PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – The Aroostook Agency on Aging, in partnership with several like-minded organizations, will launch “Flavor of Aroostook – Cooking to Connect,” a new series of hands-on cooking classes later this month.
The interactive ZOOM sessions will be transmitted from the state-of-the-art culinary lab at Northern Maine Community College. Lisa Fishman of the UMaine Cooperative Extension will lead the series with expert support from the professional chefs at Aramark, the college’s food service provider. Participants will be provided all the ingredients for each class prior to the event and will be able to follow along from their own kitchen or that of a friend or family member.
Judy Anderson, the Agency on Aging’s director of community and volunteer services, said the goal for the cooking series aligns well with her organization’s core mission – to help older people, including those with disabilities, succeed, and thrive while living independently in their own home.
A previous cooking class, held in the state-of-art NMCC teaching kitchen. (Courtesy NLH AR Gould Hospital)
“We are delighted to collaborate with other community partners on this exciting project. It brings one of Aroostook’s best known nutrition experts and several highly trained chefs into the homes of people who want to learn new ways to prepare and serve healthy food in a simple and safe way. The result will not only warm the belly but also support social connections that are needed right now as we face a continuing COVID challenge and limited interactions with family and friends due to winter weather,” she said.
Thankfully, Anderson said, technology available at NMCC’s teaching kitchen is available to take the class directly to those who want to attend via a virtual channel that puts teachers and students in the same space to interact, learn and have fun.
“The need to eat and feed others is a basic human need,” she said.
Another partner in the cooking class, Northern Light Health AR Gould Division, brings broad experience in presenting community-minded educational programs to the project, Anderson added.
The first session is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 25 from 3-4:30 p.m. and the topic will be soups and other low sodium options. Future themes will include foods that reduce inflammation, cooking with ancient grains, and more. The classes are aligned with existing health and wellness programs offered by the Agency such as diabetes and chronic pain self-management.
The second class, “Healthy Options for Your Sweet Tooth,” is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 8. Sessions will run every two weeks through May. In-person attendance, requiring proof of vaccination, proper spacing and face masks, may be offered at some point if conditions allow.
For more information or to preregister, please call the Aroostook Agency on Aging at 207-764-3396 or toll free at 1-800-439-1789. Online registrations can be sent to lori.cyr@aroostookaging.org.
