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B2 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 21, 2003 Chef, teacher creates exotic, healthy meals Jennifer Grieve S P E C IA L T O T H E B E A V EH ail to the chef! A rvinda Chauhan is a cooking whiz who considers cuisine an art form. "W hen cooking Indian cuisine, it's like y o u 're painting your own picture when you create a dish," said Chauhan. Chauhan teaches Indian, Mexican and Thai cooking in her home. Called Healthy G ourm et Indian Cooking, her school is extrem ely popular in O ntario and around the world. "W e've had people wanting to join our classes from up North to even California." said Chauhan. Using w holesom e and natural ingre dients. Chauhan instructs her class the benefits o f Indian. Thai and M exican food. Such advantages include timeand cost-efficiency, nutrition, and easy preparation. Chauhan is also the author o f the book. H ealthy G ourm et Indian Cooking: A Sim ple & H ealthy Iu>ok at tidian Cuisine. It sells for $24.95 in h;rd cover and $21.25 in soft cover. The prces include the G ST and PST. "W e've done so many recipes." said Chmhan. "The students had them on paper. but they w anted a book so it w oud be easier to refer to." The book is also available through boih the publisher's (1st Books) and American book retailers' (Barnes & Noble. Castle) Web sites. Chauhan first got her taste o f cook ing at the age o f seven when her m oth er passed away. "My first cooking experience was making chapattis on a chula, a coalheated clay stove," said Chauhan. "I have developed extensive know ledge o f the cuisine over many years. Through my experience. I tested, refined and per fected my techniques and recipes." Chauhan has lived in O akville for the past 23 years and through her vol unteer work with Girl G uides o f Canada and other organizations, the w ord was spread about her m outh-w atering items. "We were doing som e fundraising near M cM aster University and I m ade some Indian-style finger food. A lot o f students were com ing up to ask w hat I w as m aking, and that they w ished som eone could teach th em ." said Chauhan. B efore she becam e a cooking teacher, Chauhan was trained as a pro fessional secretary. "I'm not a person who can sit at a com puter or typewriter. 1 have to be moving. I have to be very creative, to be using my hands. T hat's what I enjoy, th at's w here my passion is," said Chauhan. On the adv ice o f her father. Chauhan tried starting her ow n business. "I tried crafting, ceram ics, making dolls and painting. But th e re 's no money in it. It was tim e-consum ing and 1 w asn 't m aking any m oney," said Chauhan. Chauhan credits her daughter with inspiring her to start the cooking class. "M y daughter said, `why d o n 't you H Peter C. McCusker · O akville B eaver A rv in d a C h a u h a n . c h e f o f In d ian . T h a i a n d M exican dishes, recently p u b lish ed a boo k en title d H ealthy G ourm et Indian C ooking: A Sim ple & H ea lth y L ook a t In d ia n C u isin e. C h a u h a n an d d a u g h te r P re en a . rig h t, d u rin g one o f th e ir co o k in g class. look into it?' So I did more research. I already knew how to cook. The first class I taught. I was a little nervous because there were a lot o f professional people in the class." said Chauhan. "It has been an am azing culinary experience. It has taken me to so many places over the world and experience th e ir cuisine. I'v e been to India, M exico. R om ania and I'v e met incredi ble people. It has been a learning expe rience. People from the class 10 years ago keep com ing back, so there are new courses all the tim e." C hauhan added she frequently m akes trips to India to learn how spices grow. "Instead o f just getting the spices, you can see them grow ing on a tree. It's am azing the things you can learn," she said. Beliefs students have about Indian food being greasy and spicy quickly d isap p ear after attending a few o f C hauhan's classes. "Indian cuisine tends to be on the healthy side, using w holesom e ingredi ents and that's the way I want it to be, without using too much oil or ghee (Indian clarified butter). O ne night, the class m ade different kinds o f fiat bread, and they w ere surprised how easy it was to m ake, and so everybody w ent back hom e to try it." said Chauhan. She has already made guest appear ances on CFTO TV. City TV. ON TV, Rogers Cable N etw ork. Life N etw ork and Food Network C anada's Christine Cushing Live and 11th A nnual G ood Food Festival & M arket last month. Chauhan is a m em ber o f Cuisine Canada. W om en's C ulinary N etw ork. Cooking C lub o f A m erica. T oronto V egetarian A ssociation (TV A ) and more. Besides running her ow n school, she teaches at other cooking schools in various locations, including L C B O Cooking School. Dish C ooking Studio. S ilv er Springs C ooking R etreat. Loblaw s and others. C hauhan's family regularly assists her. Her daughter Preena. m anager o f Earth Day Canada and an environm en tal specialist, is her adm inistrative assis tant. and Chauhan says they have a w onderful w orking relationship. " S h e 's m y best frien d ." said Chauhan. "She helps me with my Web site, designs new brochures and new cooking schedules. She alw ays com es up with am azing ideas. She com es with me and assists at the cooking schools in Toronto. Som etim es, if TV stations call and ask if I can go and I c a n 't because o f a class, my daughter will go. S h e's great on TV- she usually has more confidence (on TV ) than I do." C hauhan's son. Parish, a softw are d ev elo p er for a com p an y in M ississauga, is in charge o f the Web site, and designed it for her. Her hus band. Harshad, helps out by w ashing and cleaning the dishes before and after class, as well as chopping ingredients so everything is prepared before the stu dents arrive. T here are upcom ing cooking classes, including a Six-Week Beginners Indian Cooking Series, at a cost o f $150 begin ning May 26. Also, the D elicious Indian a n d Thai A p p etizers f o r Su m m er Entertaining will be starting on June 17. A fee o f $50 applies. The Oaxacan M exican Cuisine will begin June 19. A fee o f $55 applies. All classes are from 7-10 p.m. and include ingredients, recipe booklet, refreshm ents and a meal. To learn m ore ab o u t C h a u h an 's cooking class, call 905-842-3215, visit her Web site at ww w.hgic.ca, or e-m ail her at hgic@ sym patico.ca. Hypnotist to sign Memoirs Saturday If you've ever had questions about therapeutic or motivational hypnosis, your chance to ask an expert is com ing up. Susan Chom ey. first-time author and m otivational hypnotist, is signing copies o f her book at Chapters on Saturday. M em oirs o f a H ypnotist is a fictional account o f a hypnotist's life, personal and professional, and it o ffers an intriguing glim pse into the practice o f hypnotism to cure addiction and to gain focus. T he story is also about a w om an, coincidentally also nam ed Susan, w ho is seeking love and entrepreneurial suc cess in southern O ntario. C hom ey will be signing co p ies o f h er n o v el at Chapters at Oakville Town C entre on May 24. from 11 a.m. to I p.m. Barrie Erskine · O akville B eaver TIM OUT MICKCV'S SPORTS BAR & RTRV We'd like to invite you for all the fun and make it a great success for the future to come! D e n tis try Z >r. Kristina Pere has relocated and is w e lco m in g p a tie nts in her new office For a p p o in tm e n t please call 9 0 5 - 6 08-14 4 1 3015 W INSTON CHURCHILL BLVD. 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