Time to Eat! Questions & Answers

WHY DID CHEF NICOLE STRAIGHT CREATE TIME TO EAT!?

Parents and busy people need time to eat. Busy schedules often cause families to sacrifice cooking’s pleasures and solid nutrition. Everyone needs time to cook and enjoy eating. Increasing the speed and simplicity of good cooking helped Nicole’s clients and family. These techniques and 15-minute meal recipes became Time to Eat! classes. Chef Nicole Straight’s writing, television appearances, interviews and other activities all focus on helping parents and busy people find time to eat flavor-rich meals that are healthy and easy to prepare.

WHAT MAKES TIME TO EAT! EFFECTIVE AND APPEALING?

Everything is kept simple and fun. Nicole designed Time to Eat! to help parents and busy people eat well and have fun. As a private chef, people asked what she cooked for her clients and her family. In her answers, she found herself repeating several things.

• Tools: A few tools are all anyone needs to be a good cook.
• Techniques: A small number of basic techniques can make a versatile cook.
• Recipes: Recipes need not be complex. Simple recipes put smiles on faces.

Time to Eat! evolved into a classroom experience that teaches people to use a few kitchen tools, basic techniques and easy recipes to prepare excellent 15-minute meals. These ideas flow through Nicole’s teaching, writing and cooking. She wants everyone to have time to eat.

WHO TAKES THE CLASS?

Parents and busy people. People who want good, healthy food and don’t have much time. Everyone. Anyone.

WHAT BASIC KNOWLEDGE DOES TIME TO EAT! TEACH?

Time to Eat! classes cover three areas:

• Basic cooking techniques
• Ingredients and staples
• Preparation

When Time to Eat! students combine these three areas, cooking becomes a joy. Students leave Time to Eat! classes able to put food on the table in 15 minutes from start to finish. Chef Nicole Straight designed the Time to Eat! recipes to make the cooking fun and quick. A good knife that fits the user’s hand is one tool Nicole teaches students how to find and use. Her lists of staples and ingredients ensure each kitchen is always stocked with several meal options. With Time to Eat! students experience stress-free cooking and the time to enjoy what they’ve prepared.

HOW LARGE ARE TIME TO EAT! CLASSES?

Average class sizes are from 10 to 15 people. Because Nicole does the cooking, she makes sure that everyone can see what she is doing, ask questions, and, most importantly, eat! Nicole can also work with groups as large as 50 or more.

DOES CHEF NICOLE STRAIGHT OFFER PRIVATE GROUP CLASSES?

Yes. Nicole often teaches private group Time to Eat! classes. Learning in their own kitchens with the tools they use every day gives people the chance to work directly with Nicole. Private classes offer Nicole’s clients the opportunity to learn her tips, techniques and recipes in the intimacy of their own kitchens.

DOES NICOLE CREATE THE RECIPES?

Yes. Chef Nicole Straight uses her training, experience and insights as a busy parent to create Time to Eat! recipes. She teaches students how to adapt her recipes to suit their preferences. When teaching or writing, Nicole shows people how a few basic techniques can create variations on a single 15-minute meal recipe. One recipe becomes many.

HOW DOES TIME TO EAT! HELP PARENTS?

Parents make family meals happen. The cook, usually the mother, plays the most important role. With Time to Eat!’s basic techniques, tools and recipes, parents can quickly prepare delicious 15-minute meals. This leaves time for everyone to share a meal and the intimacy and communication that is part of enjoying a family meal.

DO YOUR CHILDREN REALLY EAT WHAT YOU’VE PREPARED?

Yes. When I am creating recipes for my classes, my first thought is ALWAYS, &rlquo;Will my family eat this?” My goal is to be able to prepare 6 variations on every 15-minute meal recipe I create for any of the Time to Eat! classes, books, presentations or articles. Recipe adaptability means even difficult palates can be satisfied.