Cooking Classes

Our cooking classes feature the best secrets of Radha’s chefs, including cooking with whole and seasonal foods, fermentation, desserts & more.

Classes are held Sundays, 11:30 – 2:30

$50/class, pre-register with a $25 non-refundable deposit.

Book early as classes have a 25-person limit.

Call 604-605-0011 or contact radhaevents@gmail.com

September 26 – Food Preservation: Fermenting Foods with Chef Andrea Potter
This popular class is an introduction to the world of fermented vegetables. Fermenting foods is an ancient method of preserving the harvest. Rich in probiotics and enzymes for improving digestion, these raw foods are regaining their popularity. Reclaim this skill and learn how to make sauerkraut, kimchi and brined pickles at home. We will be making a batch of sauerkraut together for you to take home and start fermenting right away. Check out a Globe and Mail article about Andrea’s fermentation projects here.

October 3 – Indian Cooking: A Vegan Feast with Chef Robert Wilson-Smith
Indian cuisine has a fascinating history and is also one of the world’s cooking traditions with a fully vegetarian repertoire. In this demo class we will learn how to prepare a full “feast” with a selection of appetizers, main dishes and desserts. You will learn how to replace some of the dairy products such as milk, curd & ghee with health-supportive & vegan alternatives, and how to ‘temper’ Indian spices.

October 17 – Cooking with Whole Grains with Chef Andrea Potter
More than brown rice! Learn tasty and creative ways to incorporate whole grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and millet into your diet. This informative class includes nutrition information on these and other whole grains. Menu will include Sprouted Quinoa Tabbouleh, Whole Grain Mushroom Walnut Loaf with Miso Gravy and Forbidden Rice Pudding.

October 24 – Alternative Baking with Chef Andrea Potter
Baking using alternative flours and starches, using alternatives to eggs and dairy, using natural sweeteners and all organic ingredients! Our menu will include Savory Smokey Cornbread Muffins, Banana-Coconut Rice Cookies, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie and Decorate-Your-Own Gluten-Free Carrot Cupcakes with naturally-coloured Coconut-Maple Frosting.

November 7 – Fermented Beverages with Chef Andrea Potter
Discover how to make old fashioned ginger beer, kombucha (a fermented tea beverage) and amazake (a sweet, ‘cultured’ Japanese rice beverage). Bring home recipes, nutrition information and a kombucha starter culture! Impress your friends and family with your new-but-ancient skill as brew-master.

November 21 – Seasonal Soups with Chef Robert Wilson-Smith
More than just recipes, this class will cover basic soup-making techniques such as making flavourful stocks, roasted vegetable soups and legume-based soups. Learn how to incorporate miso and sea vegetables as well as how to make creamy, dairy free soups.

November 28 – Lentils and Beans with Chef Andrea Potter
A staple food of many cultures around the world, beans and lentils are powerhouses of nutrition. Using dried beans is also economical. Learn how to properly prepare, sprout and cook dried beans and lentils. Tips on nutrition and how to store and freeze beans and lentils will be included. In this combination hands-on/demo class, you will learn to make a three-course meal featuring lentils and beans: Citrus Puy Lentil Salad, Maple-Miso Baked Beans with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Make-Your-Own Individual Black Bean Brownies.

December 5 – Hors d’Oeuvres & Canapés with Chef Robert Wilson-Smith
Get ready for the holiday season’s round of parties and get-togethers with innovative and festive vegan appetizers. We will discuss making dehydrated crackers, crimini-hazelnut paté, tasty cashew “cheese” and a variety of other elegant snacks to keep your guests healthy and happy.

Robert Wilson-Smith is Radha’s head chef and is also currently studying holistic nutrition.  He uses local and organic ingredients to translate classical flavours into innovative vegan creations. Before joining the team at Radha he cooked at yoga retreat centers in Mexico and in India. Robert has studied raw cuisine and is a graduate of New York’s Natural Gourmet Institute, where he also worked in some of that city’s finest vegetarian restaurants.

Andrea Potter is a classically-trained chef and Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Her love of nutrition, whole foods and healthy lifestyle brought her to Radha, where she was the head chef for over 3 years. While at Radha she also studied at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. She now has her own business, Rooted Nutrition, in which she teaches healthy cooking classes and does one-on-one nutrition consultation. She can be reached at rootednutrition@gmail.com.

See Andrea’s Georgia Straight interview about canning and fermenting.