New York, NY, Sept. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Natural Gourmet Institute, the leader in health supportive culinary education, along with board members, faculty, staff, alumni, influencers and media, celebrated their 40^th anniversary last night at their location on 21^st Street in New York City. Almost 200 guests attended the celebration at the school, which first moved to the Flatiron District in 1983.

From left to right: NGI President and CEO, Jonathan Cetnarski; Board Member, Victoria Boyt; Board Member, Shana Colbin; Board Chairman, Kaila Colbin; Board Member, Adam Gavzer.

The two floors, which include two demonstration kitchens, a preparation kitchen, two lecture rooms, and a library in addition to administrative space, were transformed a magical space celebrating the history of the school, the memory of founder Annmarie Colbin, PhD, and the accomplishments of school and alumni.

Dedicated to Dr. Colbin, the lecture room contained a collection of her letters and articles, as well as videos of her speaking engagements, in which she emphasized the fact that what people eat affects their health, and that in order to eat a healthier diet, people should follow her Seven Principles of Food Selection: foods should be whole, seasonal, local, fresh, traditional, balanced, and delicious.

“Our founder was part of the better food movement before there was a better food movement," says Jonathan Cetnarski, President and CEO. "It is incredibly inspiring to be celebrating 40 years as a culinary institution, and we are excited to continue shaping the future of food by educating the next generation of chefs for another 40 years!”

In a demonstration kitchen, Chef Elliott Prag demonstrated three recipes that highlighted plant-based, whole foods.

• Hijiki Caviar with Tofu Crema and Watercress on Cucumber Rounds
• Tea Smoked Savory Seed Granola, Market Greens, and Strawberry Hibiscus Vinaigrette
• Black Sesame Tuiles with Baby Kale-Matcha and Black Sesame Ice Cream

“I’m mega chuffed to celebrate our 40^th anniversary with my colleagues, friends, and students, and to do what I do best: demonstrating fresh, healthy dishes in our inimitable NGI style,” said Chef Elliott, Chef Instructor and Curriculum Development Manager at NGI.

An additional highlight of the evening was honoring five alumni who have continued to uphold the values and the ideals of the original Natural Gourmet, Dr. Annemarie Colbin. The honorees were nominated by their fellow alumni and received awards and recognition for their efforts.

• Neal Harden, Chef de Cuisine, abcV, @chefnealh
• Diana Pappas, President, CEO, This Pie Is Nuts, @thispieisnuts
• Laura Pole, President, Eating for a Lifetime, Head Chef / Director of Nourishment Education Programs, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts
• Elliott Prag, Chef Instructor / Curriculum Development Manager, Natural Gourmet Institute, @elliottprag
• Marion Williams, Nutritional Chef / Program Manager, Wellness in the Schools

Guests enjoyed foods prepared by Natural Gourmet Institute chefs and made with produce donated by Katchkie Farms, Aero Farms, Kamut Wheat and Down East Seafood. Foods included charcoal crackers with arctic char gravlax, black pepper crème fraiche, and crispy leeks; beet deviled eggs with beet crisps and micro scallions; rainbow root vegetable latkes with pear-fennel marmalade and smoked crema; jalapeno avocado fritters with chimichurri pipettes; pepita Roquefort and rosemary dusted winter squash skewers, slow-cooked parmesan broccoli in phyllo; dark chocolate truffles with pistachios and white and black sesame seeds; and gold-dusted vanilla bean whoopee pies with chai cashew cream. All of the dishes represent the school’s philosophy, and many are mindful of different eating preferences including vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and nut free. Beverages were donated by Pilot Kombucha, Macari Vineyards, and Island to Island Beer.

Additional gifts came from partners including Davines, Jarry Magazine, JetBlue, La Tourangelle, and OXO.

This event follows the more intimate alumni celebration held the previous week, which was also held at the school. Taking place on the first floor, over a hundred people attended the festivities. Produce and gifts were provided by alumni and school partners including abcv, Chef Chloe Coscarelli, Cinnamon Snail, Dimes, dirtcandy, Divya’s Kitchen, Haven’s Kitchen, Kamut Wheat, Loring Place, Katchkie Farm, Kombucha Brooklyn, Kos Kaffe, Le Creuset, Mercer Culinary, OK Uniform, Polka Pants, Salt Brick Tavern, and Tempeh North.

About Natural Gourmet Institute

Since 1977, Natural Gourmet institute has been the leader in healthful culinary instruction focused on whole, natural foods with an emphasis on nutrition and sustainability. Our foundation as educators and innovators of plant-based foods have made us the premier resource for vegans, vegetarians, and others seeking to incorporate a more plant-centric diet into their lives.

Dr. Colbin founded the Natural Gourmet Cookery School in 1977 in the kitchen of her Upper Westside apartment after seeing the disconnect between health and food. Her guiding principles capture her teachings and continue to inform the school today. Known as The Seven Principles of Food Selection, they state that food should seasonal, local, whole, fresh, traditional, balanced, and delicious.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/35a1cffc-359c-4fa8-b205-e54f894cb5cf

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e0a99d3-cd1a-4708-9cf8-9c3dc9681f69

Carina Hayek
Natural Gourmet Institute
212-645-5170
chayek@nginyc.com