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What are your thoughts on using prunes to replace dates in some confections?

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Recorded

This event was on September 19, 2023

Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Nolan is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Fran Costigan

What are your thoughts on using prunes to replace dates in some confections?

Answer

I like to stew them with orange slices, with lemon slices and cinnamon. And when they're stewed, they just have a lovely flavor to them. I do use them in baking, but one thing I do wanna say sheran regarding your question is that when you cook with prunes, they can alter the appearance of the food that you're making. So rather that you might see brown flex in a cake or whatever, but they do lend a lovely and delicious sweetness to them. Um, I was in the Peace Corps for two years in Brazil where the prune is revered. There are beautiful, uh, cakes made with prunes, prune, ice cream, all kinds of things. So I just think that we as a culinary group need to show more love and respect for the prune and maybe join that fan club that Fran and I have started on our own. So, Fran, thank for that great question.

Char Nolan

Chef Instructor

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.