This program is being offered in-person. To register, please click the RSVP button above or email programs@smithcenter.org.
with Chef Laura Pole
Healing in the Kitchen with Laura Cooking Class
This is Chef Laura’s first in-person cooking class at Smith Center since the pandemic and she is beyond excited to be reunited with you as we explore healing in the kitchen! You’ll learn about cooking foods in season in the spring which includes a variety of greens and root vegetables. We always have fun both preparing and eating delicious food and this class will be no different.
Suggested Donation: $20
About Laura Pole
Laura Pole is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Health Supportive Chef who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation and education services for over 35 years. Her interest in integrative cancer care began way before the field was well-known. She has spent years learning about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) so that she could help both patients and clinicians become aware of safe and effective therapies to weave into conventional cancer care. She is also helping shape the practice of culinary translation—helping people with practical ways to translate a diet prescription into delicious healthy food. Laura’s earliest passion in oncology care has been helping people manage pain and other distressing symptoms. Along with that, she helps people talk about and choose care that aligns with their goals, wishes, and values.
Laura is Director of Nourishment Education Programs and retreat head chef for Smith Center. She is the Co-Creator and Co-Coordinator of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts’ national training in integrative oncology patient navigation. She is Senior Researcher for Commonweal’s “Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies” project to provide patients, clinicians and researchers with the best available resources for integrating conventional and integrative cancer therapies. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” Listserv for Smith Center. For most of her career, Laura has also been consulting with and educating patients and professionals in palliative care and advance care planning.
Laura is also the senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices, a free online web resource that gives information and guidance in integrative Cancer Care.
This program is being offered in-person. To register, please click the RSVP button above or email programs@smithcenter.org.
with Chef Cathryn Pethick
A Season to Celebrate! Cooking Class
It’s a season to celebrate as cold Winter fades and the warm vitality of Spring arises! Especially by nourishing ourselves with simple, whole foods that show the best of both seasons, loaded with all the goodness Nature intends, with Winter’s sweet roots and Spring’s fresh greens, healing herbs and spices: nutrient dense, easily digestible, anti-inflammatory and immune supportive benefits- and absolutely delicious! In this vegetarian, hands-on cooking class, we’ll share the preparation of a cuppa healing tea, warm soup, a protein-rich slider, fresh cool salad, and even a healthy sweet. O yum!
And, check out more of Chef Cathryn’s programs on our YouTube channel, under “Nutrition & Cooking.”
Suggested Donation: $20
About Cathryn Pethick
Cathryn Pethick, AA, AYS, C-IAYT is a certified yoga therapist and teacher, Ayurveda specialist, and professional chef- whole foods cooking and nutrition instructor. She shares those skills with private clients through her own Well-Being, founded in 2012, and is on staff with Maryland University of Integrative Health’s Masters in Nutrition degree program. At Smith Center, Cathryn teaches cooking and nutrition classes, gentle yoga, and contributes to Smith Center’s wonderful integrative cancer support retreats as chef and yoga therapist. She has decades of experience in diverse culinary settings, practicing/teaching yoga from a therapeutic perspective, meditation, and the study of Ayurveda, diverse spiritual and philosophical traditions, and Oriental healing/martial arts. Cathryn shares the intention of nourishing well-being for us individually and as a collective with yoga, meditation and food-as-medicine, by cultivating the healing power of balance, optimal nutrition that supports our vitality, and compassionate presence that nurtures us all.
This program is being offered in-person. In order to participate, please register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org
with Chef Kara Garrett
With winter and the holidays rapidly approaching, it is a great time to revamp your menus with delicious items that are easy to prepare and that you can feel good about eating. Join us to learn cooking tips & techniques using cancer-fighting foods to heal from within. Chef Kara will lead you in preparing your meal and we’ll all sit down together to enjoy one of the greatest gifts of food – eating in good company!
Menu items:
- Roasted Fennel & Orange Salad
- Tofu Parmesan with Sautéed Spaghetti Squash
- Mac and “Un”Cheese
- Ultimate Fudge Brownies
*Menu subject to change based on ingredient availability and class size. All recipes will be vegan. Some recipes may contain gluten and/or nuts. Please alert us to any allergies when registering for the class. Every individual’s needs are unique. We aim to offer a variety of health-promoting options for each individual to consider, but do not prescribe the specific dietary content of any program for anyone.
Address:
Smith Center for Healing and the Arts
1632 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
Suggested Donation: $15
About Chef Kara Garrett
Kara Garrett is a health-supportive chef based in Washington, DC. Following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, she embraced the challenge of finding a balance between her foodie lifestyle and eating well with cancer. Kara is a graduate of the Chef Training Program at Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC, trained under Chef Lillian Chou at The Ananda Ashram Yoga Society of New York, and completed a graduate certificate in Developing Healthy Communities: Nutrition, Behavior, and Physical Activity from Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is passionate about working with others to encourage healthier food choices and develop sustainable food relationships that energize the body and the soul.
