60% of Americans are interested in eating less meat, 31% are opting for meat-free days, and one-third want to buy more plant-based foods.
The Growing Acceptance of Plant-Based Foods, IRI Worldwide, 2018.
Flavor, creativity, convenience, health, and variety. Today’s consumers are increasingly conscious of the food choices they make, from health reasons to environmental factors. Considering that animal protein was the star of the dish in traditional training, many chefs and culinary teams are challenged to design and deliver sustainable and flavorsome plant-based offerings, at scale. Until now, a lack of plant-based cooking training only further exacerbated this challenge.
Plant-Forward Kitchen, created in collaboration with the world's premier culinary college, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), will prepare cooks and chefs for the seismic—and indefinite—shift towards plant-forward, sustainable cooking.
Created in collaboration with the world's premier culinary college, Plant-Forward Kitchen forms part of Lobster Ink’s full culinary digital training solution. Find out more about the other digital training programs available in this category, ProChef® 1 and Baking & Pastry.
Respond to consumer demand
Consumers are increasingly exploring new and diverse flavors. Catering to this trend represents a significant commercial opportunity.
Drive innovation and outflank competitors
Offering a range of plant-forward dishes can broaden your brand’s appeal and open new revenue streams.
Gain and retain top talent
Aspiring young chefs and cooks need experience with specific knowledge and techniques in plant-forward cooking to remain industry-relevant.
Having an understanding of the plant-forward kitchen principles is essential to creating a delicious, plant-forward future. This course introduces learners to these principles as well as the Menus of Change© initiative - a collaboration between the CIA and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
When you’re moving vegetables from the sidelines to the center of the plate, you need to know how to apply traditional cooking methods to effective vegetable cooking. This lesson takes a closer look at the differences between sautéing and frying and the vegetables best suited to this cooking method.
Stocks and thickeners form the foundation of the culinary arts, rich and full-bodied - the perfect starting point for moreish soups and sauces. Learn to set the scene with well-balanced flavors, and learn to enhance your plant-based stocks with rouxs, slurries and alternative thickeners.
From understanding the challenges of sustainability to the fundamentals of nutrition, food science, and cooking at scale, this program will elevate the skills and confidence of even veteran professional chefs.
The plant-forward movement is growing around the world, but the change starts with you. The Foundations for the Plant-Forward Kitchen learning path teaches you the fundamental skills you’d need in any kitchen, but it also shows you how to use those skills in a responsible, sustainable way.
Lessons: 32
The plant-forward kitchen is all about showcasing plant-based dishes. Everything you learn in these courses will help you do just that. You will learn how to serve up a memorable plant-forward experience by understanding the fundamentals of what makes food delicious, and how to develop flavor profiles that will excite your guests.
Lessons: 34
Quality cooking techniques can turn any guest into a plant-forward advocate. In these courses, you will learn about the different cooking techniques you can use to transform an everyday dish into an exciting masterpiece, from low and slow, to moist and dry heat cooking, to sautéing and stir-frying. You will also master the art of efficiency and quality in your plant-forward kitchen by learning the five phases of the Just in Time strategy.
Lessons: 21
Build your culinary foundation with the logical next step: stocks, thickeners and sauces. With Stocks and Sauces, you learn how to make plant-based stocks for soups and stews, and gain a thorough understanding of the science behind sauces and thickeners.
Lessons: 10