Description

Course DescriptionWhen you hear the words “healthy food,” it’s all too easy to think of bland, uninspired, or unfamiliar food that takes all the pleasure out of cooking and eating. What often prevents us from practicing healthy eating habits: the wealth of misinformation out there about what foods arehealthy and the idea that we have to sacrifice the flavor that makes food such an enjoyable part of life.But there’s an easy way to conquer both of those obstacles. All it takes is a little nutrition science and a few culinary tricks—both of which you’ll get in The Everyday Gourmet: Making Healthy Food Taste Great.It turns out that healthy food is easy to understand and, when prepared well, is a treat to your palate. Healthy food doesn’t have to compromise on taste; rather, imaginative preparation can enhance the natural flavors of food while providing you with enormous health benefits. What you eat, and how you prepare it, has a profound impact not only on the way you look but on the way you feel.And in recent years, multiple scientific studies have confirmed the benefits of a healthy diet for reducing the risk factors for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even certain cancers.In short, healthy eating is a profound part of living a longer, healthier, and happier life. In these six lessons delivered by Dr. Connie Guttersen and Chef Bill Briwa, two master instructors from The Culinary Institute of America, you’ll discover    the specific nutritional benefits of foods commonly found in grocery stores,    what’s true and what’s false about nutrition and diet,    how specific culinary techniques and ingredients can transform healthy foods into taste sensations,    why international cuisines are a key component of a healthy diet, and, most important,     how easy and fun it is to cook with health and nutrition in mind.Filmed on location at the CIA’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley, these lessons are packed with scientific insights and tasty dishes that will get you excited about healthy cooking and eating—whether you’re a novice cook or a seasoned home chef.Explore the Science behind Healthy CookingCentral to Making Healthy Food Taste Great is what Dr. Guttersen calls “the Sonoma Smart Plate,” which focuses on creating a healthy plate of food that incorporates the perfect balance between the right amount and the right combination of foods.“It’s really about making healthy eating second nature,” says Dr. Guttersen, who pioneered this popular approach to healthy eating. “It’s not about micromanaging how much food you eat, the calories, the points, the grams—it’s really about being more mindful and about shifting your focus to what we know is the healthiest way to eat.”And when it comes to the food itself, Dr. Guttersen offers you fascinating and helpful insights into why particular foods and food groups are so beneficial to health and wellness, and why incorporating them into your everyday diet is essential to a well-lived (and well-fed) life. In these engaging lessons, you’ll learn the nutritional science behind    whole-grain carbohydrates such as farro, bulgur wheat, and quinoa;    healthy proteins that come from lean animal meat and plant-based foods;    “superfoods,” including broccoli rabe and peppers, that are packed with vitamins and nutrients;and much more.Create Healthy (and Delicious) Dishes with ConfidenceAs you learn alongside Dr. Guttersen, you’ll also benefit from the experience of Chef Briwa, one of the CIA’s master chef-instructors, as he demonstrates just how easy and fun healthy cooking is. As he notes, “Healthy eating is really all about understanding the science—and then finding a way to make that science taste good.”You’ll learn how to confidently approach healthy cooking techniques such as broiling, steaming, and toasting, and you’ll discover how to create eye-popping and mouth-watering dishes for yourself, including    breakfast quesadillas cooked with whole-grain tortillas and healthy oil to replace much of the saturated fat,    lunch and dinner salads made with everything from roasted peppers to barley to beans, and    walnut oat cookies with dried cranberries, which make for a much healthier—but still indulgent—dessert option.A Course as Fascinating as It Is PracticalBut above all, what makes these lessons on healthy food unlike anything you’ll find in a cookbook or on television is the opportunity to learn from two of the CIA’s best instructors. Both Dr. Guttersen and Chef Briwa combine engaging teaching methods and on-set cooking demonstrations with hard nutrition science. So not only are you being engaged and entertained—you’re getting invaluable knowledge that you can carry with you every time you step into the grocery store or the kitchen.Dr. Guttersen brings to these sessions her pioneering work on nutrition science and her years as a consultant for some of the world’s largest food-related corporations, including Kraft Foods and Nestlé. Chef Briwa brings his expertise as a culinary instructor with decades of experience and his work as a chef at popular venues, including The Hess Collection Winery in Napa, California, and The Wine Spectator Restaurant at the CIA at Greystone.Together, they make an informative and engaging team from which to learn everything you need to master the secrets of healthy cooking—and to improve your health through the dishes you make and eat without having to compromise on taste. So join them both for The Everyday Gourmet: Making Healthy Food Taste Great, a course as fascinating as it is practical for the foodie, the home cook, and anyone interested in the benefits of healthy food.Lectures:1. Good, Better, Best StrategiesJoin Dr. Guttersen and Chef Briwa in the kitchen as they teach you just how easy and rewarding it is to think about, cook, and eat food from a healthier perspective. As Chef Briwa