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2010 March Conference Schedule

Note: Conference schedule is subject to change - Last Update 02.17.09

The schedule which appears below is abridged. The complete March Schedule can be downloaded here.

Thursday, March 18

  • 12 Noon
    Organic Viniculture: Festive Lunch, Structured Tastings and Agricultural Intensive
    Ehlers Estate Winery, Ehlers Lane, off Main Street, St Helena. Check-in at the winery.
  • 1:00 PM
    An Insider's Tour of Selected Napa Valley Wineries
    Check-in at 12:15 in the Atrium of The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
    Pre-conference events commence
  • 4:00 PM
    Registration Opens
    Atrium, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
  • 5:00 PM
    Plenary Session and Welcome, Orientation and Culinary Demonstration
    Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives: A World of Flavors
  • 6:30 PM
    Tasting Reception and Exhibition
    The Flavors of Health
  • 7:30 PM
    Tasting Reception Closes

Friday, March 19

  • 7:30 AM
    Registration Re-opens
    Breakfast Session
  • 8:15 AM - 1:00 PM
    Plenary Sessions, Culinary Demonstrations and Demonstration Lunch
  • 1:00 PM
    Active Break
    Walking the Greystone Campus
  • 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM
    Plenary Sessions and Culinary Demonstrations Continue
  • 5:30 PM
    Wine Reception
  • 6:00 PM
    Program concludes for the Day. Enjoy dinner on your own in the Napa Valley. Please make reservations for 7:00 PM or later.
    Find links to Napa Valley restaurants here.

Saturday, March 20

  • 7:00 AM
    Breakfast Session
  • 8:00 AM
    Kitchen Sessions and Workshops
    Note: There are three hands-on cooking session periods scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. These sessions will give everyone attending the conference a chance to have a kitchen experience working along side a CIA chef-instructor. At the same time, other workshops are being offered which, while not hands-on, focus on ingredients, techniques, demonstrations, practical culinary strategies, as well as counseling techniques.
    KITCHEN SESSIONS
    Inside the Healthy Kitchen: New Skills for Healthier Lives
    These hands-on sessions are intended to provide attendees with the skills necessary to prepare several representative dishes from each of the food categories listed below.
    Third Floor Teaching Kitchens
    A. Cool Salads and Creative Dressings
    B. Whole Grain Additions to Every Meal
    C. Vegetables: Inspiration from World Cuisines
    D. Healthy Protein Cooking Made Easy
    E. Healthy Cooking with Nuts & Legumes
    WORKSHOPS
    Inside the Healthy Kitchen: New Skills for Healthier Lives
    This is a representative list of workshops which are scheduled at different times throughout the meeting.
    Workshop I
    Spices, Herbs & Aromatics: Exploring Health & Culinary Benefits
    This workshop introduces nutrition and health research on common spices, herbs, and aromatics, and presents enticing and approachable ways to use them in the home kitchen. Cooking demonstrations directed by the chef show attendees how fun and easy it is for “non-chefs” to prepare healthful, flavorful foods using common spices, herbs, and aromatics.
    Workshop II
    Healthy Flavors of the Mediterranean: Ingredients and Flavor Dynamics
    This workshop begins with an overview of the Mediterranean diet, including its proven role in promoting health, and how following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern can be an effective weight loss/management strategy. Participants then get to enjoy interactive culinary demonstrations and tastings of Mediterranean ingredients and dishes.
    Workshop III
    Memorable Starts: How to Build a Better Breakfast
    This workshop starts with a discussion of the nutrition, health, and weight management benefits of breakfast. Breakfast “makeover” strategies are presented, including how to improve the carbohydrate quality of the typical breakfast. Practical ideas are presented for a multitude of healthy breakfasts, including “grab & go” breakfasts for hectic workday mornings and leisurely weekend brunches.
    Workshop IV
    Wine: The Latest Research on the Health Impacts plus a Guided Tasting
    This workshop begins with an overview of the science that supports the health benefits of frequent, moderate alcohol consumption and ends with a guided tasting of California wines.
    Workshop V
    Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, and Legumes: Phytochemicals, Fiber, Flavor and More!
    This workshop focuses on the nutrition, health, and culinary merits of plant-based foods. Phytochemical research is reviewed, and popular marketing terms like “Super Foods” are addressed. Numerous recipes and cooking techniques are demonstrated to show how versatile plant-based foods can be in today’s home kitchen.
    Workshop VI
    Children’s Nutrition: Getting Kids (and their Parents) Interested in Good Nutrition and Great Food
    This workshop starts with a discussion of developmental stages, challenges and strategies for introducing new foods to children, how children perceive new, especially bitter flavors, the roles of parents versus children, and how to help parents deal with food battles. The chef then demonstrates healthy, appealing recipes kids can help shop for and prepare. Participants will get to taste some of the items prepared by the chef.
    Workshop VII
    Menu Planning on a Budget: Creating Memorable Meals for Four for Less Than $20
    This workshop focuses on menu planning and shopping strategies that control costs while maximizing flavor. Multiple menus are presented for meals for four or more people that cost less than $20. Participants will leave with practical strategies and recipe they can share with patients and clients who want to eat well and spend less.
    Workshop VIII
    Nutrition Assessment & Counseling in the Primary Care Setting
    Led by a physician with an active primary care practice, this workshop focuses on the challenges and opportunities for incorporating nutrition assessment and counseling into a primary care office visit. Tools and practical strategies for addressing nutrition issues will be discussed, and case studies will be presented.
    Workshop IX
    Mindful Eating: Cultivating Inner and Outer Wisdom
    Speaker: Jean Kristeller, PhD (Indiana State University)
    This workshop translates principles of contemporary science of hunger awareness, taste satisfaction and making food choices, into the everyday practice of mindful eating. The principles of inner and outer wisdom taught in the Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) program developed by Dr. Kristeller will be reviewed, including simple exercises that can be shared with patients. We’ll be using brief meditation practices, and experiencing our own mindful eating in this workshop!
  • 10:15 PM
    Plenary sessions continue
  • 12:15 PM
    Tasting Lunch and Exhibition
    A World of Healthy Flavors
    A walk-around tasting prepared by the chefs of The Culinary Institute of America featuring the healthy foods of the Mediterranean, Asian, Latin American and contemporary American kitchens.
  • 1:30 PM
    Plenary sessions and culinary demonstrations continue
  • 3:00 PM
    Break and Healthy Snack Tasting
  • 3:15 PM
    Kitchen Sessions and Workshops Block 2
  • 5:15 PM
    Program concludes for the Day. Enjoy dinner on your own in the Napa Valley. Please make reservations for 5:45 PM or later.
    Find links to Napa Valley restaurants here.

Sunday, March 21

  • 7:30 AM
    Breakfast Session
  • 8:30 AM
    Plenary Session
  • 10:15 AM
    Kitchen Sessions and Workshops Block 3
  • 12:30 PM
    Reflections and Demonstration Lunch
    Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives: Re-imagining Our Future
  • 2:00 PM
    Conference Concludes