Veggywood

Heather & Jenny Goldberg of Spork Foods

Come closer, and I’ll tell you a secret. Shhhhh….

Before I became vegan I didn’t know how to cook.

Seriously, no joke. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I could throw together a salad of course, but nothing could compare to the quinoa, sundried tomato and olive salad I learned in a Spork Foods class. I baked, but slice and bake Pillsbury isn’t Chef Jenny’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.

To make a long, sad, and depressing story short, I now love to cook. And I love to cook because of Chef Jenny and her inspiring cooking classes at the Spork Food Kitchen in Silverlake. If you have not taken one of her classes, what are you waiting for? Limited to 5 students, Jenny teaches the very affordable classes in her own kitchen, and then everyone sits down for an amazing meal of what they’ve helped cook and bake. Jenny is fun, funny, and extremely knowledgable about everything from souflees to getting adequate protein.

The classes make great gifts as well, for anyone interested in tasty, healthy cruelty-free food, including yourself. They’re also fun to do with Mom, your boyfriend, or a pal.

Seriously? What are you waiting for? Sign up for a class today, I PROMISE you won’t regret it.

Veggywood’s 9 Questions with Chef Jenny of Spork Foods:

1. When did you become vegan and why?

I became vegan in college. It was my sophomore year…I was an environmental studies major at UC Santa Cruz and I considered it a type of spring cleaning. I was learning about factory farming, the destruction of the rainforest for cattle, and all of this horrible information. I felt like I didn’t want to be a part of a cycle that disrespects animals, the earth and my fellow human beings.

2. Do you remember the first meal you tried to “veganize”?

I don’t remember that exactly, but I do remember being scared of tofu, and then just buying a package one day right when I decided to be vegan to overcome the fear.

I looked at the tofu, surrounded ominously by the “water” in the package and thought to myself – dive in because you are going to have to learn to love the stuff.
It turned out that I really do love tofu, so we’ve had a happy relationship ever since.

3. What was the inspiration behind Spork Foods?

My sister Heather and I always wanted to have our own business. We are both vegan and have been passionate about vegan issues for about a decade.

When we realized that no one was teaching organic vegan cooking classes on a regular basis in LA, we thought that we should go for it! It has been over a year and a half now and it has been the most memorable time of my life.

4. Okay, so what do you think is the one thing any respectable vegan must have in their cabinet or fridge? I say Earth Balance.

I would have to say fruits and vegetables. I know that sounds crazy, but often times people forget to go back to the basics with eating. It is tempting to go crazy with all of the seductive vegan products out there, but it is good to keep ourselves grounded by basing our diets on fresh foods.

5. What are some others?

Whole grains like quinoa and brown rice are a must…and we always have a few young coconuts on hand. It is like an instant vacation when you are drinking coconut water from a fresh coconut – once you can crack it open…

6. What is your favorite “go to” dish to impress non-vegan friends, clients, and mother-in-laws?

I feel like cuisine that lends itself to being vegan anyway, like some Asian foods or Mediterranean dishes are a great way to allow people to see that they are already familiar with vegan foods.

For an appetizer I like a white bean pate with rosemary and lemon, followed by a tart with seasonal vegetables and maybe a little truffle agave sauce.

7. Where is your favorite place to eat in Los Angeles (besides the Spork Kitchen of course)?

Heather and I are always trying new restaurants because we are so excited by all of the vegan options popping up all over the city! I would have to say that our favorite places to eat though are M Café, and Madeline’s Bistro. And Scoops for dessert of course.

That is a tough question though, because we do have a top 10 list of faves too.

8. What has been your favorite cooking class so far?

I don’t have one class that stands out above the rest, because they are all so unique and wonderful in different ways. My favorite classes are when the energy is good and everyone seems really excited to be in class. We have had people from all walks of life come to class. When I see everyone around the dining room table chatting and getting to know one another; that is when I feel like we have done our job well.

9. What Spork cooking classes do we have to look forward to in the Fall?

We are excited about some more comfort foods classes with pot pie, and hearty fall recipes once the weather cools off. We are definitely going to do some more dessert classes and when the time is right, our Thanksgiving class. That is always a favorite because sometimes vegans don’t want side dishes for Thanksgiving – they want the whole meal, minus the bird.

To learn more about Spork Foods, visit their WEBSITE and Myspace or call: (323) 284-8733
For catering questions, email Heather@sporkfoods.com

Share on Facebook

Pin It