#thesavageway had the pleasure of attending an amazing event last week that highlighted local food, nutrition and supporting local farmers. On Wednesday night, 28toLIFE and Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen hosted a cooking demo surrounding the principles of primal cooking or Paleo-friendly foods!
“The Paleo diet is built from modern foods that (to the best of our ability) emulate the foods available to our pre-agricultural ancestors: Meat, fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits, roots, tubers and nuts,” as defined by Robb Wolf.
This collaboration of two health-minded Charlotte companies took place at the buzzing Atherton Mill and Market in Southend for a two hour long lesson on how to prepare healthier, more local fare at home! Along the way a few knife skill lessons were shared including how to properly cut an onion (leave on the root) and how to peel ginger without a knife (hello spoon!). Life just became a little more more efficient.
The night started with wine, kombucha from local tap room Lenny Boy and mingling…always the start to a great night. Next up came the introduction of Cristina Gillespie, founder of 28toLIFE, a nutrition consultation service providing a hands-on realistic guide to finding Real Food Freedom.
Cristina touched on the 28-day program she utilizes to get the body back to basics through the Paleo diet. She talked about making optimal choices when it comes to food – you may not always be able to purchase straight from the farmer, so when that happens make the next best choice – organic – and then a big box store if necessary.
Cristina Gillespie, Founder of 28toLIFE (Photo Credit: Michael Newton Photography 2014)
Then the aroma of spices began to infiltrate the market. Enter Chef Alyssa. Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen partnered with 28toLIFE on this cooking demonstration in order to help other people reach their health goals through food knowledge and how to prepare that food.
Chef Alyssa Gorelick, Photo Credit: Michael Newton Photography 2014)
Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen is the brainchild of Alyssa Gorelick and Andrew Wilen who met in Charlotte in 2011. This couple saw a need in the Queen City for hands-on cooking classes to teach Charlotteans how to cook healthier food. Their mission says it best: To provide a comfortable and social environment that will allow guests to enhance their skills for those who love to cook and eat well.
The menu:
Beef and Pistachio Kofta – from Windy Hill Farms (available in the Atherton Market)
Curried Cauliflower
Arugula Salad
Dressings: Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Raw Beet
The demonstration ended with delicious sampling of the food Chef Alyssa just created. And let us tell you, it was DELICIOUS! The curried cauliflower is soon to become a staple at #thesavageway! And that Beet Vinaigrette – ridiculous!
The night was a ton of fun and we both took away some amazing new kitchen tricks, healthy 28toLIFE-approved recipes and a nice swag bag with free samples from Savory Spice Shop! Looking forward to the next cooking lesson!
Cheers,
#thesavageway
