Free online raw cooking classes everyday during lockdown

Sunday Cantina owner Fiona Greig is doing online cooking classes everyday during the lockdown.

Carefully guarded under lock and key, not many cafes give out their prized, secret recipes.

But with the country going into lockdown, things were bound to look different.

With no cafe to run, Sunday Cantina owner Fiona Greig has been running free cooking classes on her Facebook and Instagram pages to give back to the Kāpiti community that has been supporting her over the years.

"This is a really hard time for everybody, but I believe food is my love language, so I need to use food to show my appreciation," Fi said.

Without her two cafe's keeping her busy, Fi has found the cooking classes are a good way to take time off her hands and engage her brain.

You could make this raw slice at home during the lockdown.

"I know for myself, I get up and think about the food that I've got, and what I can do with it.

"That is giving me motivation.

"I think it's also really important to stay engaged with our customers."

Having only just opened her second premise, Sunday Cantina in Raumati South, was open for just 10 days before lockdown.

"This is a great way to show our customers that we are still around.

"I've never been one to keep my recipes too much of a secret, as I think you should share food - especially the healthy stuff.

"I've never been one to withhold recipes, I've had hundreds of people through my cooking classes and they are always my best supporters.

"They are the ones that come back, they are the ones that are supporting me."

Learn how to make healthy salads like this one.

Creating daily videos, Fi has pledged to do one every day of the lockdown and has so far mixed it up with salads, slices, dressings and other raw recipes.

Miso mushrooms on toast, zucchini noodles, broccoli and walnut pesto, cauliflower pizza and an avocado raspberry mousse torte are some she has shared.

Working at the Front Room in Waikanae for six years, starting out as a teenager and then moving on to own and manage Marine Parade Eatery in Paraparaumu Beach before selling it last year, Sunday Cantina is Fi's newest adventure.

"Marine Parade Eatery was the biggest learning curve in my entire life."

Never using a deep fryer at Marine Parade Eatery, Fi has developed her food philosophy over the last three years, using raw ingredients while they are at their freshest.

"I believe in using food in its wholest form - from scratch without too many additives, sugars, fours or binding agents if there's another way around it."

Sweet but healthy, raw treats from Sunday Cantina.

Starting out with raw slices three years ago, the cabinet used to have a range of four different slices to choose from, but now the recipe books contain more than 20 options and varieties.

The raw slices also came because Fiona hated baking.

"I really hate baking, and following recipes.

"I'm not good at it - following recipes to a tee or cooking times.

"With the raw stuff nothing is cooked.

"It's also been a good challenge for me because when I started them three years ago, raw slices were kind of seen as healthy but were often tasteless and gluggy.

"People didn't care as much about what they were eating and experiencing - I wanted to make the grown, tough men enjoy my food."

Now you can create delicious, healthy food for yourself during lockdown with Fi's cooking classes online.

With ample experience running cooking classes, Fi has created simple, easy to follow videos encouraging everyone to try her healthy recipes.

"I've had incredible feedback from my videos so far.

"I've had people all over the world message me saying they are in lockdown and are enjoying my recipes.

"In the videos I'm truly just me and I think that's what people like the most.

"I'm just genuine and am not going to pretend I'm someone I'm not.

"I want to support the community who have supported me, and I want to continue doing it because I know when we open back up again that they will be there supporting me."

For more information and to watch Fi's cooking classes, search Sunday Cantina on Facebook or Instagram.