Dicing vegetables

Natural Gourmet Center Classes

Professional Development, Ayurvedic Workshops and Recreational Health-Supportive Cooking and Baking

Grow Your Health-Supportive Skill Set

In addition to Health-Supportive Culinary Arts career training, ICE is proud to introduce professional development and recreational classes at the new Natural Gourmet Center. Culinary Nutrition and Food Therapy certificate programs are now open for registration in addition to Ayurveda workshops and single-session plant-based classes.

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Professional Development

As the leader in health-supportive culinary education, we understand that students are interested in many aspects of the food system. The Natural Gourmet Center’s interactive and dynamic courses are designed to offer students the opportunity to gain firsthand experience and expertise in the areas of Food Therapy and Culinary Nutrition. Through collaboration with accomplished chefs, industry experts and partners, the programs provide new perspectives on exciting and essential components of the better food movement.

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Ingredients for an Ayurvedic elixir

The Ayurvedic Kitchen

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old science of life, rooted in the knowledge and practices of Vedic India. It is designed to help people achieve long life, health and balance. In this one-day workshop, Chef Richard LaMarita (a student and practitioner of Ayurveda for over 30 years), we will introduce the fundamental principles of Ayurvedic knowledge and practical applications, including diet. He'll teach about the nature and understanding of consciousness; the five elements and their relation to the three doshas; the definition of health in Ayurveda; how to identify your dosha (body type) and imbalances; the three cornerstones of the Ayurvedic diet; the science of digestion (agni, ojas and ama); detoxification procedures; herbal remedies and medicinal uses of spices; and pulse diagnosis with a lecture and hands-on cooking.

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Plant-Based Recreational Classes

We’re excited to add a diverse offering of courses featuring plant-based foods that promote healthy meal planning and lifestyles. Our ever-evolving menu of single-session classes may include:

  • Bowls That Heal
  • Gluten-Free Quick Breads
  • Nut Milk and Cheese
  • Vegan Burgers That Rock
  • Vegan Entrees for Meat Lovers
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The Culinary Nutrition certificate program at the Natural Gourmet Center offers students an in-depth and hands-on exploration of evidence-based nutrition. The program explores the science of nutrition, trends and specialized diets, and nutrition in the marketplace, all through lectures and kitchen labs. Developed and led by Chef Celine Beitchman, MS., ICE’s director of nutrition, the curriculum is taught by experts from the food, health and nutrition fields.

Upon completion of the course, students will have experience incorporating the fundamentals of nutrition into their culinary perspective. This course covers food-based macronutrients, nutrients of concern in vegan/vegetarian diets, econutrition and sustainable food systems, farm-to-table and root-to-frond cooking, food allergies and allergy-free cooking, alternative diets, and macrobiotic, paleo, raw and Ayurvedic cooking. Each full day consists of a lecture and kitchen lab. Students are expected to attend all lectures, take notes as required and actively participate in class discussions and group projects. Students will work in assigned groups to complete the outlined kitchen lab assignments.

Register here.

It is no secret that proper nourishment can be a powerful aid to the healing process. The Food Therapy certificate program curriculum covers whole-systems biology, core nutritional imbalances, and how to translate a dietary prescription into practical meal planning and preparation. Instruction includes how specific diets and cooking techniques relate to a range of illnesses. Led by Chef Celine Beitchman, MS., ICE’s director of nutrition, and chefs professionally trained in health-supportive cooking, the course consists of lectures, meal planning, case study discussions and kitchen lab sessions. Each full day consists of a lecture and kitchen lab. Students are expected to attend all lectures, take notes as required and actively participate in class discussions and group projects. Students will work in assigned groups to complete the outlined kitchen lab assignments.

Register here.

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