Our chef instructors are highly qualified industry professionals from a myriad of backgrounds. We have cookbook authors, restaurant owners, executive chefs, caterers, private cooking teachers, and food editors instructing our many classes. They bring expertise from every aspect of the kitchen, and have experience teaching culinary skills at all levels. Whether you're an expert at caramelizing onions within a cranberry reduction, or you're just grateful to figure out a can opener, our teachers make you feel right at home in our comfortable kitchen. And, of course, the classes follow with a great meal you had a part in preparing!
Jennifer Goren is a proud graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health’s Chef Training Program. Her expertise focuses on health supportive cooking methods using whole foods and converting any recipe into a healthy and scrumptious alternative, while placing emphasis on nutrition and the connection between food and its healing properties. She has prepared meals for guests at Laurel Springs Ranch and Retreat Center in Santa Barbara, California and taught cooking classes to groups with special dietary needs i.e., food allergies, vegan and vegetarian. She’s enjoyed teaching healthy cooking to teenagers at NYC’s Hamilton Madison House, conducted lectures here as well as abroad, and catered for both private and corporate clients through her small business “The Zen Gourmet.” Jennifer is passionate about tasting and teaching all types of cuisine, and is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of Culinary Arts Programming, as well as inspiring new class trends!
Jennifer Felicia Abadi wrote and illustrated her cookbook-memoir, A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma's Fritzie's Kitchen, and is currently working on her second book, Writing Your Family Cookbook: A How-To-Guide for Preserving Your Family's Unique Culinary Heritage. She caters for special occasions and bakes for Kiva Café in Tribeca. She recently created "The Traveling Palate"; guests enjoy a four-course meal at a monthly dinner party, and learn about unique cuisines and cultures in an intimate setting. Jennifer can be found teaching courses all over New York City on Jewish cuisines and cultures of Syria, India, Morocco, Greece and Turkey.
Andrea Beaman is a Natural Foods Chef, author, and television host dedicated to alternative healing and green, sustainable living. Andrea was a featured contestant on Bravo’s hit reality TV show, Top Chef (season 1). She is a regularly featured food and health expert on CBS News, and has appeared on Barbara Walters, The View, Emeril Live and Whole Living on Martha Stewart Radio. She is the host of the Award Nominated Fed UP! A cooking show that educates guests and viewers how to cook for, and cure, bodily ailments. She maintains www.AndreaBeaman.com, her personal website that offers recipes, video blogs, food tips, holistic health coaching, books, DVD’s, and other health-related information.
Andrea teaches fun cooking classes and health seminars to a wide base of clients and students at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition, the Natural Gourmet Cooking School, The James Beard House, The Open Center, and other schools around the country, to over 2000 students annually.
Andrea is the author of The Whole Truth – How I Naturally Reclaimed My Health, and You Can Too! and The Eating and Recipe Guide – Better Food, Better Health, and Health is Wealth – Make a Delicious Investment in You!
She is featured in the Top Chef Cookbook, Escape From Corporate America, Integrative Nutrition Case Histories and Louise Hay’s Modern-Day Miracles. She has contributed articles to Women’s Health Magazine, Whole Living, Forbes Traveler, Dish Du Jour, Physician Assistant Magazine, Quick & Simple, Delicious Magazine, Nick Jr. Magazine, Delicious Living, and others.
Andrea makes learning about health, food, and positive lifestyle activities, a joyful experience for everyone.
Eco Chef Love is a North Carolina native who specializes in healthy Southern Fusion cuisine. She is an Earth-friendly professional baker, chocolatier, chef and speaker who travels around the U.S. teaching other citizens of this Great Earth how to green their plates. She is the author of 2 upcoming (her first) cookbooks — The Cheesecake Chronicles: Earth Friendly Decadent Desserts for Every Diet (including Gluten Free, Diabetic Friendly, Dairy Free, and Plant Based Desserts Sweetened with Agave Nectar) the second book is Desserts by the Season that Everyone Can Make.
Wai Chu is a cookbook author and cooking instructor. He recently completed his first cookbook
The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide to be published by HarperCollins in October 2009. The book includes over 130 traditional recipes from around the world. Previously, he was the owner and chef of El Eden Chocolates, makers of handcrafted chocolates in New York’s East Village. He currently teaches a variety of cooking classes at the Institute of Culinary Education and the Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center. He recently celebrated his first year as a vegetarian.
Lauren Braun Costello is a chef, author, food stylist, culinary instructor, and was the chef owner of Gotham Caterers, a private caterer in New York City. She holds a B.A. from Colgate University and earned a Grand Diploma in Culinary Arts with distinction from The French Culinary Institute. Lauren's acclaimed first book, "Notes on Cooking," was co-authored with Russell Reich, one of her JCC students! Her second book, "The Competent Cook" is a solo title due out in November 2009. Lauren has gained both local and national media exposure, including appearances on ABC's "The View."
