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By Robby McKittrick
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Wednesday, September 26, Powisset Farm hosted a small cooking class for residents in the area. At around 7:00 p.m., seven members strolled into the kitchen area of the farm to learn how to use an instant pot.
The members of the class were excited to learn about the kitchen instrument.
“I love to cook, and I have an instant pot, and I want to learn how to get the maximum use out of it,” said Marla Weiner before the class began.
Weiner signed up online through the trustees reservation website, and this is her first cooking class at Powisset Farm. Like Weiner, the other members were hoping to enhance the way they cook with the instant pot.
“I want to know how to do [the instant pot] correctly,” said newcomer Aron Bride. “I’m the cook in the family … We have three kids … The more we can do ahead of time and have something good and easy, the better.”
A participant helps instructor Barbara Livingston stir the pot.
Current Needham resident, psychotherapist, and culinary health coach Barbara Livingston ran the event. Although this was Livingston’s first class taught at Powisset Farm, she had taught a previous class at a fitness club on healthy breakfast and snacks. Livingston explained what she wanted the members to get out of the session.
“I hope they take away how easy it is to cook at home with confidence using an appliance that makes it really a pleasure to cook and eat at home using healthy, local, and fresh ingredients,” Livingston said. “I am trying to showcase the versatility of the instant pot. I have created a four-course dinner using the instant pot for every course.”
A soup - the first dish prepared using the instant pot during the cooking class at Powisset Farm.
Livingston began the class by introducing herself and her assistant, Jane Dye, to the rest of the group. Then, Livingston asked each person to explain why she or he wanted to learn how to use the pot. After everyone introduced themselves, Livingston began to show everyone how the equipment works.
Once Livingston demonstrated how to use the specific tools within the pot, she then started cooking the different meals. She started with the soup, and then made other dishes, such beets, risotto, turkey tenderloin, and an apple crisp for dessert.
This event was just one of many cooking classes hosted by Powisset Farm. The farm hosts three to 10 classes per month, depending on how many private and public programs they have.
All in all, it was a productive day in the kitchen.
