The Story of Orange Chicken (How It Came To America)

Orange chicken is one of those classic Chinese-American dishes that makes you wonder, how did it get to America?  What happened to it along the way that turned it from a citrus-flavored chicken stir-fry to the crispy, sweet and flavorful dish we CRAVE whenever we step into a Chinese restaurant? How It Started – Orange Peel […]

Huffington Post, School Lunches and what Congress calls a “vegetable”

As a chef, school lunch programs are a hot-button topic as policies move our nutrition standards forward, but with some troubles. This post is a lookback on some interesting points from my conversation with Huffington Post Live. I was part of a panel in 2014 to provide different viewpoints on school lunch programs. Each panelist […]

Corn & Zucchini Cakes from Chef Aaron Sanchez

Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez has a swagger that’s fun to watch on shows like “Chopped” or “Masterchef” He’s a Mexican-American chef whose food style brings in spice, unique flavors and creativity. When working on the curriculum for our Food Network Favorites theme, I wanted to bring a strong-vegetable dish to our classes.   Something that […]

Why We Chose Food Network Favorites

Some chefs are SO famous that if you just say their first names you know exactly who I’m referring to such as: Gordan Giada Bobby Jamie Guy Ina Quick test, do you know all of their last names?  Answers are at the bottom! While these chefs won’t be cooking for your kids anytime soon, we’ve […]

Weekend Recipe: Healthier Orange Chicken & Tofu

On Monday I visited our summer camp in Ventura, CA (my hometown!) to see this recipe in action. I’ve been tinkering it for years and finally have the perfect version.  Plus in our class we have all of the kids make the classic and vegetarian (with tofu) version. Orange Chicken From a Chinese Restaurant: More […]

Why We Teach Cooking & Had To Bid Adieu to Lego Robotics (plus yummy “Tofu Vinadaloo”

This post is a long-time coming and reflects a key decision made 6 months ago. It was a hard decision, but ultimately ensured the long-time success of LIFT Enrichment Here is the story of why we specialize in Cooking after-school classes, and by the end of this school year, will be done with Lego Robotics. […]

The Joy of Simplicity (and a tasty Crab Salad)

Last week I had a small, but important, epiphany about business, cooking and life in general.   I was on the phone with our Program Manager Lisa trying to figure out how to better setup our newest service for clients, the Birthday Pizza Party.  It’s a great event, where a chef teacher leads a 2-hour […]

Inside A Cooking Class: Veggie Quesadilla with Mango Salsa

If you haven’t tried this salsa, you’re missing out. Mango salsa has a zesty, fresh and citrus flavor combination that is absolutely delicious. We made this in class recently, and it was a fantastic experience for all. I personally love Veggie Quesadillas with Mango Salsa because there is a lot of hands-on chopping, mixing and […]

Cooking Class Teaches Kids Tropical Cuisine After-School

When it’s cold outside, Southern Californians like to escape to the tropics.  In LIFT Enrichment’s Cooking class, we’re taking the same route this Winter. What is tropical cuisine? Tropical cuisine stems from the flavors and tastes when you think of an island vacation.  Think of classic beach vacation spots such as Hawaii and the Caribbean […]

The Kid Restaurant – Where Your Child Is The Waiter and Chef

On the last lesson of our after-school Cooking class, parents and siblings are invited to what we call the “Kid Restaurant.” We create a restaurant where your kids are the waiters and chefs, serving what we made that day in class.  It’s a “thank you” for joining our Cooking class and is an opportunity to […]