‘It was a transformative, heady experience —
was it the altitude or the endorphins from
all that chocolate?’ – Joan Zacharias
Donna Benjamin and Chef Al Chase of the
Institute for Culinary Awakening.
Qu i ck e s t W a y
t o t h e H e ar t
Changing the world one belly at a time.
By Bobbie Willis
I
am sitting in the dining area of the
Institute for Culinary Awakening’s
(ICA) home office, situated in the
university-area home of proprietor
Chef Al Chase and partner/ICA
Marketing Director Donna Benjamin. Placed
before me is a slice of Pecan Walnut Maple
Breakfast Cake. I take a bite and am delight-
ed by the warmth of it, as well as by the rich,
nutty sweetness of the streusel and the ten-
derness of the cake. Both Chef Al and Donna
nod and smile — they knew I would love it.
And they knew I might have been a little
skeptical, because everything out of ICA —
including this cake as delicious as a tradi-
tional butter-and-eggs-based cake — is made
only from organic, vegan-friendly, plant-
based ingredients. “The assumption is often
that vegan equals bland and boring,” says
Chef Al.
This little interaction is not uncommon
for Chef Al. He takes great pleasure in intro-
ducing people to the sensory and sensual
pleasures of organic, vegan gourmet cuisine.
“To serve people with this kind of food is a
way to show you care,” to show love and
affection, to go straight to a person’s heart.
Chef Al has been around food all his life,
having grown up in New York working in his
father’s deli. By 1979, he had trained as a
chef at the Culinary Institute of America.
His introduction to the world of organic,
plant-based cuisine came in the mid-1980s,
when he became a vegetarian. “I guess you
could say I ‘got the call.’” He noticed within
his own family health problems such as dia-
betes, heart disease and high blood pressure,
and says, “I realized the impact of the stan-
dard American diet.”
By 1990, Chef Al had refined his diet
even further from vegetarianism to vegan-
ism. He says, “Going vegan opened up many
options” to work with ancient ingredients
and techniques used all over the world to cre-
ate delicious, nutritious food. “I like to take
classical recipes,” he explains, “take out the
non-vegan ingredients, and use plant-based
items to recreate those dishes.” Chef Al may
use vegetables to provide, say, the moistness
for a cake or bread dish, and a high-quality
coconut oil or milk for fat and flavor. He also
encourages clients and students to experi-
ment with natural sweeteners such as
Rapidura, grade B maple syrup, or even
Medjool dates (which can provide both
moistness and sweet flavor).
After training at the CIA, Chef Al made
his way west, working nearly a decade in
Seattle, then moving to Santa Fe, N.M. By
this time, he had given up the traditional
chef’s role in restaurants and bistros to focus
on education and training. It was in Santa Fe
in 2000 that he met Donna, and the two have
since worked together to spread the vegan
message through ICA. They moved here to
Eugene last fall, taken with this area’s
refreshing “progressive, mellow, friendly”
vibe. They’ve also been impressed with the
availability of fresh, organic ingredients
through Farmer’s Market, and the tight-knit
veggie food community here in Eugene.
ICA offers a range of educational cooking
programs: There are half-, two-, and three-day
Healthy Gourmet Cooking Workshops to
five- and 12-Day Advanced Vegan Culinary
Arts Trainings. These programs are practical
for those wanting to improve personal well-
ness or for the professional looking into
career development. ICA also provides chef-
to-chef consultations: three- to seven-day on-
site trainings for food professionals who want
to expand their skills in the preparation of
gourmet vegan cuisine. “More chefs want to
have more options,” Chef Al says. ICA also
does more traditional dining options such as
gourmet vegan catering, serving everything
from rustic to fancy fare for guests numbering
as few as two to as many as 300. For very spe-
cial occasions (like Valentine’s Day, hint,
hint), ICA offers “Flutes & Roots,” a three- to
four-course gourmet dinner in your home,
accompanied by Native American flute play-
ing by Donna .
Chef Al can provide a “personal chef”
service, where he will menu plan, shop, cook,
clean and provide a menu and heating instruc-
tions for clients who want to pick up meals
once a week or have ICA deliver for an extra
charge. Through the Kitchen & Pantry
Transformation program, ICA can help organ-
ize your kitchen and pantry and teach you
how to stock and shop for organic produce
and pantry items. (This can also include sup-
Creamy Carrot Soup
with Mint
Yields 6 cups
1 T. coconut oil
(preferably Omega Nutrition)
4 c. (approx. t lbs.) carrots,
diced medium
2 c. yellow onion, diced small
1 T. (approx. 4 cloves)
garlic peeled, sliced
6 c. water
1/2 t. sea salt
pinch Cayenne pepper
2 T. fresh mint,
plus 6 leaves for garnish
1/4 c. parsley, plus 1/4 c.
for garnish chopped
1/2 c. rolled oats
Heat heavy-bottomed soup pot for
1 minute; add oil and heat 1 more
minute. Add onions, sauté 5 min-
utes until soft; add carrots and
toss well. Cook 10 more minutes.
Add garlic, salt and pepper; cook 2
minutes. Add water and bring to
boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30
minutes. Add mint, parsley and
oats; cook 10 minutes. Puree mix-
ture until smooth and re-heat for
service or refrigerate. Garnish with
reserved mint and parsley.
Recipe © 1998, Chef Al Chase
FEBRUARY 12, 2004 13