The real learning started today. We gained access to the Rouxbe’s Professional Plant-Based Certification Course and spend the whole morning going through the content of the first 21 tasks in the first two units: Orientation & Course Overview and Getting Set Up. Some of the basic concepts of working as a chef were covered as well as the food choices. There is a clear distinction between whole foods (that we’ve traditionally been consuming) and refined and processed foods that are stripped of the nutrients.
Many people focus on the amount of calories they consume, but the focus should be on the nutrient density. There are foods that are calorie dense but nutrient empty, such as chips, cookies etc. It’s nice to be aware that not all food are equal. I really like the chart that ranks the different foods based on how nutrient dense they are.

The big star here is kale with a top score Kale was the star of today’s class too. We received as a task to prepare two versions of kale, and compare their flavour and texture to raw kale. One was massaged kale with avocado, and the other seasoned kale with freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s amazing how much you can achieve with simple techniques. After massaging kale with avocado for a few minutes the kale became much tender and creamier in texture. The seasoning, on the other hand, helped to balance out the bitter and earthy taste of kale, creating a fresh and crisp mouthful.
Preparing the kale and tasting it was rather easy, but trying to describe the textures and flavours was a bit of a challenge. Apparently, it is crucial for a professional chef to know how to talk about the food and I’m happy to dive into the world of adjectives and expression to make my dishes sound even more attractive.
Tomorrow, we will learn more about the basics of plant-based nutrition.