Bexar County residents ‘get cooking’ at Dinner Tonight! event
SAN ANTONIO — More than 100 people attended the Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking School held recently at the YMCA’s Y Living Center in southwest San Antonio.
The school was part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s statewide effort to promote at-home family dining through providing easy, healthful and economical meals. It was provided free by AgriLife Extension in cooperation with the Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program and the agency’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.
“At-home family dining can do a lot to address many issues related to family cohesion and obesity,” said Rosemary Fuentes, AgriLife Extension health and wellness program specialist for Bexar County. “Many people are overwhelmed by menu planning and making healthy, cost-effective meals for themselves and their families. This program gives people the opportunity to see firsthand how easy it can be to prepare cost-effective, healthful meals in a short time.”
Fuentes said Dinner Tonight! was developed by AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences and other agents statewide to provide resources and recipes to help encourage healthful at-home family mealtime.
“And the goal of these Dinner Tonight! healthy cooking schools is to bring people together in a fun environment to learn about nutrition, meal planning and preparation,” she said.
The program agenda consisted of educational presentations by AgriLife Extension personnel on balancing food and play, five-senses food tasting and vegetable varieties.
The cooking school featured guest chef Jose Cervantes, formerly of Luis’ Catering, who showed the audience how to prepare a Tuscan white bean soup and walnut apple salad with goat cheese.
As each recipe was being prepared, participants were given samples to taste as they watched Cervantes on a projector screen that provided a close-up view of his demonstrations.
A separate vendor area was set up adjacent to the stage for participants to visit before and after the different cooking demonstrations.
Participants received a Dinner Tonight! cookbook and goodie bag. Door prize drawings were held throughout the evening.
Dinner Tonight! recipes are available through free weekly video webcasts at http://healthyliving.tamu.edu under the Dinner Tonight! tab. The website is updated every Monday with a new recipe and video webcast.
In addition, those interested in receiving weekly Dinner Tonight! email updates on new videos and recipes can sign up at http://dinnertonight.tamu.edu