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• The Red Herring teaches the art of vegan cooking to the community

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Red Herring Coffeehouse »
Address: 1209 W. Oregon Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 367-2340
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Red Herring Restaurant has come up with a completely new idea for vegan cooking classes. Held at the restaurant every Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m., the two-hour lesson on the art of vegan cooking is taught by Chad Knowles, the 19-year-old restaurant manager.

The enthusiasm behind this class is the shared passion for cooking and feeding, which is exhibited by both Knowles and his partner Peter Conlin, president of the Campus Vegetarian Society. “As technology is advancing, we are losing the human touch in most aspects of life, especially cooking, and this class provides an opportunity to retain that touch,” said Knowles.

Knowles said the cooking class, which is being offered for the first time this year, was a spontaneous idea implemented by Conlin. The motivation behind the idea was to teach the basic techniques of cooking and enjoy healthy meals, said Knowles. This class provides a basis for getting people on track to an alternative cooking style.

The class is offered at a minimal price of $30 for 8 classes or $5 per class, said Ally Simmons, an employee at the Red Herring. “One important aspect of vegan cooking is not limiting yourself but rather adapting to the ingredients that you have available already,” said Simmons. People who attend this class are there to learn the “tricks and tips” of cooking like “how to thicken something without cream,” Knowles added.

The class does not focus on any specific ethnicity of flavors but is a blend of different cuisines and their methods. Knowles said the class is a lively and entertaining endeavor, attempting to incorporate the worldly flavors depending on the recipe of the night. The recipes taught are usually well-known and quite popular such as butternut squash soup, chili, barbecue riblets or lasagna with vegan meatballs. Knowles mentioned that there is no financial reward but that he does it because he relishes when the students overcome their fear of cooking and progress from being afraid of hot oil to sautéeing with style. He said this is a cause worth fighting for, and vegan cooking should receive just as much focus as every other genre of food.

The class, which is offered through the University YMCA, is taught in collaboration with other staff and students like Peter Conlin. Knowles said the restaurant in general is self-sustaining, and the class is customer-dependent. There are usually about 25 to 35 customers who attend the class, but more are encouraged to come. The cooking class is one of a kind, especially considering the limited resources, funds and space that Red Herring has to conduct these sessions.

“The cooking class is an attempt to encourage individuality on a college campus and encourage people to better themselves by learning and applying ideas which help the growth of the community in general,” said Knowles.

“The class teaches you everything that you need to know in the two-hour period,” said Conlin. “It definitely emphasizes hands-on experience.”