Master Chef To Teach Vision of Palate Workshops for the Visually Disabled

World renowned chef, author, caterer and cooking instructor Vikas Khanna has developed a ground breaking workshop series for the visually disabled, which is taught at The New York Public Library this spring. The work-shops are based upon his research on The Power of Palate, the benefit of taste on people with visual disabilities. During these workshops the students start with a tasting of a single spice or herb at a time and define it in the words like "sweet, savory, hot, spicy, refreshing, cold, soothing, woody, aromatic, licorice, fragrant etc" After the first session they are served rock salt flavored lemonade to cleanse the palate. The second session begins with a little more complex flavors or blends of spices. Again, the students have to define the flavors based on aromas, textures and flavors. This lesson enables them to understand that they are blessed with the ability to distinguish with such sensitive details. Chef Khanna also stresses the sensitive points of the palate. After this course the students are served yogurt sorbet with grapefruit soup to cleanse the palate again. With a few minutes of the break they are served small tasting to desserts, which are all truffles with different fillings like orange rinds, mangoes, coconut, coffee, lime and cardamom. All money raised during these workshops will be donated to "Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library" and to cure young children with visual disabilities in India by Save the Children Organization. Master Chef Khanna operates his cooking school, Sanskrit Culinary Arts in New York City, and is the founding member of New York Chefs Cooking for Life. He is the author of Ayurveda - The Science of Food and Life, Mango Mia, Spice Story of India and the soon to be released Cooking For Life, featuring recipes from the highly acclaimed February 2nd Tsunami Fundraising Event sponsored by the New York Chefs Cooking for Life. A portion of the proceeds from these books goes to Mother Theresa Charities. For more information regarding the Vision of Palate Workshops, please visit nypl.org or Chef Khanna’s own website vkhanna.com.