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What are some of your favorite Whole Food, Plant-Based items to serve for Thanksgiving when your guests are not typically Whole Food, Plant-Based?

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Eric Wynkoop - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Recorded

This event was on October 29, 2024

Join Chef Eric Wynkoop in his virtual office as he 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 Eric is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Melissa Bryant

What are some of your favorite Whole Food, Plant-Based items to serve for Thanksgiving when your guests are not typically Whole Food, Plant-Based?

Answer

Um, if we serve delicious food to people, they will enjoy it. And we don't, I don't think we need to talk it up, um, necessarily, uh, as being plant-based, because, uh, those two words can be offputting to a lot of folks. Um, for no logical reason. It's totally an emotional reaction. But, um, you know, understanding that we can just emphasize the good food and, uh, go from there. You know, if, if the, if folks are really gonna be resistant, then after your beautiful meal, they can stop someplace and get their meat fixed. But, um, our goal, uh, is to simply prepare a variety of foods that look beautiful, that are cooked properly, that are seasoned just right, and, uh, really are delicious, um, for anybody you know, who would try them.

Eric Wynkoop

Director of Culinary Instruction

Eric Wynkoop previously served as a founding faculty member at The International Culinary School, instructor in anthropology at Portland State University, and Senior Instructor at the Le Cordon Bleu program at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. He holds Master’s Degrees in postsecondary education and cultural anthropology, as well as credentials in Ayurveda wellness and cooking. Eric has spent more than twenty years in the food and beverage industry. His experiences include banquet management, catering, personal chef, winery cellar hand, educator, textbook contributor, consultant, and ethnographer. He also brings food and cultural insight from nearly a decade of residence in Japan, studies in Mexico, and research in India as a Fulbright Scholar. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a dual degree in Japanese and Asian Studies, he went on to receive his formal culinary training at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. Eric’s role with Rouxbe is central to enhancing the student experience through quality course content and new course development at Rouxbe. Eric is also the lead instructor in Rouxbe courses, a role which he has enjoyed since 2016.