Spreading the message: Natural Gourmet grads in the blogosphere . . .

Today I want to spotlight the creative, life-changing work of our students, past and present. Natural Gourmet grads and students are out there daily in the community, representing as vegans, vegetarians, gluten-frees, omnivores, food access activists, raw foodies, slow foodies, locavores, macros, to name but a few shades of our “food and healing” rainbow.

Like any community, our personal agendas sometimes differ. But more importantly, we do share a common passion for food that is whole, local, seasonal, organic, real, GMO-free, and irradiation-free. That core passion continues to find expression in our work.

You may, through your own foray in social media, know the work of some of these people. If you don’t, I wanted to begin a blog roll that will connect you to those who share your commitment to healthier food. These are people who are “walking the walk.”

This list is not exhaustive by any means; nor is it in any order of preference. I taxed my imperfect memory and records, and I suspect I’ve missed some vital links. Our community is nothing if not prolific, so think of this as Natural Gourmet Blog Roll, Part I.

If I omitted your link, NGI graduate, let me know so I can highlight you in our Blog Roll, Part II, as well as on our Facebook page and Twitter feed.

So with great pride I present my initial blog roll:

• Our recent graduate, Jen Wanous, styles herself the “healthy hedonist” and enthusiastically shares recipes as well as her experiences and adventures in culinary school and her freshly minted culinary career: http://enjoyxo.wordpress.com/
• Current NGI student Rebecca’s blog is a diverse but pithy compendium of nutritional information, food politics, numerous recipes, and recaps of her cooking school experiences: http://seasonwithreason.com/
• A graduate of our Food Therapy Course, health coach Jenny Sansouci offers health tips, healthy recipes, nutritional advice, product reviews and detox advice: http://healthycrush.com/
• Chef/baker “vegAnn” is a recent Chef’s Training graduate with a lot to say about vegan living. If you have a passion for vegan baking, her blog is a good resource for vegan baked good recipes: http://vegannskitchen.blogspot.com/
• Another Chef’s Training student and an aspiring health coach, “Balancing Val” writes with humor and honesty about achieving healthy balance in all parts of her life. Her blog shares recipes, culinary school experiences, and philosophical musings on food issues: http://balancingval.com/
• Vegan chef and baker extraordinare, Chloe Coscarelli is best known for recently representing vegan baking to winning effect on Cupcake Wars. Her website is a great vegan recipe and lifestyle resource: http://chefchloe.com/latest-news.html
• Graduate Charles French chronicles his quest for health, offers recipes (including his award-winning Cheddar Cheese Brownie) and his experiences cooking healthy, fresh food for school kids in the Bay Area: http://charlesfrench.com/
• Southern-based, whole foods chef Shane Kelly shares her own journey to health, the healing power of food, cooking know-how, and recipes from what she deems her Weston Price-based approach to food. http://www.chefshanekelly.com/
• Renaissance woman/chef/caterer/instructor/consultant Molly Neuman offers a wide array of health-supportive cooking services, advice, multi-ethnic recipes, and menu planning options on her site: http://www.simplesocialkitchen.com/
• Recent Chef’s Training graduate Kelsey uses her blog to share her school experiences, culinary adventures around NYC, and her passion for cupcakes (yes, there are recipes too!): http://www.girlwiththecupcaketattoo.com/
• Garnesha Crawford, personal chef and consultant, says: “morsels & seeds was created to arouse thoughtful discourse and action on the intersection of food, farming, culture and justice. Simply put, morsels represent food and the linkages to culture and healing, while seeds represent life and the linkages to farming and ecological biodiversity – both are in dire need of protection.” http://www.morselsandseeds.com/
• Chef Shana is committed to a plant-based diet and shares reviews and recipes that celebrate the vegan lifestyle. http://knifestylesofthefitandfabulous.blogspot.com/
• Brooklyn-based personal chef Marina Berger is devoted to “responsibly sourced,” high-quality seasonal ingredients. http://marinacooks.wordpress.com/ She is also the host of Salt Salon, a monthly event that brings together guest art performances with food prepared by Marina. http://saltsalon.wordpress.com/
• Marie Gonzalez is a personal chef, instructor, media figure, consultant, and caterer, living and working in Manila, Philippines. Her blog is about green living, plant-based cuisine, and the benefits of the vegan lifestyle. http://kitchenrevolution.ph
• Check out our grad Sharon McGrail, host of BlogTalk Radio’s The Eco Chef, who has a bi-monthly radio show about health and healing. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theecochef
• Randy Rabney has full-spectrum consultation services that help people achieve a healthier diet and lifestyle. Services include initial consultation, pantry makeovers, shopping instruction, customized cooking lessons and much more. http://theconsciousplate.com/blog/
• Check out the recipes, restaurant and market reviews, and other “submissions of intoxicating nibbles” as our graduate, Tricia Brown – consummate foodie, oenophile, chef and cooking instructor, travels cross-country. http://gourmetrix.com.
• Check out the website of our graduate, Pooja Mottl, which deals with issues at the intersection of health, cooking, and fitness. http://poojasway.com/

Read Full Post »