Emily Klein, founder of EAT LIVE WELL is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She has learned directly from master chefs, including Michael Chiarello and David Burke of Napa Valley and New York City fame. Emily was also Director of Special Events for renowned wine importer Michael Skurnik Wines. She instructs a wide range of cooking classes at the JCC of Manhattan, and has coached extensively for various leadership and lifestyle programs at Landmark Education Corporation, as well as privately.
Combining her training and education with her love for food and commitment to a healthy, vibrant lifestyle, Emily brings her passion for eating and living well to you.
Myra Kornfeld is the author of The Voluptuous Vegan (Clarkson Potter Publishers) and the forthcoming The Healthy Hedonist (Simon and Schuster, September 2005), a book with over 250 streamlined global recipes for flexitarians. A specialist in natural foods cooking, she worked for six years creating innovative vegan cuisine at New York's Angelica Kitchen. She teaches natural ethnic cuisines at the Natural Gourmet in New York City as well as in many schools and retreats throughout the country.
Linda Lantos is a chef and cooking instructor whose passion exploration has taken her around the globe — from her grandmother's kitchen in Hungary, to studying Ayurvedic cooking in India, stretching strudel in Vienna, following the spice trail through Morocco, and learning traditional home cooking in Japan. Linda brings these rich culinary experiences to life through her classes and culinary creations. Linda has been formally trained both in cuisine at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and the Culinary Arts and in pastry at Ecole Bellouet Conseil in Paris. An advocate for healthy and sustainable food systems, Linda runs educational workshops and has developed food and nutrition programming for nonprofit organizations including the Children's Aid Society and the Board of Jewish Education. Linda teaches adults and children (as young as two!) to create delicious, seasonally inspired, nourishing meals with joy and confidence. Look for Linda's website
www.unjunkfood.com coming soon.
Sherri Maxman was inspired to start baking after visiting the Wonder Bread factory in Queens when she was in third grade, and she has been cooking ever since. She attended baking and cooking courses at the New York Restaurant School and the New School. She now works at Eleni's bakery in Chelsea Market, where she specializes in baking and decorating cakes. Sherri conducts hands-on baking weekends at Blueberry Hill Inn in Vermont and is the owner of her own baking business, Baked By Me. Her specialties include bread baking, cake decorating, cooking for families, cooking with children, and chocolate desserts.
John Scoff joined to Home Cooking in early 2006. After 15 years of restaurant work, culminating most recently as Executive Chef of a Lowcountry bistro in South Carolina, John continues to believe strongly in working with local, fresh ingredients. John’s apprenticeships under several highly-regarded, award-winning chefs gave him the culinary expertise and the sense of professionalism he needed to become a well-respected restaurant chef. But in 2004, John truly found his calling when he accepted a position as Executive Chef-Instructor at a recreational cooking school in historic downtown Charleston. As a teacher there, he discovered how much he enjoys sharing his passion for and knowledge of cuisine.
Assistant Director of Culinary Arts, has been with the JCC since September 2006. Irene first learned to cook beside her grandmother, who taught her to cook from taste, smell and feel rather than from recipes. Irene started at the JCC as a volunteer in the Culinary Arts Program Irene has taken numerous cooking courses all over the United States and prides herself on being able to recreate dishes that she has enjoyed in restaurants. In 2006, Irene was one of the semi-finalists in the first ever Simply-Manischweitz Cooking Contest.
Adeena Sussman is a food writer, recipe developer and chef based in New York City. Her work has appeared in Gourmet, SELF, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Sunset, Jewish Living, Hadassah and many other publications, and on websites including Epicurious.com, Gourmet.com and Myjewishlearning.com. She also collaborates with Food Network host Ellie Krieger on recipes for her cookbooks and her television show, Healthy Appetite. A graduate of the Institute for Culinary Education, Adeena is passionate about travel and food culture, subjects she covers regularly. She is also the recipient of a 2007 Harry A. Bell Travel Grant for research on an Israeli-themed cookbook.
Neil Kleinberg is a co-owner of Clinton St. Baking Company, as well as Community Food & Juice. A culinary arts graduate of New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn, he opened his first restaurant, Simon's, in 1980 at the age of twenty-two. Simon's was the toast of Lincoln Center and the dining room for Mick Jagger, Kevin Kline, Yoko Ono, and Walter Cronkite. Since then, Neil has cooked in the kitchens of the celebrated French bistro La Colombe d'Or, the Plaza Hotel, and the Water Club. In 1997, Neil returned to his native Flatbush, Brooklyn, to reopen the legendary seafood restaurant Lundy's, where he expedited more than a thousand seafood dinners a night. Neil has done live cooking demonstrations on The Martha Stewart Show, Good Day New York, The Today Show, and the Food Network’s Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, among other programs. He is a recurring guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio and a distinguished member of the James Beard Foundation.
