Cooking may not be bread and butter for everyone, but local organizations are trying to make the activity a little more accessible.
By providing space in the kitchen as well as the table, Lutheran Social Service’s program Friends in the Kitchen partnered with the Bemidji Community Food Shelf and Harmony Co-Op to provide free food for people 55 and older. We offer classrooms. A person who lives under certain restrictions.
Each month, Friends in the Kitchen outreach educator Angie Ness offers modified recipes for those on a tight budget or with physical limitations. Educational and fun recipes go beyond teaching basic food groups by focusing on healthier alternatives.
For our final class of 2022, Ness shared recipes for German potato salad, hearty beef stew, and no-bake apple cheesecake.
Friends in the Kitchen not only introduced new and different recipes, but also introduced participants to a variety of ingredients.
Ness may provide recipes that are good for the body, but the community created through cooking classes is nourishment for the soul.
“[The classes are] It’s a social gathering place for older people,” explains Ness. “It’s a fun thing to do, especially in the winter when there isn’t much to do.”
There are no January classes. “Friends in the Kitchen” will be back on his February 28th and will include an after-class meal distribution.
No registration is required to attend classes.
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