Vasundhara Kandpal – cooking classes

Written in December 2019.

Nillumbik U3A membership

Membership of Nillumbik U3A: 6 months.
Membership of other U3As: no.
Reason for joining our U3A: to connect with the local community.
Other U3A classes attended: none.
Nillumbik resident?: 1 year.

In my own words

I was attracted to live in Nillumbik because of its status in the green wedge. I was born a nature lover, have an education in environmental learning and 10 years of experience in various wildlife conservation projects in India, Sri Lanka and the United States of America.

I now advocate on a pressing issue – ‘speciesism’ – a subject not much talked about.

At U3A, I teach cooking. With the right food choices, I believe that many health and environmental problems can be solved. Food systems over time have rotted down. Current food systems generate a high amount of plastic waste and are the leading cause of deforestation and loss of wildlife habitat. On top of that, some food is making people sick. Food systems need a makeover and, for us to be healthier, we have to evolve more eco-friendly and sustainable approaches.

What my students will learn

Quick easy vegetarian recipes from the world around. They also get to feast upon the recipe results and socialise with each other.

Class structure

Hand-on cooking classes in a kitchen.

Why did you volunteer to run this class?

I love community work and sharing my knowledge with other people! For me the U3A is community and not just classes.