Cooking Classes Fundraiser for World Central Kitchen

Hi there!
This post is to announce that I am donating access to one of my cooking classes, either Chili Night with Your Instant Pot or Instant Pot Desserts, to raise money for World Central Kitchen's current efforts helping feed displaced people in Ukraine and surrounding countries.

If you've attended one of my online or in-person cooking classes you may be aware of my work as a cook for Minnesota Central Kitchen at Chowgirls Catering in Minneapolis. Chowgirls Culinary Director Chef Liz Mullen modeled MCK on World Central Kitchen, Chef Jose Andres' amazing organization feeding people in need around the world in immediate response to manmade and natural disasters. Since 2010 WCK has been providing hot meals globally--since 2020 MCK has been providing hot meals locally.

I want to help--in a more global way than cooking 72 pounds of basmati rice or roasting 200 pounds of carrots during a shift in the Chowgirls kitchen (or making Turkey Enchilada Lasagna for 200 food insecure folks). So I'm selling access to the recordings of my Chili Night with Your Instant Pot class and my Instant Pot Desserts class.

If you're interested, you'll purchase access to the class by clicking the Paypal button below. When I get the email from Paypal, I'll send you the recipe handout + a link to the unlisted Youtube recording for that class. Please know that it won't happen immediately--I'm not tech-savvy enough to know how to add the info to the Paypal button below--but within 24 hours of my Paypal notification I'll send you class access.

ALL OF THE MONEY I RECEIVE FROM PAYPAL WILL GO TO WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN!**

I've already earned enough this year to pay for the camera upgrades my spouse/gaffer bought last month. I've got food in the freezer, electricity, and clean water coming out of the tap.

I don't need more.

Therefore, whatever I receive from Paypal--be it the full $15 if you choose the friends & family option, or a bit less if you choose the goods & services option (your choice, whichever you'd rather do)--will go to World Central Kitchen.

Early April Update! 

Last month we raised $210 for World Central Kitchen—through the sales of access to my previously recorded Chili Night With Your Instant Pot and Instant Pot Desserts classes.

 

**I lied. I said in my original post about the fundraiser that I would donate ALL of the money I received from PayPal to World Central Kitchen. I lied. PayPal took a cut of the funds, $1.01 per $15 donation, and I didn’t want WCK to have to pay the fees associated with the donation, so instead of donating $195.86 I rounded up and donated $220.50 to WCK.

 

Let me tell you more about the classes you can choose from! (Here's my main Instant Pot/Air Fryer Class page.)

Chili Night with your Instant Pot: The electric pressure cooker makes a faster and more flavorful Pot of chili compared to stove top or slow cooker—and you can make your sides in the Instant Pot, too! Kirsten will demonstrate Easy Weeknight Chili, Turkey Verde Chili, and vegan Quinoa Chili, along with Instant Pot “Baked” Potatoes and Loaded Cornbread. We’ll also discuss how you can adapt your favorite recipe for pressure cooker use. After I receive your donation, you will receive an extensive handout along with the link to the recording from class. 

Instant Pot Desserts: Creamy Cheesecake, Crème Brûlée, decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake, light Upside Down Summer Berry Cake and more—what do all these treats have in common? They’re made in an electric pressure cooker! Learn how to create your own Instant Pot Desserts--Crème Brûlée, Upside Down Summer Berry Cake, Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, and Cheesecake--and learn about the different items you can use to create desserts in your electric pressure cooker. After I receive your donation, you will receive an extensive handout along with the link to the recording from class.

Click here to purchase access to Chili Night With Your Instant Pot OR Instant Pot Desserts for $15--I will donate the full amount from Paypal to World Central Kitchen.

I plan to total up the Paypal amounts at the end of the month and then update this post with how much was donated.


How long will I keep this fundraiser going? Well, I'd love to say until the people of Ukraine are free from suffering but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I'll keep this fundraiser going through the end of June at any rate.

Instant Pot Banana Bundt Bread

Got ripe bananas? Bake Instant Pot Banana Bundt Bread! This sweet treat comes together easily from kitchen staples and makes a nice accompaniment to a coffee break, or an easy breakfast, or a fruity dessert.

Follow me | Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook

Last summer I had nearly 2 dozen Instant Pot cookbooks from the library quarantined with me for several months. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them and was filled with so many ideas for future classes (Instant Pot Bowls! Instant Pot Pasta! Instant Pot Brunch!) as well as loads of recipes to try. This recipe is one of the keepers. It's from The Instant Pot Bible by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough (I really like this book--it breaks down recipes by size & type of machine, so if you've got an Instant Pot Max especially be sure to check it out!)


I've included this recipe as a bonus one in several of my classes primarily because it's an excellent use of leftover ripe bananas. I'm notorious for buying a bunch (or getting some in my food share) and failing to eat them all before they're too ripe to eat. ((That sounds so silly--food is too ripe to eat? Crazy. Too ripe to enjoy out of hand, but perfect for baking with.) 

Salmon in the Company of Good Oranges (Fruit Fundraiser #2)

Salmon and fresh oranges in a poppy seed vinaigrette, served over hot pasta. The bright and fresh flavors of this dish lighten up the dark winter days.

 Follow me | Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook

New photos from the 2015 Band Fruit Fundraiser!

After you've had your Band Fundraiser Tangerines for breakfast in this dish, it's time to think about what to do with your Band Fundraiser Oranges! Here's a recipe round up for ya.

This is one of those 'so crazy it must be good' combinations--salmon, with oranges, green onions, and poppy seed in a vinaigrette.  Served over noodles.  Sounds weird, right?

It did to me.

I was sick of eating fruit fundraiser oranges just out of hand, and my friend Debbie told me about her sister Chrissy's recipe from a magazine (Cooking Light maybe?).  The combination sounded so weird that I had to try it.  Debbie brought it over and we enjoyed it while watching Love, Actually.  So in my mind, the holiday season, the fruit fundraiser season, and this recipe all roll together.

(You can make it at other times, as well.)

I normally make this recipe with a salmon fillet, but in the interests of trying to be more frugal, I decided to try it with canned salmon.  I've never used canned salmon before.  If you eat blindfolded, the dish is about the same (slight textural difference).  But I eat with my eyes first, so to me the dish is better with a salmon fillet.

What do you think?

Canned salmon.