ABOUT ME

My journey with food began with a clear realization that the only way of living that has sense and meaning to me is doing something that I truly love with all my heart. The answer for me was cooking.

I wanted to reach an audience much bigger than friends and family. That took me to having a restaurant business that lived in NYC for 8 years and was known as Two Tablespoons. I started this venture with a mission in mind - serving wholesome, healthy, clean vegetarian and vegan food to the public. 

It was an exciting journey with many ups and downs, but everything comes to completion, so that the new possibilities can be explored. In April 2020 the business closed its doors. And in July 2020 I moved out of NYC to upstate NY, so that I can live a life more connected to Nature.

Over the years in the industry I also worked as a private chef for numerous retreats and private events, which have been my favorite creative outlet where I could really express myself and experiment with food. Cooking for events brings me a lot of joy, because aside from the kitchen process I also get to experience people. Seeing how much joy and pleasure food brings, how people share warmth and conversations over food, is an important part of my work.

As I trustfully continue my work as a chef and explore the new possibilities in these unstable times, I continue to share my service in catering for private events and retreats. I am also very eager to share the skills and knowledge I accumulated from the years of work and to help people get more connected with food and creating their own nourishment. As that realization grows, I am looking forward to teaching nutrition and cooking classes both online and in person.

I believe that eating healthy should not become a dogma. It is a path of self-inquiry and deep connection to Nature. That is why I am attracted to the principles of Ayurveda, which is one of the oldest known sets of knowledge about food and human body. Ayurveda looks at nutrition as an individual approach to each person’s unique constitution and combination of natural elements. Its approach to health is wholesome, where body, mind and spirit are integral and interconnected parts of well being. 
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I believe strongly in the power of wholesome foods as a way to nurture and heal. My main medicine is seasonal and local fruits and veggies, whole grains and legumes. I say no to processed and refined food items and always carry this message to my clients.
Another key elements of health are joy and pleasure that food brings. I am very keen on making meals that are not only beneficial to the body, but exciting to the senses as well. To me healthy food doesn’t equal to boring and bland. Creating food is a multidimensional expression for me, and a multidimensional experience for those who enjoy it. Food is about togetherness, joy, celebration, vitality and life!

COOKING CLASSES

​I'm pleased to offer weekly online cooking classes. My goal is to teach you simple wholesome vegetarian/vegan recipes that you can easily recreate on your own. We will not use any processed foods and will do as much as possible from scratch.

I will be teaching you the best way to handle different ingredients and will be supplementing the process with my knowledge of Ayurveda and connection to the Medicine Wheel and Mother Nature which permeates all processes in life, including cooking and nutrition. 

Class themes will vary from savory to sweet to fermented foods. We will mostly explore recipes that are not defined by particular ethnic cuisines, although sometimes we will have fun with more traditional dishes.

We will use simple accessible ingredients, although please keep your mind opened about expanding your pantry and learning about new things.

​Each class will last about 1.5-2 hours, we will prepare 2-3 simple dishes which can create a complete wholesome meal. 

I will send a list of ingredients and necessary equipment 3-5 days in advance, so you have time to prepare. Please register early to get your shopping list on time. In order to register please leave your info in the form below and make your payment through PayPal or Venmo. As soon as this is complete, I will email you the necessary info and Zoom link for the class, so you can start preparing. 

​PAYMENT:
Suggested payment is $30 per class, with a sliding scale of $20-40, in case you can only afford less or happy to offer more. Your support is greatly appreciate and keeps me moving, learning and motivated on my path of exploration and connection to the deep wisdom of Nature and carrying it in order to support and serve others.  Please make your payment and fill out the form below. 
PayPal to vsv.katya@gmail.com  |  Venmo to Ekaterina-Vasilyeva

CLASS 03/03/2021:
We will be preparing a nourishing winter stew, a loaded salad and a heart opening dessert:
- Winter Squash and Red Lentils Stew
​- Kale Caesar Salad with Quinoa, Croutons, Crispy Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing
- Chocolate pudding

​​CLASS 03/10/2021:
- Zesty Black Eyed Peas and Swiss Chard Stew 
​- Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Peppers, Olives and Capers
- Quinoa Pilaf

SERVICES

I offer chef services  for private events and dinners as well as for retreats of different modalities:
yoga, sacred medicine, music, therapy, art etc. 

I also offer cooking classes both online and in person for groups of different sizes.
Classes are custom made and cater to specific needs of the group. 
I offer classes as a way to learn, but also to create an atmosphere of sharing and closeness. 
You can book a cooking class which can be a part of a birthday celebration, bachelorette party,
​baby shower or any other family or friends gathering
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Food that I offer is wholesome and plant based. Most of the time I use a combination of vegetables,
legumes, grains, proteins and healthy fats. I can cook totally vegan or use dairy and eggs.
I am also opened to incorporate fish and poultry if necessary.
 
I can adjust the menu to the needs of the specific group and create a custom menu,
considering dietary restrictions and number of participants.

SAMPLE RETREAT MENU

Breakfast

​Mango Chia Seed Pudding
Cabbage, Fennel, Apple, Kale and Tahini Salad
Coconut Oatmeal with Fruit, Berries and Nuts
Mediterranean Shakhuka Omelet
Bell Pepper and Kale Tofu Scramble
Breakfast Potato
Fruit Salad
Bread, Jams, Nut Butters

Lunch

​Arugula, Cucumber, Radish and Tahini Salad
Warm Cauliflower, Lentil and Grape Salad
Herbed Quinoa Pilaf
Roasted Smoked Tofu
Zucchini, Corn and Thyme Sauté
Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Tortilla

GALLERY

"The hut was seen as a big head, the door was called a mouth, and the grinding stone its teeth. The people lived inside, eating food grown and brought by men, cooked in water brought by women, over firewood brought my men, ground on stone by the women, to feed everybody. The compounds were called nests, the bringers and preparers of food the Parent Birds, and the little kids nestlings. Eating together at the end of the day was the main goal of one's existence: that all one's people should have returned healthily from danger and difficulty, to be all together in their nest where there was enough food to eat, enough wood to cook it with, and happy to eat without warfare between us as relatives and friends. This was what we all wanted: food and togetherness."
Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, Martin Pechtel

CONTACT ME TO GET A QUOTE, MAKE A BOOKING
​OR ASK A QUESTION

nourishmentbykatya@gmail.com

To learn about my restaurant Two Tablespoons, please visit
www.twotbsp.com