Gourmet Raw Food Chef Certification Series

During this series, you'll learn to prepare delicious, health-promoting, high-energy, raw gourmet foods without giving up flavor, appearance, or satisfaction!

Even if you are an expert professional chef, you will encounter a whole new world of food preparation skills that are specific to raw cuisine. If you are new to the kitchen, you will become adept with knife technique and familiar with kitchen equipment and time saving gadgets of all kinds. You will learn how to develop a recipe; combine herbs and spices to create both classic and ethnic flavors without using recipes; balance textures and flavors within individual recipes and entire menus; sprout grains, seeds, and legumes; make luscious live non-dairy cheeses; combine foods for optimum digestion and nutrition; create raw variations of cooked food recipes; organize and manage a raw food kitchen, and much more!

You will learn to make familiar comfort foods, like pizza, burgers, lasagna, pasta, burritos, bread, pies, cakes, and even hand-rolled truffles! You'll also learn how to organize and present successful raw culinary classes for groups of all size, how to find venues, market classes, and communicate effectively with an audience! Each student will be given the option of presenting a culinary presentation to the class, culminating in certification as a Raw Culinary Arts Associate Instructor. You'll come away from this program a more effective, better organized, more confident culinary presenter. After this training, you'll possess the skills and confidence you need to begin teaching successful classes immediately! Whatever your current level of chef skills, this program is guaranteed to take you to the next level in your culinary journey!

In addition to the above listed curriculum, you will have two 5-day segments of recipe development, where you will learn the importance of contrasts in flavor, texture, and appearance in culinary arts. You will learn how to plate food beautifully, and how to balance flavors to suit any palate. You will become adept at recipe development and recipe writing.

In the Ethnic Flavors class, you will explore flavors of the world and prepare foods from Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. In RawFusion Spa Cuisine class, you will learn how to create fabulous recipes and stunning feasts using a limited number of ingredients selected for optimal digestion and weight balance. In the Raw Event Catering and Elegant Entertaining class, you will actually cater two events for the public, and learn to plan, organize and chart your own event, so when you go home, you are ready to begin entertaining friends and family. You will also be introduced to what it takes to start your own catering business and even negotiate contracts with clients! And in the Science of Raw Nutrition I class, you'll learn the basics of raw food nutrition.

The courses for this certification are:

FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods

This first class in our Chef Training Series is an entry-level one-day course where students come to learn the basics of raw cuisine, from using equipment to sprouting to preparing appetizers, soups, salads, entrées, and desserts...plus dressings, sauces, nut milks and cheeses, smoothies, snacks, and more.

Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills™

Good knife skills are the foundation of culinary art. The textures created influence not only the appearance of food but also the flavor and mouthfeel. That is why we created Sharpen Up Your Knife Skills™ for all levels of expertise, from novice through professional instructor—taking a progressive approach to the development of knife skills through a combination of demonstration and hands-on practice. Even if you don’t aspire to be a professional chef, this is a class that will help you gain much more confidence in your knife skills and become more efficient in meal preparation. We provide premium Mac Santoku style knives to use during the course. The required text, Knife Skills Illustrated is not included but is available at the Living Light Marketplace. For those who intend to purchase knives, they are also available at the Living Light Marketplace.

Essentials of Raw Culinary Arts

Students enjoy a 5-day hands-on experience with outstanding raw food chefs and ample personal attention. Learn to develop recipes, understand flavor dynamics, and create textures using equipment specific to the raw food kitchen.

Science of Raw Food Nutrition I

Rick and Karin Dina, D.C. offer a 2-day comprehensive course on the science of raw food nutrition. The course will cover hot topics in raw food nutrition including raw vegan sources of iron, calcium, protein, Vitamin B12, and essential fatty acids, as well as blood sugar regulation, pH balance, food changes from cooking, anti-inflammatory nutrition, weight management, anti-aging, longevity, and much more.

Associate Chef and Instructor Training

A 10-day program where students learn to create a wide variety of comfort foods, including burgers, lasagna, enchiladas, cheesecake, and more. Students also plan, organize, and conduct culinary presentations.

Ethnic Flavors in Recipe Development

In this 5-day course, you will learn to prepare ethnic cuisine from many cultures and to create the flavors and textures of each region covered. Travel around the world to places like Italy, China, Thailand, Mexico, and exotic regions that are lesser known. Everyday you will explore two different world cuisines. You will reach new levels of creativity in the grand finale, our exotic dessert extravaganza.

RawFusion Spa Cuisine

During this 5-day course, experience the light and luscious fare we serve at our exclusive retreats in exotic locations. We designed RawFusion Gourmet Spa Cuisine to support an active lifestyle. An entire feast is created with a limited number of ingredients using various textures and flavors to produce an unlimited assortment of dishes. High in fruits and greens, RawFusion is the favorite cuisine of the Living Light staff.

Raw Event Catering and Elegant Entertaining

This is a 5-day course where you will learn about menu planning, organizing, budgeting, pricing, negotiating contracts, and managing your catering team. Discover secrets of plating and presentation that you can use for beautiful everyday meals or elegant dinner parties. Learn to create stunning buffets and a variety of garnishes, from simple tomato roses to elaborate carrot butterflies, for beautifully presented meals. You will also gain hands-on experience as you participate in catering raw events.

Advanced courses must be completed within 2 years of your Associate Chef & Instructor Training graduation date.

Culinary Programs