“Green + balanced = happy & healthy.”
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Anna Dvorak, Chef
I am a self-taught chef. I grew up in a home where food and shared time around eating was valued, with a mom who was (and is) an excellent cook and where natural, whole foods were part of our daily diet.
My first career was as a graphic designer - and even though it was a creative field, I felt creatively stunted most of the time. So I came home from my day job and gave myself a culinary education by cooking something new almost every night, learning from the masters through their methods and instructions in their cookbooks. I followed their recipes like my own private coursework, to understand how to build flavors, how to use ingredients like freshly ground spices and herbs to layer nuance and add complexity, and how to use fresh ingredients in old and new ways.
I used my own instinct to find naturally healthful ways of preparing foods that leaned more towards balance without compromising flavor.
I still believe in balance. I find my greatest sources of inspiration are crazy fresh, wonderful ingredients and knowledge gathered from travel and study of naturally healthful diets around the world which have so much to teach us about respect for our food, respect for our bodies, and delicious ways to eat. I also love the occasional amazing donut when I can find a good one.
I've written four cookbooks, taught years of cooking classes, and made meals in many beautiful places around the world. My favorite place to be after all that is still in my own kitchen, making food with vegetables and herbs from my own garden, cooking for just me and my husband Chris.
Cooking instructor: Kitchen Window, Wedge Co-op, Lakewinds Co-op, Linden HillsCo-op
Custom cooking classes: General Mills - gluten-free development team; MOMBrand/Malt-O-Meal - corporate nutrition program; StuartCo. - corporate staff wellness program
Speaking events on food, nutrition & wellness: YWCA Women’s Health Series; Intermediate District 287; Jordan School District; Joyce Preschool
TV appearances: Twin Cities Live; Kare11; Fox29 Local News
Blog: StarTribune YourVoices
nourish: cooking with love in four seasons is a collection of recipes that everyone can cook, with a little time or a whole weekend. You won’t find complicated methods or hard to find ingredients. It’s a kick start to a way of living that includes building time for cooking into the plan. There really is no better way to take care of your health and the health of those around you.