Culinary Bootcamp for Dietitians

Back in June, I took part in a very exclusive cooking class hosted in the home of one of my dietitian colleagues. The Dietitians of Canada Annual Conference was in Edmonton this year, so Mary Sue Waisman, author of Cook!, the latest cookbook from Dietitians of Canada, swung by Calgary to teach us a few techniques while we tried out a few recipes from the book.

Although Mary Sue is now based out of Halifax, I was surprised to learn that she spent most of her 20+ year career here in Calgary and completed her chef's training at SAIT. Mary Sue's nutrition philosophy is based around the value of family meals, and with that comes a focus on the food and cooking, and returning to dietetics' roots in home economics. Mary Sue emphasizes flavour in her cooking - her first cookbook is actually called Flavour First, and during the class she showed off her copy of The Flavor Bible

Over the course of the afternoon, we chopped, stirred, simmered, roasted and baked our way through 10 recipes while learning techniques like trimming the "silverskin" from meat. Mary Sue's philosophy was evident in the recipes she chose for the class, which either used different spices and herbs to season the food, or cooking techniques that enhanced the natural flavours of the ingredients, instead of straight-up S&P.



Although Mary Sue is credited as the author of the cookbook, the recipes were actually submitted by dietitians across the country and tested by Mary Sue (with the help of some fellow dietitians and interns) in her kitchen in Halifax. It was interesting to see Mary Sue's surprise at how differently some of the dishes were turning out (i.e. thicker batters, different cooking times) here in high-and-dry Calgary.

We started with some appetizers:

    
    
The Holy Smokes Pita Chips were rounds of pita bread brushed with a mixture of garlic, cumin, chili powder, curry powder, black pepper and hot sauce before being baked to a crisp in the oven. They were smoky and delicious, but I think I personally would've opened up the pitas so that the "chips" wouldn't be so thick. They were served with Legume Guacamole, which replaces some of the avocado with green peas for a dip that is lower in fat and calories than traditional guacamole. The guacamole tasted lighter as well, and surprisingly did not have any pea flavour.

I loved the mix of textures and flavours in the Bulgur and Vegetable Lettuce Wraps - the bulgur was cooked to al dente, a nice contrast from the tender butter lettuce, while the onion, bell pepper and lemon juice made the wraps taste fresh and summery. In contrast, the Roasted Chickpeas had a richer, nutty flavour, with a hint of smokiness thanks to the addition of chili powder, cumin and garlic.

A bit more cooking, and it was time to eat again:

    
    

The Barley Terrine was a unique vegetarian main dish, combining barley, wheat bran, sunflower seeds and walnuts into a cheesy loaf that to me, tasted like a healthy mac-and-cheese. Another unique vegetarian main we tried were Pecan Patties; the batter was too runny to shape into patties before cooking, but once they were ladled into the frying pan, they formed up quite nicely, and were oh-so-good with some jams and chutneys our hostess found in her fridge. We gobbled them up so quickly I couldn't even take a picture! These were originally meant to be sort of a vegetarian burger - probably more of a substitute for a lighter burger like chicken or turkey instead of beef.

The Rye Salad, like the filling in the Bulgur and Vegetable Lettuce Wraps, was another interesting blend of texture and flavour. It used rye berries, which seemed to pop in your mouth as you bit into them, mixed with sweet and tart dried cranberries, savoury feta and black bean sauce, crisp cucumber, peppery onion and cilantro, and crunchy and nutty sunflower seeds.

Mary Sue's version of Roasted Parsnip and Pear Soup was very simple, emphasizing the earthy sweetness of the ingredients, and using the starchiness of the parsnips to create a creamy texture while still keeping the soup light - very different from my/Julie's version that I made months ago.

I helped make the Pork Tenderloin with (unpictured) Strawberry-Rhubarb Chutney. We actually made the pork tenderloin two ways - one we roasted, as was written in the cookbook, and the other we sliced, flattened into medallions with the heel of our hands, then pan-fried with some of the chutney. The latter cooked a little too quickly for us and the pork came out a little tough, but the roasted tenderloin was perfect - it had developed a bit of crust on the outside, while the meat inside was moist and tender. Of course, the strawberry-rhubarb chutney was the star of the show, permeating the kitchen with its aromatic fumes as it simmered on the stove for what seemed like hours as it thickened into a jam-like consistency. The sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb were paired with ginger, garlic, onion, cumin, cinnamon and cloves, giving the chutney a hint of savoury and spice.

We also had dessert (not pictured) and despite what you might think about dietitians, they were not just plates of fruit! The Date & Nut Pinwheels were like refined Larabars, spiced with cardamom and saffron and shaped into delicate little bites before being rolled in coconut. I helped to make the Sweet Barley, which was cooked in milk and flavoured with a touch of anise. It reminded us all of kheer, or Indian rice pudding. It's no surprise that I couldn't get photos of either of them!

All in all, it was a fun afternoon, and I thought it was a great way to really get the feel of a cookbook - perhaps a future idea for some sort of cooking party, or even a Monday Night Supper Club, eh, Dan?

Just for a bit of a teaser, I will share my favourite recipe of that day - the Bulgur and Vegetable Lettuce Wraps. I think the filling alone would make a great grainy salad.

Bulgur and Vegetable Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Cook!
Makes 16 wraps

• ¾ cup (185 mL) bulgur
• ¾ cup (185 mL) warm water
• 1 cup (250 mL) tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup (125 mL) cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup (60 mL) parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) green onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) black pepper
• 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated

1. In a large bowl, combine bulgur and warm water. Let stand for 30 minutes, or until bulgur is softened and liquid is absorbed.
2. Add remaining ingredients except lettuce. Stir well to combine.
3. To serve, top each lettuce leaf with 2 tbsp bulgur mixture. Wrap lettuce to enclose filling.

Nutrition Info (per wrap): 51 calories, 2 g fat (0.2 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrate (2 g fibre, 1 g sugar), 2 g protein, 61 mg sodium.