shows you surefire ways to transform an oatmeal breakfast, a salad lunch, and a fish dinner into more appealing and nutritious meals, Dr. Guttersen introduces you to the benefits of building your meals around the Sonoma Smart Plate—one of the simplest strategies for healthy eating.1Good, Better, Best Strategies2. Nutritious and Satisfying Whole GrainsHow can you make the best choices when it comes to carbohydrates? Find out in this session that introduces you to the range of tastes and health benefits you can get with complex carbohydrates and whole grains. Explore the benefits of farro (which tastes great when toasted), bulgur wheat (perfect for tabouli), and quinoa (which pairs well with fish). Along the way, get tips and tricks on how to cook with and flavor whole grains to create some spectacular dishes.3. Adding Flavor with Healthy OilsOlive oil, walnut oil, peanut oil, seed oils—there are so many oils on the market to cook with. And using healthy oils can make an astounding difference in the quality (and taste) of the dishes you make. Discover the benefits of cooking with good fats and learn how to make healthier—and more flavorful—versions of breakfast quesadillas, a snack mix with roasted nuts and fried capers, and a hearty dip from the eastern Mediterranean.4. Protein—Understanding Your ChoicesOne powerful key to nutrition: a balance between lean animal protein and nutrient-rich plant protein. In this session, gain some powerful tips and strategies for incorporating this balance and maximizing the flavor of vegetables. Along the way, you’ll learn how to make delicious dishes for almost any occasion, including a colorful stir-fry and a fresh and wonderfully textured barley salad.5. Powerful Micronutrients—Cooking with ColorGet a fascinating introduction to some ordinary foods whose health benefits make them extraordinary. Packed with vitamins and minerals, these “superfoods” truly confirm the ancient connection between food and medicine. Chef Briwa demonstrates how to tap into the power of these foods by providing you with step-by-step recipes for cooking a simple pasta dish with broccoli rabe and several easy salads, including a three-bean salad and a roasted pepper salad.6. Making Healthy Cooking a LifestyleTie together everything you’ve learned in the previous sessions and get lasting insights into the importance of nutritious cooking for a healthy and happy lifestyle. Both Dr. Guttersen and Chef Briwa offer you in-depth advice on how to organize your kitchen, stock your pantry, practice mindful eating, and plan healthier options for meals, snacks, and desserts.Your master instructors from The Culinary Institute of America:Chef Bill Briwa:A popular chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Bill Briwa has worked in the hospitality business as a professional chef and culinary instructor for experts and laypeople around the world for more than 30 years. He was the resident chef for The Hess Collection Winery in the Napa Valley, California; the executive chef for The Wine Spectator Restaurant at The CIA at Greystone; and an officer on the board of the St. Helena Farmers’ Market.Over the past 15 years, Chef Briwa has devoted himself full time to teaching audiences around the world about cooking, flavor dynamics, gastronomy, and food and wine pairing. As a member of the Industry Services Group at the CIA, he works closely with a range of corporate clients to help them realize their culinary goals.Chef Briwa has been a speaker, presenter, and judge at numerous professional conferences, gatherings, and competitions in the culinary world, including the annual International Association of Culinary Professionals Conference and the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Illinois. His writing on food and wine has been featured in industry journals and publications, including Fine Cooking, Mise en Place, and Practical Winery &Vineyard Journal.Professor Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., Texas Woman’s UniversityProfessor Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., is a Nutrition Instructor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone and a registered dietitian and culinary professional. She is also the nationally and internationally renowned author of The Sonoma Diet, a New York Times best seller. Professor Guttersen served as an instructor on nutrition and food science at Texas Christian University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She received her Ph.D. in Nutritional Physiology from Texas Woman’s University.A leading expert on the health benefits of diets inspired by Mediterranean, Latin American, and Asian cuisines, Professor Guttersen has spent her career focusing on the development of flavorful and nutritious approaches to healthy eating and weight reduction. Her first two best sellers, The Sonoma Diet and The Sonoma Diet Cookbook, present recipes and meals that promote weight loss while still celebrating the pleasures of good food. The success and following of The Sonoma Diet created a trend in the way that people think about eating.With the publication of The New Sonoma Diet, Professor Guttersen incorporates a whole-health lifestyle approach with the latest nutrition science, focusing on foods to maintain and improve vitality, heart health, and overall health. The New Sonoma Cookbook includes new power foods, new recipes, and a new food philosophy.A sought-after media personality, Professor Guttersen has appeared on national broadcast programs, including the TODAY show, The View, Fox & Friends, Extra, and CNBC’s Power Lunch, and has contributed to articles in USA TODAY; the Los Angeles Times; O, The Oprah Magazine; More; Woman’s World; Us Weekly; and The New York Times, discussing healthy food combinations and the joy of eating flavorful foods.Professor Guttersen’s many accomplishments include developing the standards