Knowledge Base › Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Half Hour)

I don't have access to a proper oven but a convection microwave oven. Will this be a real limitation in this course?

Ask Me Anything (Office Half Hour)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Half Hour)

Recorded

This event was on May 6, 2025

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

Melanie Pierucci-Stienstra

I don't have access to a proper oven but a convection microwave oven. Will this be a real limitation in this course?

Answer

Okay, I'm gonna say a good convection oven will do the trick for what the recipes are. So there is, I'm thinking of this wonderful roasted tofu recipe that we have and other things, uh, roasting carrots, proper pan placement is so important. So I'm gonna say no, but I would also say that when I am doing, uh, creating your narratives, I would write this food was made in a microwave convection oven combo so that it kind of sets the tone. And remember that when you're doing those roasting assignments, that it's really good to say, I baked these carrots for, you know, 23 minutes at 425 degrees, because that real, that information really helps us understand why the caramelization is so good or why there isn't caramelization or whatever.

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.