 3. When we opened registration, the entire series was posted first (students receive $20 off if they register for the full series, $117.50 vs. $137.50, plus food/supply fees), and now the individual classes are being posted about a week or so before each scheduled class as we fill any empty spaces remaining.

Watch the Sitka Kitch page on Facebook or our online registration page to see when these and any future classes are scheduled (there will be a Preserving The Harvest class series this summer).

A slideshow of scenes from the Moroccan cooking class follows below.

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Sitka Kitch to offer Cooking Around The World class series this spring

cookingaroundtheworld2017flier

Learn how to cook a variety of international dishes as the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen hosts its Cooking Around The World class series.

This series will feature different cooks teaching dishes from Morocco, Chile, Austria, Turkey and Thailand, with all five classes at the Sitka Kitch (505 Sawmill Creek Road, inside First Presbyterian Church). Each class costs $27.50, plus a food/supply fee split between the members of the class. Space is limited, so register early.

Registration for our two February classes is open now (click the links below to register). Registration for our three later classes won’t open until mid-February. The schedule is as follows:

  • Morocco — 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 18, taught by Julien Naylor, MD. Dr. Naylor is an internal medicine specialist and trained chef who is still deciding which dishes to teach. She previously taught an ancient grains class last year at the Sitka Kitch. (NOTE: This class is full.)
  • Chile — 6-8:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 27, taught by Barbara Palacios. Barbara. who is Chilean, is a chef with the Westmark Sitka Hotel and the Dock Shack (Totem Square Inn). She will teach students how to cook a pastel de choclo (a Chilean version of shepherd’s pie with corn and meat) with pebre (a Chilean pico de gallo). She taught an empanadas class last year that was very popular.
  • Thailand — 5:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 28, taught by Nancy Knapp. Nancy is a longtime health educator from Sitka who spent several years in Laos and Thailand. She still hasn’t announced which dishes she will teach for this class, but she taught a Thai cooking class last year that sold out quickly and had a long waiting list.
  • Austria — 6-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, taught by Suat Tuzlak. Suat is the former owner of the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and co-author of “Little Cookbook For The Great Outdoors.” For this class he will teach students how to make a savory strudel with two fillings and a sweet strudel with apples that’s great with ice cream.
  • Turkey — 5-7:30 p.m., Monday, April 17, taught by Suat Tuzlak. For this class, Suat, who is Turkish, will teach students how to make a Turkish dinner that is vegan and gluten-free without using sophisticated ingredients. You will learn to make red lentil soup, green beans with olive oil, festive rice pilaf with currants and pine nuts, and a fusion dessert, chia-coconut pudding.

When registering, students should prepay for the class through the Sitka Kitch online registration site, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com, using PayPal or credit/debit card. If you need other payment arrangements, contact Chandler or Clarice of Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509 to arrange a time when you can pay with cash or check. To qualify for a partial refund, please notify us at least three days in advance if you need to cancel. The registration deadline is three days before each class so our instructors have time to purchase materials. Please email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org with any questions.

Also, keep an eye out for another upcoming class series this winter/spring — Nourish: Using Food As Medicine For Optimum Health — which will be taught by Sitka nutritionist Holly Marban during National Nutrition Month in March.

Details are coming soon, but class topics include nutrition foundations, balancing blood sugar, everyday superfoods, foods to fight inflammation, and and detox. There will be five classes from 6-8 p.m. on Mondays, March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 3. When we open registration, we will post the entire series first (students will receive $20 off if they register for the full series, $117.50 vs. $137.50, plus food/supply fees) and about a week or so before each individual class we will try to fill any empty spaces remaining.

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Scenes from the last Winter Cooking From Scratch series class at the Sitka Kitch — Homemade Empanadas

BarbaraHelpsMikeAndKendraFoldSalmonEmpanadas

kitch_logo_mainBaked salmon and deep-fried cheese empanadas were on the menu during the final class in the Winter Cooking From Scratch series Monday, Feb. 29, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen. This class on cooking homemade empanadas was taught by Barbara Palacios, the sous chef at the Westmark Sitka Hotel.

