It’s 2017 and we’ve cooked up a whole host of new culinary classes at the LightHouse for the new year.
Learn more about each session below and see a schedule of our upcoming classes. If you have questions about class content please contact Sydney Ferrario, Instructor, at 415-694-7612 or sferrario@lighthouse-sf.org.
Orientation to the Kitchen
Designed for beginning home cooks and those new to blindness or low vision.
Session I – January 3 and 5
Session II – February 7 and 9
Session III – March 7 and 9
Each session takes place on Tuesday and Thursday of the scheduled week from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Designed specifically for people who have been out of the kitchen due to a change of vision and need a fresh start to feel comfortable in the kitchen and begin cooking – this class will help you get back in the kitchen with confidence! In these classes, students will learn new ways of labeling, organization, safe work strategies and so much more! Included is a brief technology component and demonstration for recipe access.
Come prepared to try new ideas and practice the following skills:
- Safer work strategies
- Greater awareness of tactile, auditory, olfactory and gustatory skills
- Organization and labeling in the pantry and refrigerator
- Develop sensory and spatial awareness
- Discover and explore various tools and technologies
- Effective and Efficient cleaning
What’s the Scoop? Measure and Mix
Designed for beginning and intermediate home cooks and those new to blindness or low vision.
Session I – January 10 and 12
Session II – February 14 and 16
Session III – March 14 and 16
Each session takes place on Tuesday and Thursday of the scheduled week from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Learn and practice measuring with confidence! In the Lighthouse teaching kitchen we will explore techniques for measuring both liquids and dry ingredients in both large and small quantities. While all are welcome, this course is especially designed with the baker in mind, and we will measure those tricky things like brown sugar, flour, flavorings and oils as well as common conversions and strategies for tricky ingredients.
Come prepared to try new ideas and practice the following skills:
- Avoiding spills, working in an orderly and tidy fashion
- Time worn techniques with common household equipment
- Explore new gadgets and technologies
- Mixing, blending, beating, whisking, folding, stirring and more
On The Edge – Knife Skills
Designed for beginning and intermediate home cooks and those new to blindness or low vision.
Session I – January 17 and 19
Session II – February 21 and 23
Session III – March 21 and 23
Each session takes place on Tuesday and Thursday of the scheduled week from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
With an emphasis on safety and organizational work strategies, students learn and practice knife skills on a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Are you planning to eat healthier after the holidays? Sharpen your knife skills and practice techniques for even sizes while protecting your fingers! Tuesday we prep everything for a soup and salad and on Thursday we will throw it all together for a nourishing and healthy meal.
Come prepared to try new ideas and practice the following skills:
- Holding and manipulating various knives, graters and other sharp gadgets
- Hands-on guidance and practice mincing, slicing, dicing, chopping, and peeling, among others
- Deciding which tool is best for the job and why
- Safer work strategies, building on tactile and sensory awareness
Great cooking is not about recipes – it’s about skill and technique!
There are three sessions of the same course, each with a different menu to be determined based on seasonal availability. Students may wish to enroll in any one session or all three.
The Heat Is On! Oven and Stovetop Strategies
Designed for beginning and intermediate home cooks who wish to gain a greater comfort level working with their gas or electric ovens and ranges.
Session I – January 24 and 26
Session II – February 28 and March 2
Session III – March 28 and 30
Each session takes place on Tuesday and Thursday of the scheduled week from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Cook on your home oven and stovetop with ease and safety. Learn and practice strategies for setting up and cooking with the oven and stovetop which includes spatial awareness skills, setting up with the proper equipment and creating new habits.
Come prepared to try new ideas and practice the following skills:
- Safer work strategies and Injury prevention
- Systems, patterns, portioning and spatial awareness
- Heat control, thermometers, timers, testing for done
- Sautéing, stirring and turning
- Using assistive technology
All classes are $220.00* per session and meet in Room 1010 in 10th Floor Kitchen of the LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street. Class is 4 hours with a short break. Bring a bag lunch the first day. You will be standing, cooking and working for most of the class. Please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and have long hair tied back.
*Each Class Session includes two classes for four hours (9:30-1:30). The full class fee is $220 for persons 18-54. For those persons who are 55 and older living in the counties of Alameda, San Francisco and Marin (and not a consumer with the Department of Rehabilitation or VA) the class fee is waived thanks to the State of CA Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) grant funding. Student may be asked to bring in class materials, the instructor will notify if this is necessary.
All participants must be registered students of the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. To enroll as a LightHouse student, please contact Debbie Bacon at 415-694-7357 or dbacon@lighthouse-sf.org. If you have questions about class content please contact Sydney Ferrario, Instructor, at 415-694-7612 or sferrario@lighthouse-sf.org.
As a division of the Independent Living Skills Program, culinary classes provide cooking lessons for the home cook with an emphasis on blind kitchen skills, including, but not limited to, orientation, organization, knife skills, measuring, food safety, and navigating the oven and stove top safely. Also included is a recipe access component for interpreting and replacing visual cooking terminology with cues for taste, touch and smell. The goal is to provide guided practice so students can replicate skills at home.
Note about ingredients: LightHouse recipes use common cooking and baking ingredients including various fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats, spices, dairy, eggs, wheat flours, etc. If you have a food allergy, please check with the instructor before attending the class. Adjustments to recipes cannot be made during class.
Special Dietary Needs? For those with special dietary needs or allergies, please contact Sydney Ferrario at 415-694-7612 to discuss how we can help you with a customized program and recipes. Her background includes Wheat, Gluten, & Dairy-Free cooking and cooking for those with Diabetes.
