CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: ASIAN HERITAGE COOKING CLASS

SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2022 @ 6:00-8:00PM 

BAKE LAB + SHOP (LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE PONDICHERI),  2800 Kirby Dr b132, Houston, TX 77098

$200 per attendee.   

  "After thousands of years of occupation by Greeks, Turks, Persians and the British, Indian food remains a constantly evolving free wheeling unregimented cuisine where almost nothing is sacrosanct yet all is held together by the magical use of spices."  Anita Jaisinghani

Join us for a hands-on Seasonal Cooking Class celebrating Asian Heritage Month with Chef Anita Jaisinghani​ and Mary Cuclis. This class will include cooking with Anita ​and Mary featuring fresh selections from the Urban Harvest Farmers Market and enjoying a meal afterward together. The seasonal menu will feature Pondicheri classically inspired dishes.  All proceeds to support Urban Harvest's mission to enrich the community through community garden programming, farmers markets, and classes for adults and youth education.

 What to Wear: Clothes you don't mind getting messy & closed-toe shoes.

Menu:  Based on seasonal ingredients.

About the Chefs

Anita Jaisinghani 

https://www.pondicheri.com/our-team/ 

Anita Jaisinghani, The chef & co-owner of Pondicheri, was born and raised in India and is of Sindhi descent. She developed a love for food early on in her life however trained and practiced as a microbiologist. Transitioning as a stay-at-home mother for her two children in Canada first and then Houston, she gradually developed her love of food into a career, beginning with an out-of-home catering business & selling chutneys through Whole Foods. 

Her first restaurant job was at the famous Café Annie, where she worked in the pastry department for 2 years.  Following her time at Café Annie, Anita opened Indika in 2001 serving deeply personal dishes that illustrated her desire to portray Indian food in a new light. Pondicheri, followed in 2011, expanding with the opening of the Bake Lab + Shop in 2014. With all of her kaleidoscopic menus, Anita combines the complexities of Indian cuisine with leanings toward the ancient body of wisdom of Ayurveda, the magic of spices & the goodness of fresh, local ingredients. 

Mary Cuclis  

Kriti Cooking & Catering  

kriticatering.com 

Mary started her culinary career cooking in various restaurants including Bo Innovation in Hong Kong and spent almost 9 years at Pondicheri in Houston, Texas. Currently, Mary is a private chef, caterer and owner of KRITI Cooking & Catering. Kriti provides unique events capitalizing on seasonal produce, local farmers and is inspired by Cretan cuisine. 

Contact education@urbanharvest.org for questions.