Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen

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Sitka Kitch to host Cooking With Culture class on how to make tortilla soup with Nalani James

Are you a tuxedo corn lover? Join the Sitka Kitch as Nalani James teaches our first in-person class since March 2020 on how to make tortilla soup as part of the Cooking With Culture class series. This class takes place from 4-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, at the Sitka Kitch community commercial kitchen, located in the basement of the Sitka Lutheran Church.

Summer is here and house-made tortilla soup is a good way to keep your soup bowls on the table. Summer is corn season and tuxedo corn is coming to the party. This soup has a beautiful array of colors to electrify your senses. Nalani chose this because she loves tuxedo corn from the Southwest. Corn has a short season and should be celebrated. There will be vegetarian and dairy-free options as well. Note: this is not a “grain-free recipe.”

Nalani has offered many classes in Sitka and has been successfully teaching to the community special dishes to her soul. This is the second year of her Cooking With Culture class series.

The class cost is $40, and we need at least eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are provided in the registration price. Students may want to bring a container for leftovers.

This is our first in-person class indoors since the start of the pandemic (we did hold a couple of campfire cooking classes last year). With Covid-19 still being around, we are monitoring Sitka’s Covid-19 risk levels. Right now, Sitka has a Medium/Moderate risk level, which means face masks are encouraged in the kitchen but not required. If our risk level goes back to High, we will require masks in the kitchen.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend the online classes for $30 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and  email  sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we still have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Jasmine or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

Students should enter the Sitka Lutheran Church downstairs through the back entrance (through the alley off Harbor Drive by the old Bev’s Flowers and Gifts location). The door on the right should be open for students to enter. Please do not park in the church’s back parking lot. Please use the public parking lots off Harbor Drive.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $35 or $25, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch to host online class on starting a cottage foods business

Learn what the basics of starting and running a cottage foods business as Sarah Lewis teaches students how to Start a Cottage Foods Business from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, via Zoom.

This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen, and also is designed to help vendors prepare for the upcoming Sitka Farmers Markets hosted by the Sitka Local Foods Network.

Sarah Lewis — the home, health and family development agent for the Juneau office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service — will teach this class by videoconference from Juneau. Students will learn about state laws regarding home food businesses, and get ideas for businesses you might take to the Sitka Farmers Market or local trade shows. The first hour will be spent discussing rules and regulations, and the second part of the class will be for questions and answers.

The class fee is $10, and the funds go to the Sitka Kitch. Class space is limited, so register early. The registration deadline for this class is 11 p.m. on Monday, June 13. The Sitka Local Foods Network is offering students of this class half off their Sitka Farmers Market vendor fee for the first market of the season where they host a table. Representatives from the Sitka Local Foods Network/Sitka Farmers Market and (hopefully) the Sitka food safety office of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation are planning to attend so they can answer any questions potential cottage foods business owners may have.

Register online at https://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com/ (click on class title) and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal. To pre-pay by cash or check, contact Kylee Jones of the Sitka Conservation Society at 907-747-7509 or info@sitkawild.org to arrange payment. For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at the UAF Cooperative Extension Service Sitka District Office at 907-747-9440.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. These classes are fundraisers for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

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Sitka Kitch to offer three classes for National Nutrition Month in March

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March is National Nutrition Month, and the Sitka Kitch is offering three classes to help celebrate the month and healthy eating habits. These classes will be offered virtually using Zoom.

Jessica Holland, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes educator specialist from the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) in Sitka will teach the first and last of the three classes. Audra Henderson will teach the middle class. She is a functional nutritional therapy practitioner, a certified personal trainer, and a nutrition educator who works with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in Juneau.

Both teachers have private practices, and you can learn more about Jessica at https://www.realnutritionrd.com/ and more about Audra at https://www.audrawellness.com/.

