Modern Ayurvedic Eats VOL 3 • 2020
Friendsgiving 2020
Every year I like to have friends over before Thanksgiving and have a Plant-Based, Thanksgiving-inspired meal together. Usually, I make all the dishes on my own because I love to cook and entertain. However, this year, because of the pandemic, I really craved quality time with friends. Instead of making all the dishes myself, I decided to host a cooking class style Friendsgiving. I created a handful of recipes, invited a small group of friends, and we all cooked together in my kitchen. Afterward, we got to enjoy the meal we made sitting outside watching the sunset together. I feel so grateful to have had this experience with my friends and share my passion for cooking and eating healthy.
If you have wondered what it is like to have a cooking class with me, here is a great example:
Planning a Plant-based Thanksgiving-inspired meal is one of my favorite annual things! I get to use traditional seasonal ingredients to create a meal that’s different yet familiar. For this year’s Friendsgiving, I came up with five tasty recipes, including a dessert. My five friends and I made a rosemary-butternut squash dip, lentil shepherd’s pie, stuffed buttercup squash with quinoa, mushroom, and cashew, roasted maple-miso Brussels sprout, and persimmon pudding with vegan ice-cream. I asked my girls to just show up with an apron, and I’ll provide the recipes, ingredients, and kitchen tools.
I printed out the recipes and set out all the ingredients on my kitchen island. When my friends arrived, I showed them the recipes they could pick from. Some of them teamed up, and others took a recipe and started cooking. It was fun talking about the ingredients and sharing some kitchen techniques while we cooked. I had made a honey-thyme mixer that went well with sparkling water. We sipped, cooked, and laughed our way through the afternoon. It was a lovely bonding experience for all of us.
It took about two and a half hours for us to complete the meal. We finished just in time for sunset. It was a wonderful experience! I am glad I got to share my kitchen and space with these lovely ladies.
If you’re interested in having a small-group private cooking class, contact me! I would love to create a set of recipes and cook with you all.
