Culinary Medicine hosted a teaching kitchen for the Arkansas Medical, Dentist, and Pharmaceutical Association (AMDPA) on Saturday, June 3. Eight Participants integrated nutrition education and clinical application while splitting into pairs and working together to prepare recipes chosen to highlight modules used in the Culinary Medicine curriculum. Participants learned how food prepared using culinary techniques can be used as medicine for specific disease states, such as reducing saturated fat and adding fruit in the creamy chicken salad with apple recipe for heart health, building flavor without adding sodium in the shrimp fra diavolo, and a roasted asparagus recipe to manage hypertension. After the cooking was finished, everyone had the opportunity to try everything while participating in a discussion led by Alyssa Frisby, one of Culinary Medicine’s registered dietitians
The AMDPA is an organization established in 1893 of Black health professionals with a rich history. Members practice and serve primarily underserved communities throughout the state. AMDPA was a forerunner to the American Medical Association (which Black physicians could not join at the time) and the National Medical Association.
Dr. Rhonda Mattox, the president of the AMDPA was overwhelmingly complimentary about her experience. “For our team building exercise, we joined with Culinary Medicine to make a wonderful array of foods. It exceeded my expectations, and there are some foods that I would’ve never ever tried under any circumstances! Case in point, tofu scromblet… oh my gosh, it looks good and tastes good. Also, I have never been a fan of apples in chicken salad, but boy oh boy was it good! I’m the kind of person who makes fun of people that put apples in chicken salad. And I cannot wait to dive into what I made!” Dr. Mattox chose to create the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, a tomato-based pasta dish. “We learned so much about how to dice, how to use the knives properly, and about new utensils like the bench scraper.”
The recipes were a huge hit, and the communal aspect of the program was widely appreciated. The discussion consisted of a talk about what Food as Medicine means, and how what we eat can prevent and manage certain chronic health issues. Physicians, pharmacists, and dentists can all benefit by incorporating culinary medicine into their consultations with patients. The Culinary Medicine Program is thrilled to have had this opportunity to share its mission.