The three classes and their basic details are as follows:

  • Class No. 1 — Falafel Salad, 5:30-7 p.m., Friday, March 11, taught by Jessica Holland, $40. Learn how to make deep-fried or pan-seared falafel balls with ground chickpeas, herbs, spices, and onions, then add them to a salad. Ingredients provided (pick up from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the SEARHC Health Promotion table at the regional basketball tournament at Mount Edgecumbe High School). Registration deadline 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8, class limited to eight students. Eligible for Sitka Food Co-op discount (see details below).
  • Class No. 2 — Celebrate Making A Change, 5-6 p.m., Sunday, March 20, taught by Audra Henderson, Free. Want to make a healthy change? This is your first step! In this class we will focus on eating a nutrient dense, properly prepared diet, safe and fun ways to move our body, and healthy habit formation. Registration deadline 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, class limited to 20 students. Even though the class is free, please register online so we can send you the Zoom link.
  • Class No. 3 — Alaska Bounty Salad, 5:30-7 p.m. on Friday, March 25, taught by Jessica Holland, $40. Learn how to celebrate your Alaska harvest by making a salad with halibut (or salmon) and veggies you can grow or harvest locally. Ingredients provided (pick up from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, at Beak Restaurant). Registration deadline 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22. Class limited to eight students. Eligible for Sitka Food Co-op discount (see details below).

The class cost is $40 for both of Jessica’s classes (Audra’s class is free). There is limit on the class size, and ingredients for Jessica’s classes will be provided at the location mentioned in the bulleted list. A link to the Zoom event also will be sent at the end of the registration period. Please connect online at least 10 minutes before the class starts.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend Jessica’s online classes for $30 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and send an email to sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. two days before each class. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. Even though Audra’s class is free, please register online so we can send you the Zoom link. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. These classes are fundraisers for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $35 or $25, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with fewer than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch to host Cooking With Culture class on making heart jam thumbprint cookies with Nalani James (fundraiser for SAFV)

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Learn how to make heart jam thumbprint cookies for Valentine’s Day and support the Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) shelter during the next Cooking With Culture class with the Sitka Kitch and Nalani James.

This online class takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, using Zoom. All proceeds from the class fees will be donated to the SAFV shelter. Students also are asked to share some of their cookies with Sitka foster children households by dropping off cookies from 2-3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13, at the Southeast Alaska Career Center, 205 Baranof Street (behind Pacific High School).

Nalani has offered many Sitka Kitch classes in Sitka and has been successfully teaching to the community special dishes to her soul.

The class cost is $20, and we need at least eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are not provided; however a list of ingredients and equipment needed will be sent to all who are registered. A link to the Zoom event also will be sent at that time. Please connect at least 10 minutes before the class starts.

Since this class is a fundraiser for SAFV, the usual Sitka Food Co-op member discount will not be available for the class.

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. Normally our classes are fundraisers for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $15 or $5, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch offers The Ginger Kitchen class on Feb. 6: Fancy Taters With Kayla Caprice (registration deadline extended to Feb. 4)

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Calling all potato lovers: are you looking for inspiration and a new way to eat your favorite food? Join the Sitka Kitch as Kayla Caprice teaches you how to make fancy taters as part of the Ginger Kitchen class series. This class takes place from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6, via Zoom.

In this class we will make a classic potato dish TBA, and make it simply, so that it is easy to replicate all of the time. It also will be a statement piece for your next small get-together. We will put together something new, fun, and different that will also help you use leftover potatoes (if there is such a thing.)

Kayla hails from the Southeast coast, more specifically, Florida. She grew up around the ocean and fishing, so Sitka was a pleasant transition. She has a background in early childhood development and school-age instruction, with an emphasis on cooking
and nutrition.

She lived in Seattle for a few years to pursue her love of cooking, learning, teaching, and community involvement. She helped educate adults and youth on cooking, nutrition and the food system with The Beechers Foundation in Seattle for more than two years. There she ran before- and after-school programs with cooking and baking clubs, as well as the school garden. She also assisted in classes at Culinary Essentials in Ballard under Chef Nora Dummer, cooked at the Artist Home for the Doe Bay Music Festival on Orcas Island, worked at Firefly Kitchens (a fermentation company in Ballard), and taught the culinary summer camp at The Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island in Washington.

