Healthy Ingredients and Love Make a Winning Recipe

There was plenty of good chemistry going on recently at the New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital’s Chef Peter X. Kelly Teaching Kitchen, with Jan Peek residents cooking up a fragrant assortment of dishes. Under the direction of Chef Emilie Berner, the group took a series of classes that aimed to provide both knowledge about healthy eating, and skills to make nutritious, delicious, economical food. 

During their last session, participants encircled a stainless steel table, hands busy chopping cabbage and shallots, and squeezing juice from ripe lemons as Chef Berner gave pointers. Stainless steel gleamed; cooks placed ingredients for a cabbage slaw into a large bowl, and soon paired it with Cajun shrimp and rice. The day’s dishes also included chicken soup and chocolate peanut butter swirl bark. 

Over the course of four weeks, Berner demonstrated cooking techniques and led the group of women and men as they created, from scratch, breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. 

“I loved it; when you cook it’s like love,” Denise said. “[Chef Berner] put so much love into the food and then she taught me how to cook healthier for myself -- how to make healthy choices.” Nicole Blan, a JPH staff member who attended, couldn’t be happier with the program. “It was inspiring, and a fabulous experience for our people,” she said.

In addition to preparing meals like turkey chili and leftover chicken soup, residents also got tips and handouts on topics such as maintaining a healthy weight and reading nutrition labels. Residents learned about using alternatives, such as avocado and bananas, as toppings on toast and about the health benefits of using yogurt instead of mayonnaise in dishes like tuna salad. 

Vernessa, who is diabetic, appreciated how everything was broken down into manageable bites that “weren’t overwhelming,” and she said she feels “very accomplished.” Being in the class was “just what I’ve seen on TV. I’m trying to emulate,” she smiled. “Everything was tasty, and also healthy.”

Denise and Vernessa want to use what they’ve learned in new homes they hope to have soon.

Vernessa expects that when she moves out of JPH, she’ll be living in a room with limited cooking facilities. 

Vernessa would also welcome a follow-up class with tips on how to cook without the kind of extensive equipment found in the Teaching Kitchen, but she has learned plenty that’s already applicable. And one important truth resonates: “There’s more to life than salt and pepper.”