of care for a medical obesity treatment center in Bellevue, Washington. She also has consulted with a broad range of corporations and Fortune 500 companies—including Kraft Foods, Nestlé, Marriott, Radisson, Hyatt, Bush Brothers, and Panera Bread—on food trends and on the topic of world flavors as healthy inspirations. As a guest speaker of the nationally acclaimed Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives program, which is copresented by the Harvard School of Public Health and the CIA, Professor Guttersen stresses the importance of flavor as a health issue in the latest treatments for obesity and metabolic disorders. In addition, she has collaborated with Chef Bill Briwa, a Chef-Instructor at The CIA at Greystone, on numerous presentations on nutrition and cooking. Chef Briwa is the instructor of The Everyday Gourmet: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking, produced by The Great Courses.Professor Guttersen lives in Northern California’s wine country with her husband and two children. Comments on The Great Courses website:1. Mix of good and badDate:February 2, 2013″If you are eating a typical American diet and are overweight, advice from this course is a good step in the right direction, but overall it will not give you much information on how to create a truly healthy diet. Unfortunately, much of the science is outdated and/or bad and some of the advice is unhealthy. Although Vegetarianism is dietary suicide, the course frequently supports the practice.Briwa is a personable, dynamic presenter who at times is even entertaining. Most of his recipes are fairly easy to prepare but they are neither simple nor quick. I was hoping for ideas using common ingredients which I can then utilize in a variety of dishes. Many of Briwa’s ingredients are rather exotic. The problem is that since they get used in small amounts in only one recipe, the bulk of what is purchased will never get used and then will be thrown out when it inevitably goes bad. Briwa uses excessive salt and he frequently adds some form of sugar; neither is healthy. embedded in Briwa’s approach to cooking, I did find a few good ideas on how to make healthy food more flavorful; that was the main reason I purchased this course.Listening to Guttersen is uncomfortable to the point of being downright unpleasant. Her script was badly written, often incoherent, and her presentation is stiff and unnatural. She perpetuates out of date nutritional nonsense and cliches based on invalid interpretations of epidemiological studies while ignoring valuable insights provided by more recent molecular biology research. Much of her advice is uselessly vague and superficial.The explanation of fats is simplistic, incomplete and misleading. For instance, although flax is high in an omega-3 fat, it is ALA which is not metabolically useful. ALA must be converted by the liver into EPA and DHA, a process that is notoriously inefficient. Contrary to the claim made in the video, flax is not a good source of useable omega-3. Guttersen never mentions the importance of using grass fed beef (instead of grain fattened) or the problem of maintaining a healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats. She incorrectly demonizes all saturated fats while approving all polyunsaturated fats. Thus she dismisses coconut oil with no consideration for its unique qualities or numerous benefits. Meanwhile, less healthy, highly processed vegetable oils are recommended.This course delivers useful cooking ideas, if you can tolerate Guttersen. If you are looking for comprehensive and sound nutritional guidance, this course is a waste of your time and money.”0 out of 0 found this review helpful2. Exactly what it is!Date:January 26, 2013″This course is giving me exactly what it is showing how to make healthy food taste great. There is nothing more important in life than health and with so much information on nutrition things can get confusing especially in the kitchen.On of the reasons why people are eating take away foods is because convenient. Not too mentions these new ingredients listed as better food. If this is not daunting enough the prospect of using and cooking this food and most of the time the result is bland as Chef Briwa said “nutritional junk”.This course is helping us to debunk basic nutrition which is presented by the Nutritionist and applying these theories in the kitchen by showing it in a plate and how to prepare this.I think this course is excellent for a basic cooking meet nutrition. I did try some recipes and they do taste better than just boiled veggies and steam fish.If only the course is a bit longer overall I really like this course a good marriage between the two subjects, I enjoy this course and found it exciting to practice.”9 out of 12 found this review helpful.3. It depends, but Briwa is greatDate:January 20, 2013″I was surprisingly very impressed with Briwa’s first course on cooking, and it was a joy to see him again. Personable, knowledgeable, encouraging, he again adds much to this new course.Briwa show many live cooking techniques using heathy ingredients and methods. With his creativity, you can’t wait to try them out.On the other hand, I don’t see the point of including the nutritionist, who is very annoying. She has a “TV Personality” persona, which is a negative. She “has to” tell you all the food is healthy, cite research studies, and say (rather obvious) things like: “Don’t use a big dish, use a small dish so you feel like you get more food.” She has a naggy voice and sounds like she is talking to children who know nothing about nutrition. I am guessing this adds a “professional” touch, since GC is moving more in the direction of “Lifestyle” courses. But she is a minus.So if this course were only Briwa, I’d give it 5 stars, but Gutterson really ruins it and is unnecessary.”27 out of 34 found this review helpful.