Kayla has been living in Sitka full time for two years, and is the sous chef for Beak restaurant, and teaches classes on her own under ‘The Ginger Kitchen’. She taught a series of classes for the Sitka Kitch in the summer of 2019.

The class cost is $20, and we need at least eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are not provided; however a list of ingredients and equipment needed will be sent to all who are registered. A link to the Zoom event also will be sent at that time. Please connect at least 10 minutes before the class starts.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend the online classes for $10 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and send an email to sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3 (Note, the registration deadline has been extended to 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4). Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $15 or $5, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch to offer Cooking With Culture class on how to make Tanzanian coconut chicken with Nalani James (Registration deadline extended to Jan. 20)

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Are you a coconut lover? Join the Sitka Kitch as Nalani James teaches a virtual class on how to make Tanzanian coconut chicken as part of the Cooking With Culture class series. This class takes place from 5-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, via Zoom, and kicks off the second year of the Cooking With Culture class series.

Nalani chose this East African dish, also known as Kuku Paka, for the wintertime, in celebration of spices being the “original medicine.” Spices not only add flavor, but also boost your health and immunity. This recipe has a medley of spices that will thrill your taste buds and have your spice cabinets celebrating all your selections. We invite you to try out this warm recipe that will delight and surprise everyone with your culinary skills of flavonoids.

Nalani has offered many classes in Sitka and has been successfully teaching to the community special dishes to her soul.

The class cost is $20, and we need at least eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are not provided; however a list of ingredients and equipment needed will be sent to all who are registered. A link to the Zoom event also will be sent at that time. Please connect at least 10 minutes before the class starts.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend the online classes for $10 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and send an email to sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 19 (NOTE: Registration deadline extended to Thursday, Jan. 20). Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $15 or $5, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch to offer ‘The Ginger Kitchen’ class on how to make harvest lasagna and hot cocoa with Kayla Caprice

Join the Sitka Kitch as Kayla Caprice teaches a virtual class on how to make harvest lasagna as part of the Ginger Kitchen class series.  This class takes place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20, via Zoom.

Students will learn how to assemble, layer, and bake a vegetarian harvest lasagna from scratch (vegans can use a cheese substitute). This is a great holiday dish to make for family or friends over the holiday break, and the class itself can be a fun gift to give someone as well. While the lasagna is baking, Kayla also will teach two variations on the classic warm, winter drink — hot cocoa.

Kayla hails from the Southeast coast, more specifically, Florida. She grew up around the ocean and fishing, so Sitka was a pleasant transition. She has a background in early childhood development and school-age instruction, with an emphasis on cooking
and nutrition.

She lived in Seattle for a few years to pursue her love of cooking, learning, teaching, and community involvement. She helped educate adults and youth on cooking, nutrition and the food system with The Beechers Foundation in Seattle for more than two years. There she ran before- and after-school programs with cooking and baking clubs, as well as the school garden. She also assisted in classes at Culinary Essentials in Ballard under Chef Nora Dummer, cooked at the Artist Home for the Doe Bay Music Festival on Orcas Island, worked at Firefly Kitchens (a fermentation company in Ballard), and taught the culinary summer camp at The Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island in Washington.

Kayla has been living in Sitka full time for two years, and is the sous chef for Beak restaurant, and teaches classes on her own under ‘The Ginger Kitchen’. She taught a series of classes for the Sitka Kitch in the summer of 2019.

The class cost is $20, and we need eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are not provided; however a list of ingredients and equipment needed will be sent to all who are registered. A link to the Zoom event also will be sent at that time. Please connect at least 10 minutes before the class starts.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend the online classes for $10 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and send an email to sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 17. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $15 or $5, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch to host Cooking With Culture class on how to make Hungarian mushroom soup with Nalani James

Join the Sitka Kitch as Nalani James teaches a virtual class on how to make Hungarian mushroom soup as part of the Cooking With Culture class series.  This class takes place from 5-6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, via Zoom.

