While cooking may not be everybody’s bread and butter, local organizations are looking to make the activity just a little more accessible.

By providing a space not only at the table but also in the kitchen, Lutheran Social Service’s program “Friends in the Kitchen” is teaming up with the Bemidji Community Food Shelf and Harmony Co-Op to offer free cooking classes for people 55 years and older who live with certain restrictions.

Every month Friends in the Kitchen Outreach Educator Angie Ness provides modified recipes to people living on a budget or with physical restrictions. The educational and fun recipes go past teaching the basic food groups by focusing on healthier alternatives.

At the last class for 2022 Ness taught a recipe for German potato salad, hearty ground beef stew and a no-bake apple cheesecake.

Along with showcasing new and different recipes, the Friends in the Kitchen also introduced various ingredients to the attendees.

While Ness may provide recipes that are good for the body, the community made through the cooking classes feed the soul.

“[The classes are] a social outlet for the seniors,” explains Ness. “Especially in the wintertime when there’s not much to do, this is something to look forward to.”

There will be no class for January. The “Friends in the Kitchen” will return on February 28 and include its food distribution following the class.

No registration is required to attend a class.

By — Mary Balstad