NYWCA: A Professional Culinary Find

Pasta boiling on the stovetop of the JCC kitchen with salad makers in the back

To commemorate Martin Luther King Day, I and 14 members of the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance (NYWCA) joined together to cook for 200 women and children of a Women in Need (WIN) shelter on the upper east side. I’ve been a member of NYWCA for two years,  For a culinary professional living in NYC, this organization is a culinary find. The alliance celebrated it’s 30th anniversary last year.

Celebrating NYWCA’s 30th anniversary with a potluck dinner

NYWCA fosters networking, education and cooperation for women in the culinary and beverage fields in the NYC area. The Alliance provides members both educational and social experiences through ongoing food and wine tastings, hands-on workshops, field trips and business-related seminars. NYWCA is also very committed to giving back through outreach programs and fund-raising for women’s health and nutrition issues. Additionally, NYWCA members work with adults and children in need to teach them the basics of nutrition, food buying and healthful meal preparation.

Cookies we baked for the WIN families

The MLK Day cooking was just one of the many community projects that NYWCA members take part in. This project was organized and hosted by Irene Yager, NYWCA member and Assistant Director,Culinary Arts at the JCC Manhattan.