DeDe Lahman, co-owner of Clinton St. Baking Company and Community Food & Juice, began her career at Seventeen magazine after graduating from Simmons College, where she was an editor and advice columnist covering fitness, food, and relationships from 1993 to 1998. Later, while working as a book researcher, freelance writer, and brand consultant to Coca-Cola, Inc., DeDe studied cooking and kitchen management in the New School's Culinary Arts program. She is a certified hatha yoga instructor. Neil and DeDe first met in a chance encounter at A Salt and Battery, the takeout fish-and-chips shop in Greenwich Village. They opened Clinton St. Baking Company in 2001. Together they were featured in 2004 as NYI's "New Yorker(s) of the week."
DeDe and Neil have been proud members of the JCC since 2003. They live on the UWS with their blended family, which includes Alex, Michelle, and Jade.
Simon Feil is a chef/actor/educator living in NYC, and is the creator of Sushi By Simon, an events company specializing in private sushi lessons. Simon hosted the 2005 Hormel "National Chili Cook-Off" with Shane Cash of Shellys NY and Ceci Carmichael, host of "Good Food Fast," and has hosted events for Guinness, Hasbro and Suntory. He has also been a regular guest on the Living Today show on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 and has performed in the BJE's biblio-food education program.
Simon is in the process of writing a themed cookbook with his wife and is the founder of an ethical, kosher meat co-op, KosherConscience.com, which has been featured in The NYTimes, The WSJ and numerous Jewish newspapers.
Linda Monastra is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute who works as a freelance chef specializing in vegetarian and health-supportive cooking. She has worked with Chef Eric Tucker at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco. Currently Linda works as a culinary instructor, private chef, food writer, and recipe developer for Natural Health Magazine. In addition, she is co-founder of Three Birds Bakery, makers of small batch granola.
Growing up, I remember being in the kitchen Friday afternoons, watching my mother prepare the elaborate meal for the Sabbath evening.
I recall asking my mother questions, "How do you know when the onions are ready?" or "When do you know when to put the garlic in?" She patiently explained the fundamental rules, encouraging my interest. When I was 11 years old, I started preparing breakfasts.
Once college began, my desire to cook took a back seat to the challenge of academic pursuits. After graduation, I decided to further my interest, and attended the French Culinary Institute. At the FCI, under the tutelage of world-renowned chefs, I learned the full spectrum of cooking technique and secrets. Food and cooking allow me to be creative in the ultimate artistic medium — one that stimulates all five of our senses. My cooking "hobby" is now a full-fledged passion and career.
Jackie graduated from La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in France and then honed her cooking skills in Chef Edward Brown's kitchen at the Sea Grill in New York City. Jackie spent 4 years working side-by-side with Sara Moulton in Gourmet's executive dining room and has developed recipes for Food & Wine Cookbooks, Martha Stewart Living, Kitchen Daily and Ellie Krieger, host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite.
Sarah Blair has been working in the food industry since 2005, adding a generous dose of enthusiasm, excitement, and creativity to the many food professions she has sampled. This New York City journey has entailed working in a food public relations firm, receiving a professional degree from culinary school, interning at a culinary magazine for industry professionals, externing at Food Network, being a member of the kitchen staff of an acclaimed NYC restaurant, and most recently working as an instructor at a cooking school for non-professionals.
Prior to city life, Sarah’s rural New Hampshire upbringing paved the way for an extraordinary career in food. She grew up in her family’s vegetable garden, fruit orchards, and berry patches, eating, cultivating, and appreciating nature. Sarah then received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where locally grown produce and her search for the ultimate taqueria became a mainstay in her collegiate experience.
Hilla Abel is a natural foods chef, trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. Besides teaching at the JCC, she teaches private cooking classes, personal chef services and small catering, and offers food consultations. She can be reached at
chef@healthinapan.com.
Jackie Topol is a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition where she received her certification as a Holistic Health Counselor. Since graduating in 2008, she has helped young people, families, and older adults transition to healthier, happier lifestyles. Currently she is a graduate student at NYU where she is working towards a Masters in Nutrition and becoming a Registered Dietitian. In her free time, you can find her teaching private cooking classes and in the culinary studio with her students at the JCC in Manhattan. She enjoys cooking light, nourishing food that is both easy to prepare and deliciously satisfying. Recently, Jackie received the 2010 Wendy Burrell-Mintzer Memorial Scholarship from Les Dames d'Escoffier, a prestigious organization celebrating women in the culinary arts.
