While experts don't always agree on a strict definition of "plant based", it has come to represent a diet consisting of mainly whole (unprocessed) vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds with little or no refined oils. "Plant forward" makes vegetables or grains the focus of the plate, leaving animal products as a smaller portion or garnish.

The pineapple of my logo is a sign of welcome and I stand by a philosophy of "all eaters welcome". The focus of my work is primarily on adding more whole plant foods to your diet...the rest is up to you. But even cutting animal foods out of your diet for one day per week can have tremendous impact on your health and your "foodprint".

We will have a brief online consultation to discuss your needs and goals. Elisa will send you a questionnaire to include some basic information, including food allergies and preferences, with menu options for the cooking class. You select 4-5 items that you would like to make. Elisa does all the shopping for you. All you have to do is be ready to cook at the appointed time. After the session, Elisa will leave your kitchen cleaner than she found it and you will have several meals, as well as the recipes to make them again.

A shift to more plant-based diet is one of the most important personal actions people can take to help the environment, climate, and wildlife. Meat and dairy disproportionately contribute to climate change, wildlife habitat loss, natural resource misuse, biodiversity loss, deforestation, ocean dead zones, and waste and degradation of global freshwater supplies. Plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis to make glucose. Plant-rich diets hold enormous potential for climate change mitigation if adopted on a global scale.

Yes! A gift certificate for a plant based cooking class (or more!) is the gift that keeps giving. Give your loved ones the opportunity to enjoy delicious, healthy food and learn the skills and confidence they need to do it on their own.