This vibrant composition is great for a meat substitute at dinner parties. If you love a good bisque soup this is for you. Flavonoids and earthy textures make this a perfect winter dinner. Nalani selected this soup as she would like to show you what you can do with fresh herbs in soup for winter time.

Nalani has offered many classes in Sitka and has been successfully teaching to the community special dishes to her soul.

The class cost is $20, and we need eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are not provided; however a list of ingredients and equipment needed will be sent to all who are registered. A link to the Zoom event also will be sent at that time. Please connect at least 10 minutes before the class starts.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend the online classes for $10 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and send an email to sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $15 or $5, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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UAF Cooperative Extension Service to host online food preservation workshops

Winter Is Coming, which means it’s time for another series of classes from the Extension Kitchen.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service is offering a series of nine Food Preservation Workshops during the months of October and November by Zoom. The classes will be taught from the home of Home, Health, and Family Development Extension Agent Sarah Lewis from the Juneau District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service, and the classes are available to anybody with an online connection (but they are targeted toward people in Alaska). Even though she’s based in Juneau, Sarah is on the Sitka Kitch advisory team.

The classes are from 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesdays, starting Oct. 5. They cost $10 each, and at the end of each class one participating student will win a $20 gift certificate to a local store that sells canning equipment, plus one student will win a free entry into another class in the series. Students can register for the individual classes in the series at this link, http://bit.ly/extensionworkshops.

The class dates and topics are:

  • Oct. 5 — Create a food secure pantry
  • Oct. 12 — Canning fruits and berries
  • Oct. 19 — Preserving herbs
  • Oct. 26 — Dehydrating vegetables
  • Nov. 2 — Cooking mixes and sourdough starter
  • Nov. 9 — Making and canning pickles
  • Nov. 16 — Canning meat and vegetables
  • Nov. 23 — Making jerky
  • Nov. 30 (bonus class) — Pressure canning spaghetti sauce

For more information, contact Sarah at sarah.lewis@alaska.edu or 1-907-523-3280, Ext. 1. You also can contact the UAF Cooperative Extension Service in Fairbanks toll-free at 1-877-520-5211.

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Sitka Kitch offers class, ‘Cooking With Culture: How To Make Zuppa Toscana With Nalani James’

The weather is turning and our gardens are cranking out their final crops. Join the Sitka Kitch as Nalani James teaches a virtual class on how to make Zuppa Toscana as part of the Cooking With Culture class series. This class takes place from 5-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18, via Zoom.

Zuppa Toscana is a rich Italian soup, with kale, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and other end-of-summer ingredients. Nalani has been the Sitka Farmers Market manager this summer, and you can buy kale and potatoes at the final market of the season earlier that day.

Nalani said she chose this dish because the fall season is upon us and it’s what came to mind with the season. “It’s very simple to make but looks complex,” Nalani said. “Italy has such a rich history of sharing innovation with different cultures, and pizza is not the only thing to share at the table. ‘Cooking With Culture’ will explore more areas of family- and friends-style-eating in the near future.”

The class cost is $20, and we need eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are not provided; however a list of ingredients and equipment needed will be sent to all who are registered. A link to the Zoom event also will be sent at that time. Please connect at least 10 minutes before the class starts.

In addition to sausage and bacon, the recipe calls for onions, kale, garlic, potatoes and bell peppers. The Sitka Local Foods Network, which hosts the Sitka Farmers Market, will provide each registered student with one half-price bundle of kale, so long as they pick it up at the SLFN Farm Stand at the market that day, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 18, on the plaza outside Harrigan Centennial Hall. Students will need to mention the special and have their names checked against a list of students to get the discount. This is the last market of the summer.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend the online classes for $10 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and send an email to sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15 (DEADLINE EXTENDED TO THURSDAY, SEPT. 16). Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Clarice Johnson at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler or Clarice at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $15 or $5, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.