San Francisco General Hospital Hosts Free Nutrition and Cooking Demos

The Community Wellness Center at San Francisco General Hospital just got a new kitchen that hosts free hour-long nutrition and cooking demos every Thursday at 2 p.m. (with a break on Nov. 22 for Thanksgiving). The sessions are taught by a rotating group of five chef/instructors who are involved with the hospital, including SFGH executive chef Chad Haase and Dontaye Ball of the hospital's newly redone cafe, Urban Gourmet Kitchen. Each class is aimed at teaching how to prepare a healthy and satisfying meal on a budget.

During the fall, each class is centered around a particular type of ethnic cuisine, so repeat attendees can get a global perspective on cooking. Next week's session, led by Catherine McCorkie, will offer ideas for your Thanksgiving meal.

SFGH has a great track record of endorsing healthy food choices. In 2009, an initiative called HeartBeets was launched as a rooftop produce garden at the hospital. Three years later, it is now a non-profit contracted by the Department of Public Health that serves the entire city of San Francisco.