Cindy Chambers has been teaching cooking for seven years, and she absolutely loves it. She started teaching professionally in 2002. Prior to that, she worked as a travel agent, but after 9/11 Chambers found that particular business slowed dramatically and started looking for other career paths. She’d long cherished an interest in cuisine and cooking—inspired by her former mother-in-law. “I knew I’d never fit into the family if I didn’t know my way around the kitchen,” Chambers says with a smile. She trained to be a culinary instructor with Kitchen Aid and Whirlpool, then found herself working at the Viking Culinary Arts Center at the Factory at Franklin.
However, when the opportunity presented itself to work at the new Salud! Cooking School at Whole Foods in 2007, she jumped at the chance. Now she and fellow teacher Merijoy Lantz Rucker offer a plethora of classes on everything from the absolute basics to complex techniques in the kitchen. The two of them saw Salud! open, and now they’re a powerful force behind the success of its classes.
The response to Salud! was huge from day one, and in the current economy, Chambers says everyone’s eager to learn the cooking skills that were once de rigeur, as more people opt to entertain at home. “I recommend people learn to cook at least three or four good meals at home, perhaps chicken, meat and fish dishes,” she says. When asked for tips to brighten everyday meals, she suggests adding fresh herbs, great salts (yes, there’s more to salt than the table salt in the round blue box) or a touch of fresh citrus juice to brighten flavors. For example, adding lemon juice to a simple orzo pasta with olive oil, butter and a little parmesan cheese can make the taste just pop—add salt and pepper to taste, and you’re good to go.
“Once people realize how easy and fulfilling cooking can be, they want to continue. And it’s healthier—you control what goes in, plus you have portion control,” Chambers says. “I like people to start with a hands-on class, and when they leave, I always ask if they feel they can replicate it when they get home. If they say ‘yes,’ I’ve done my job.”
Chambers teaches a lot of classes aimed at kids and teens, but don’t expect those sessions to focus only on burgers and fries. These are serious—even sophisticated—menus, meant to teach kids the basics of cookery and develop a lifelong interest that will benefit their health and their pocketbooks, and also be just plain fun.
If you haven’t tried a class at Salud!, check them out at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/nashville, and see what Cindy Chambers and her fellow instructors can teach you.
Butter Lettuce and Avocado Salad with Spring Herbs and Fresh Chèvre
makes four servings)
For dressing:
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
For cheese:
1 cup panko Japanese bread crumbs
3 tablespoons assorted fresh herbs, chopped
1 8-ounce log soft, fresh chèvre, cut into eight pieces
2 large cage-free egg whites, lightly beaten until foamy
2 tablespoons olive oil
For salad:
1 head of butter lettuce, washed
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup assorted whole fresh herb leaves (for example tarragon, chervil, parsley and cilantro)
Prepare vinaigrette—in a small bowl, whisk vinegar, shallots and mustard to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make herbed chèvre rounds—mix herbs and panko in a shallow bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Dip each cheese round into egg whites, turning to coat. Coat each with breadcrumb mixture. Heat oil in heavy, large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cheese rounds and cook until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate lined with paper towel.
Toss salad and serve—tear lettuce into small pieces, discarding bottom core, and place in large mixing bowl. Gently toss with dressing and arrange on individual serving plates. Place radishes and avocado slices on top of lettuce and scatter with fresh herb leaves. Place two cheese rounds on top of each salad and serve.
Watercress and Orange Salad
(makes 4-6 servings)
3 navel oranges
1 firm-ripe Haas avocado
1 bunch watercress, washed
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (if time permits, soak for 15 minutes in water to diminish sharpness)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Cut peel and pith from oranges and slice crosswise. Halve, pit and peel avocados and thinly slice crosswise.
On individual plates or a serving platter, arrange avocado and orange slices on top of watercress. Top with red onion and cilantro. Drizzle with line juice and olive oil, then season lightly with salt.