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Bodacious Bellies The belly. The seat of love, the seat of the soul, or simply where your seat belt snaps? Flat as a board, rippling six-pack, concave, gently curved, ever-expanding. We received all sorts of entries for our Bodacious Belly contest, from pregnant goddesses and belly dancers to Chippendale dancers and yes, even someone's cat. Whatever tummy type turns you on, grab someone you love this Valentine's Day and give 'em a squeeze. But first, feed them. We know what the path to the heart is.
Quickest
Way to the Heart
I am sitting in the dining area of the Institute for Culinary Awakening's (ICA) home office, situated in the university-area home of proprietor Chef Al Chase and partner/ICA Marketing Director Donna Benjamin. Placed before me is a slice of Pecan Walnut Maple Breakfast Cake. I take a bite and am delighted by the warmth of it, as well as by the rich, nutty sweetness of the streusel and the tenderness of the cake. Both Chef Al and Donna nod and smile — they knew I would love it. And they knew I might have been a little skeptical, because everything out of ICA — including this cake as delicious as a traditional butter-and-eggs-based cake — is made only from organic, vegan-friendly, plant-based ingredients. "The assumption is often that vegan equals bland and boring," says Chef Al. This little interaction is not uncommon for Chef Al. He takes great pleasure in introducing people to the sensory and sensual pleasures of organic, vegan gourmet cuisine. "To serve people with this kind of food is a way to show you care," to show love and affection, to go straight to a person's heart. Chef Al has been around food all his life, having grown up in New York working in his father's deli. By 1979, he had trained as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America. His introduction to the world of organic, plant-based cuisine came in the mid-1980s, when he became a vegetarian. "I guess you could say I 'got the call.'" He noticed within his own family health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, and says, "I realized the impact of the standard American diet." By 1990, Chef Al had refined his diet even further from vegetarianism to veganism. He says, "Going vegan opened up many options" to work with ancient ingredients and techniques used all over the world to create delicious, nutritious food. "I like to take classical recipes," he explains, "take out the non-vegan ingredients, and use plant-based items to recreate those dishes." Chef Al may use vegetables to provide, say, the moistness for a cake or bread dish, and a high-quality coconut oil or milk for fat and flavor. He also encourages clients and students to experiment with natural sweeteners such as Rapidura, grade B maple syrup, or even Medjool dates (which can provide both moistness and sweet flavor). After training at the CIA, Chef Al made his way west, working nearly a decade in Seattle, then moving to Santa Fe, N.M. By this time, he had given up the traditional chef's role in restaurants and bistros to focus on education and training. It was in Santa Fe in 2000 that he met Donna, and the two have since worked together to spread the vegan message through ICA. They moved here to Eugene last fall, taken with this area's refreshing "progressive, mellow, friendly" vibe. They've also been impressed with the availability of fresh, organic ingredients through Farmer's Market, and the tight-knit veggie food community here in Eugene. ICA offers a range of educational cooking programs: There are half-, two-, and three-day Healthy Gourmet Cooking Workshops to five- and 12-Day Advanced Vegan Culinary Arts Trainings. These programs are practical for those wanting to improve personal wellness or for the professional looking into career development. ICA also provides chef-to-chef consultations: three- to seven-day on-site trainings for food professionals who want to expand their skills in the preparation of gourmet vegan cuisine. "More chefs want to have more options," Chef Al says. ICA also does more traditional dining options such as gourmet vegan catering, serving everything from rustic to fancy fare for guests numbering as few as two to as many as 300. For very special occasions (like Valentine's Day, hint, hint), ICA offers "Flutes & Roots," a three- to four-course gourmet dinner in your home, accompanied by Native American flute playing by Donna . Chef Al can provide a "personal chef" service, where he will menu plan, shop, cook, clean and provide a menu and heating instructions for clients who want to pick up meals once a week or have ICA deliver for an extra charge. Through the Kitchen & Pantry Transformation program, ICA can help organize your kitchen and pantry and teach you how to stock and shop for organic produce and pantry items. (This can also include support for menu planning and organic specialty product sourcing.) Donna says, "Convenience is something that can make us go back to less healthy eating habits. … When it comes to this style of cooking, people think things are harder to do than they actually are." Chef Al adds, "We want to make this easy to implement into a person's lifestyle." Illustrating that ease, Chef Al presents me with another dish, something beautiful in its simplicity on the plate: a leaf of romaine lettuce dressed with a pumpkin seed butter dressing and slices of brightly colored peppers. Chef Al explains that this is a "roll-up," and that the best way to eat this dish is to roll the lettuce leaf around the peppers and dressing and eat the whole thing like a rolled taco. Lovely as it is to look at, I am still skeptical that there will be much flavor, since I already know what lettuce leaves and bell peppers taste like — fresh and yummy, but not really punch-packers. Of course, what I don't factor into the flavor scheme is the pumpkin seed dressing, something I've never had before: rich as a peanut sauce dressing, only much more interesting in flavor — it provides both nutty taste and smooth textural balance to the sweet, crisp vegetables. Again, I am delighted; again, Chef Al and Donna nod and smile knowingly. As much as ICA is interested in sharing a message of health, it also focuses on the fun and delight of food. Chef Al says, "I want to get people back into the kitchen. I want them to have fun, to play with food, to put their hearts into it." In keeping with this idea, ICA offers "playshops" around Valentine's Day (see sidebar) to encourage people to explore the sensual, romantic aspects of good, healthy food. Of her experience a year ago in a 12-day vegan culinary arts program with Chef Al in Santa Fe, Joan Zacharias writes, "The students became a little community for 12 days. … It was a transformative, heady experience — was it the altitude or the endorphins from all that chocolate?" Chef Al is all for this transformative process. He says, "Empowering people is a big part of my journey … People can make tasty, healthy food that is good for them, good for the animals, good for the planet, good for everyone."
Creamy
Carrot Soup with Mint
Heat heavy-bottomed soup pot for 1 minute; add oil and heat 1 more minute. Add onions, sauté 5 minutes until soft; add carrots and toss well. Cook 10 more minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add mint, parsley and oats; cook 10 minutes. Puree mixture until smooth and re-heat for service or refrigerate. Garnish with reserved mint and parsley. Recipe © 1998, Chef Al Chase
Upcoming 2004 ICA Eugene Events: Feb. 12, 6-9 pm: "Food As Aphrodisiac" Playshop Learn: what food can get you in the mood; tips on healthful organic oils and natural sweeteners; sensual, gourmet organic cuisine samples; lecture, cooking demo, and question and answer period. March 12-14: Couples' Vegan Culinary Arts Weekend Workshop May 16-29: 12-Day Vegan Culinary Arts Program For more information, call (541) 683-8443, or visit www.chefal.org
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