A New Plant-Based Culinary School Just Opened in Florida!

If you’re a plant-based eater in Florida, the nation’s Sunshine State, then we have some exciting news. On August 21, the McFatter Technical College’s School of Culinary Arts launched its inaugural six-month Culinary Vegetarian and Plant-Based program. The course will offer its students two segments — Vegetarian Food Preparation and Vegetarian Restaurant Cooking — and will award a certificate and an industry credential upon successful completion of the course.

The course is the masterful brainchild of Petti Lang, a long-time chef instructor at the school, who designed the two-prong course to teach students restaurant cooking techniques, food preparation, and how to honor and love nutritionally-balanced whole food.

Meat-eaters and vegan students alike are welcome to take the course, provided they’re ready to work hard and honor the ethos behind the program. Classes are held Monday through Thursdays, from 4:30 to 10 p.m., and students will have the chance to participate in both online and hands-on sessions. By the end of the six-month program, the aspiring chefs will know how to prepare items ranging from nut milks, plant-based stocks, baked goods, and vegan pastas.

“McFatter Technical College is a very affordable way for students to get an excellent education in a short amount of time,” Lang said. “This course prepares students for employment in the plant-based food industry and personally can be a catalyst to a healthier lifestyle as well.”

Begin Your Own Plant-Based Culinary Education at Home!

If you’re inspired by Lang and her new program, you can follow her lead and begin educating yourself about the wonders of plant-based cooking right at home.

For instance, if you’re interested in learning about all the different varieties of plant-milks out there and then want to try your hand at making your own, our Food Monster App has all the resources you need. Read up on how to make your own healthy and homemade plant-based milk here, and then try your hand at a few recipes!

Next, learn how to build flavor with this Homemade Vegetable Stock Paste by Katie Culpin and Josh Bailey.

No hidden ingredients, no additives, just delicious. This makes a great starter for soups, curries, stews, pot pies, and for adding flavor to grains while they cook.

If you’re interested in learning how the right marinade will enhance flavor in your cooking, this guide is a good resource; additionally, this handy article will teach you about awesome plant-based meat substitutes, and this will teach you how to incorporate umami in your meals.

This Sautéed Mushroom and Spinach One-Pot Pasta by Kirsten Kaminski will delight any lovers of carbs.

You may be skeptical of the idea of cooking pasta, its sauce, and all other ingredients in the same pot, but it’s so easy and equally flavorful as cooking the pasta and sauce separately! The dish features the classic combination of mushrooms and spinach in a creamy sauce. Once you’ve gotten this dish down, you can change up the pasta, sauce, and veggies in an infinite number of ways.

Don’t forget dessert. This 5-Ingredient Flourless Vanilla Cake by Sara Grandominico is grain-free and easy to make.

This vegan vanilla cake is a recipe you’ll want to save for any special cake-worthy occasions. This recipe uses banana flour and it works SO well. Decorate and top it any way you like, this sweet, soft, simple cake will surprise you in the best way. This cake is gorgeously simple and the vanilla flavor shines. One of the best things about this cake is how versatile it is when it comes to topping options! Think fresh fruit, coconut whipped cream, chocolate fudge frosting?!

For more vegan recipe inspiration, we recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

Lead image source: Luis Louro/Shutterstock