For the love of food

The last time I hosted a dinner party it was titled “Italian Gothic Opera.” Guests were instructed to come wearing black lace and the reddest of red lipstick. Puccini blared in the background as we dined on rich vodka-tomato gnocchi and veal scallopini. By 2AM each guest had polished off a bottle of red wine and my kitchen looked as though it had upchucked on itself. It was a decadent scene akin to Peter Greenaway’s “The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover”, minus the human carcass.

So when I recently reported to friends that I had attended a vegan cooking class where the night was capped off with eating Brussels sprouts and drinking water, they were stumped.

Being someone who is attracted to all things unhealthy, dangerous and decadent, I envy those who can get off on meditation and greens. Yearning to find a balance, I attended Meghan Telpner’s vegan cooking class.

Arriving at an unassuming Parkdale address, myself and five others were put to work chopping, simmering and boiling fresh ingredients. I asked Meghan how she devised the plan to host this weekly class in her home – which happens to be a killer loft space:

”It actually never occurred to me to do it anywhere else. I wanted to make sure I could do the cooking classes the way I wanted, keep the groups small and make sure everyone could participate in the cooking process. “

While we cooked, Meghan enlightened us on the nutritional value of each ingredient, where to purchase, and how it directly benefited one’s health. I have since been haunted by the silence of the yams…in a good way.

Dishes included sprouted hummus, walnut crackers, carrot and broccoli lentil soup, cauliflower cous cous, baked vegetable falafel with tahini, honey seed truffles and chocolate pudding with almond milk. Laughter resounded as strangers comfortably worked together to create a delicious and nutritious feast.

Following, we all sat around the table and sampled the goods while making conversation about eco-friendly trips to Costa Rica, nasty ex-boyfriends, hot sex at yoga retreats and how one transforms from being a gluttonous binge drinker to lima-bean loving spiritual seeker. Of course, conversation wasn’t limited to sprouts and Tibetan monks – we all brought something different to the table; a motley crew that somehow fit perfectly together.

Meghan describes her classes as always “attracting amazing, like-minded, interesting people…by the end of the night it is like this well bonded dinner party.”

I left feeling clean, invigorated and pleased at how engaging and fun the evening was – and of course, I had a Tupperware container full of leftovers for the next day’s lunch as well as a booklet of recipes to test out that week. The experience was entirely positive.

It only made sense that we cook up our very own 4-week course. Who’s in?

Shedoesthecity Get Healthy 4-week Cooking Course
with Nutritionist & Holistic Lifestyle Consultant Meghan Telpner
April 2 – 23  Thursday Evenings, 6:30 – 10:00ish

– Located in well-lit West Queen West Artist Loft
– Each week, Meghan will lead you in a hands-on cooking class where an intimate group will make an appetizer, soup, salad, main course, side dish, dessert and healing herbal tea
– Following preparation, group will sit around a table and enjoy the meal they created together
– Using as much seasonal and local produce as possible, all recipes are whole foods, plant  based, and  you will explore alternative grains, raw foods, grain-free cooking, quality vegetarian protein, allergen free deliciousness, sprouting, fermenting, dehydrating, soaking, simmering, steaming, roasting, grilling, baking – and of course eating!

By the end of the four-week program, you will be fully inspired in a new, whole foods direction.

$210 per person
Limited space – sign up today by e-mailing meghan@meghantelpner.com
Meet new people, learn healthy cooking and enjoy terrific meals!

**A certified Nutritionist, Meghan Telpner also runs a private practice out of her home for individual clients.To schedule a consultation e-mail meghan@meghantelpner.com

And moving away from vegan back to Italian…have you checked out Merissa’s latest Cook Quick episode on Shedeoesthecity TV? Tomato and Ricotta Tagliatelle….hmmm. Maybe we will balance our mid-week vegan romp with a little Saturday night pasta and red wine indulgence.

For all you women who enjoy cooking, scoping out delicious produce and trying out recipes, have you tuned into Anna and Kristina’s Grocery Bag?

The test-driving twosome narrow their focus to the kitchen and put cookbooks to the test – from the grocery store to the dinner plate.  In each episode, Anna and Kristina try out and review recipes, ingredients, appliances and food prep techniques to see if the average cook can re-create the beautifully photographed meals. From microwaves to macaroni, from mixing bowls to mixed greens, Anna and Kristina enlist the help of everyday people from construction workers to students to football fans, to find the best products and ingredients.  At the end of the show, a guest chef or food expert will give a final evaluation of the meal and decide if the cookbook delivers the goods. Tune in and get inspired.

Anna and Kristina’s Grocery Bag airs Wednesdays at 8pm E/P on W Network

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