Vegan and vegetarian school supports health through cooking

In a town where Tex-Mex and barbecue seem to be the most popular foods, Rich Goldstein, owner of The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, said his vegan and vegetarian cooking school has carved out a unique and growing niche.

Natural Epicurean teaches professional and public classes focused on natural, vegetarian ingredients. Goldstein said although vegetarian and vegan cooking is a smaller niche, it is growing.

"People are really realizing if they eat a particular way, it changes their health," he said. "In many ways, diet is probably 10 times as effective at changing peoples' health and well-being as exercise."

Natural Epicurean promotes what Goldstein calls "plant-based health supportive cooking." The culinary school's leaders said they believe that a plant-based diet can bolster physical, mental, emotional, societal and environmental health, its website says.

Goldstein, a co-owner of the Yoga Yoga studios, bought Natural Epicurean three years ago. A lifelong proponent of health and well-being, he said he saw the cooking school as another way to improve peoples' lives through wellness.

"I realized it would be a benefit to the community and a benefit to our students to add this component of lifestyle health," he said. "There is nothing like this in the country."

Goldstein converted Natural Epicurean from a strictly macrobiotics school to a state-certified and -licensed career culinary school. The school teaches a broad segment of plant-based cooking skills, including raw and living foods and classic vegetarian dishes.

The professional culinary school has many students who are interested in a career change, Goldstein said. About half of the students come to Austin from out of town, he said.

Natural Epicurean has an internship program that has placed students at restaurants such as Uchi, 801 S. Lamar Blvd. Despite not teaching how to cook meat, Goldstein said the school provides students with the knowledge needed to prepare almost any dish.

"It's a great career opportunity," he said. "This is a dream job. It's environmentally sound, it's health-supportive, it shifts the economics of health, and it's not a job that goes overseas."

Public classes

In addition to the professional culinary school, The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts has classes available to the public.

Classes include Basic Knife Skills, which help students become more comfortable quickly preparing food, and more esoteric choices such as Gluten-Free Baking. Upcoming classes in 2013 include:

• Teens in the Kitchen: The Vegetarian Teen — Jan. 12
• Basic Knife Skills — Jan 18
• Intro to Ayurveda Cooking — Jan. 26
• Kitchen Basics: Plating & Presentation — Feb. 1
• Healthy Meals for the Busy Cook — Feb. 8
• Kitchen Basics: Stocks & Sauces — Feb. 16
• Sweets: Vegan Baking — March 30

The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, 1700 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-476-2276, www.naturalepicurean.com