8 night Culinary Retreat in Costa Rica Blue Zone - Studies in Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Perceptions with CIA chefs

with Chef David Smythe, Professor (R)
Culinary Institute of America 1983 – 2013
Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE)
Certified Culinary Educator (ACF)
Certified Executive Chef (ACF)
Food Industries Production Consultant
Nutritional Consultant to Hospitals

Course description
ϖ A concept-driven, holistic, andragogic adult learning experience with a career professional.
ϖ The class sizes will always be small, guaranteeing plenty of one-on-one time with the chef.
ϖ Daily sunrise salutation and sweeping meditation start each day with tea or coffee.
ϖ Breakfast is followed by Excursion Time until noon (getting hot).
ϖ Field trip excursions may be taken to the fish market, the farmer’s market, the organic farm, and the organic goat dairy in the morning.
ϖ Return for Lunch at Casa Smythe or in an off-site restaurant.
ϖ Lecture after lunch deals with a wide variety of related topics: from global nutrition to food science to food as art.
ϖ Gather in the kitchen for demonstrations and tastings after the lecture.
ϖ Hands-on: class participants make dinner with and eat with Chef Smythe and family.
ϖ Relax in the pool, hammock, or walk in the jungle, go to the beach, go to town for shopping, and watch Fire Dancing in the late evening, let your spirit soar.
ϖ Recipes, methods, and formulas will be available in both hard copy and digital form.
ϖ Schedules will be issued soon after enrollment.
ϖ Knives, aprons, and culinary equipment will be provided.

Course Objective
Through lecture, demonstration and hands-on on Individuals who take this course should expect to come away with:
• fresh perspectives on nutrition norms, trends, fads, and myths
• a deeper understanding of cooking to improve health
• a better appreciation of the need to cook for connection to the Earth Mother
• improved culinary techniques and organization in food and meal preparation
• improved technique and confidence when the food meets the plate
• food as art and presentation; whimsical aesthetics is good for the soul
• macro understanding of global cuisines and the common denominators
• appreciation for Blue Zone ways and calming through nurture
• improved personal sustainability in diet and lifestyle
• understanding of simple “Balanced Meals”
• better understanding of flavor perception and flavor development
• more comfort in their bodies with better digestion and peace of mind
Blue Zone

Example Daily Lecture Topics
Day 1: Nutrition in Practice
Day 2: Hands in the Harvest
Day 3: Waking up the Senses
Day 4: The Delicate Balance
Day 5: Bringing It Home

Typical Class Day
(Example: Day 1 of 5)
Lecture 1: Theory: 1.5 hour with recipes and lecture handout.
Welcome to the planet, everything is ready for you.
What is Food?
What are Diets?
Perspectives / time line
What is Culture?
What are meal parts?
What is a Blue Zone? Blue Zone diet?
Casado, the reason to get married.
How should we proceed?

To the kitchen
Culinary Demonstration and Tasting (1.5 hour)
Sanitation in food handling
Knife parts, types, use, sharpening, handling
Culinary typical tools and equipment identification and use
Mise en Place, everything in place
Knife cuts to facilitate cooking and enhance presentation
Stock / broth preparation, light and dark
Soup types
Starch thickeners / stabilizers
Thickened sauces
Acid – oil balances: Vinaigrette dressings
Emulsifiers / lecithin
Mayonnaise / soynaise (with tofu)
Cultures: Sauerkraut, sour dough, (start for day 5): Yogurt made daily.

3:30-6:00 Hands-On: Using the Basics: Let’s Make a Casado (preparing dinner with the Chef)
Soup: Broth (or Brodo) with Garnishes
Salad: Greens with basic Herbed Vinaigrette and variations
Baked Fish with Olive Oil, Lemon, Capers and Rosemary
Aromatic Rice Pilaf
Green Beans and Mushrooms
Oblique Carrots Steamed in Butter
Vegetable Slaw Chiffonade