This was the fourth class in the Winter Cooking From Scratch series, which saw a variety of local chefs teach the classes. The first class in the series (Homemade Pasta) was taught by Edith Johnson (formerly chef of the Fly-In Fish Inn and now with the Sitka Hotel), and the second class (Ancient Grains and Gut Health) was taught by Dr. Julien Naylor, an internal medicine specialist who also is a trained chef. A third class (Sauces and Dressings) taught by Kathy Jones (executive chef at the Westmark Sitka Hotel) was postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. In addition, the Sitka Kitch recently hosted a special fundraising class (Quick and Easy Thai Cooking) taught by local health program manager Nancy Knapp.

CheeseEmpanadasReadyToFryThe Sitka Kitch was a project of the 2013 Sitka Health Summit, and the project is coordinated by the Sitka Conservation Society, in partnership with the Sitka Local Foods Network. The Sitka Kitch, which is located in the First Presbyterian Church (505 Sawmill Creek Road), can be rented to teach cooking and food preservation classes, by local cottage food industry entrepreneurs who need a commercial kitchen to make their products, and for large groups needing a large kitchen for a community dinner.

BasicCulinarySkillsFlierThe Sitka Kitch also is offering a Basic Culinary Skills class series taught by Westmark Hotel executive chef Kathy Jones in March, and there is still room for students to take those classes. The Basic Culinary Skills series is designed to help people who want to find work in the restaurant or catering fields improve their kitchen skills (these classes also will be open to people who want to improve their home cooking skills).

A slideshow of scenes from the homemade empanadas class is posted below:

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• Scenes from the Quick and Easy Thai Cooking class at the Sitka Kitch

NancyDiscussesTomKhaGaiRecipe

kitch_logo_mainStudents learned how to cook Thai food while also raising funds for a portrait to honor William Stortz during the special Quick and Easy Thai Cooking class taught by Nancy Knapp on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The students learned how to cook kaeng paneng moo (a curry dish with pork in it, for this class) and tom kha gai (a chicken soup), and also learned how they could add vegetables from their home gardens or local stores to the dishes. Cooks can substitute tofu or similar products for the meat to make vegetarian versions of the dishes. The instructor, longtime Sitka resident and health program manager Nancy Knapp, has worked in Thailand and Laos and brought that experience to the classes.

WilliamStortz

William Stortz

 

The class served as a fundraiser to purchase a portrait of William Stortz, painted by Sitka artist Steve Lawrie. William Stortz was one of the three people who died in the August 2015 landslide, and the portrait will hang in the new art gallery bearing his name in the city offices. William was working as the city building inspector when the landslide happened, and before that he spent many years working for the facilities department at the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). There also was a donation can where people could donate, and Nancy Knapp donated her instructor fee to the cause.

PanengCurryAndTomKhaGaiThe Sitka Kitch was a project of the 2013 Sitka Health Summit, and the project is coordinated by the Sitka Conservation Society, in partnership with the Sitka Local Foods Network. The Sitka Kitch can be rented to teach cooking and food preservation classes, by local cottage food industry entrepreneurs who need a commercial kitchen to make their products, and for large groups needing a large kitchen for a community dinner.

In addition to this special class, the Sitka Kitch has one class left in its winter Cooking From Scratch class series taught by local chefs in February (on homemade empanadas), but that class is full and already has a waiting list. The Sitka Kitch also is offering a Basic Culinary Skills class series taught by Westmark Hotel executive chef Kathy Jones in March, and there is still room for students to take those classes. The Basic Culinary Skills series is designed to help people who want to find work in the restaurant or catering fields improve their kitchen skills (these classes also will be open to people who want to improve their home cooking skills).

A slideshow of scenes from the Thai cooking class is posted below:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.