Chef Gerald Egger Teaches: Community, Health, Education, Food

The Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Chef Gerald Egger as the presenter of a morning breakfast networking meeting where he outlined the three proponents of his CHEF (Community, Health, Education, Food) courses and revealed surprising facts about American weekly food consumption. Egger’s culinary career spans over 20 years and in one three-hour class, Egger said participants will “save up to $100 per week on food, improve time management, improve the quality of meals, provide healthier food and increase family time.” Egger pointed out surprising facts, as reported by the USDA: 1. A family of four spends between $146 and $289 each week on groceries alone. 2. The average family wastes about a quarter of their food, meaning it goes directly into the trash. 3. The average adult dines out at least 19 times per month, with an average dining bill per experience totaling $12.75. 4. Time spent cooking from home is less than 12 hours a week. His courses, which he has taught at the Loma Linda Community Center in the past, help individuals create menus, shop on a budget, and learn faster food preparation and efficient grocery shopping techniques, Egger shared. “One of the dilemmas that we’re facing as a society is, we like instant gratification and we’re also addicted to certain foods,” Egger said. “How many people go through a drive thru because it’s quick and convenient? The average time to go through a drive thru is about 18 minutes during rush hour. During that time, you could’ve already had your food ready on the table.” Egger’s class, he explained, teaches alternative cooking methods for quick, easy meals, including meal preparation for time-saving techniques. “A lot of us know what a slow cooker is, but there’s lots of other devices out there as well as… pots and pans that we can also cook with in a much quicker way,” Egger said. A customizable shopping list helps his students create grocery lists and monitor their spending, while learning food seasonality and using cooling bags, designed to monitor the temperature of food items when grocery shopping, help extend food life and preserve food quality. “For every minute that your food is out, it runs about 15 minutes to an hour faster in decay,” Egger said. Students can also expect to learn how to use food items completely, whether the food is eaten whole or used to add flavor or thickness, like a corn-based broth. “You’re going to save money, time and your health. These classes are great for homes or individuals, business and wellness corporations, as well as specific groups,” Egger said. “In that one class… you will actually offset the cost within your first grocery shopping. If you did the numbers, you’re spending somewhere between $12,000 to $20,000 a year just in food. You’re going to save thousands of dollars by… learning how to budget. It’s a really simple program.” To contact Chef Gerald Egger and learn about class schedules, visit www.chefenterprises.com..