Lee's Summit, MO—The Mushroom Council and Culinary Institute of America have teamed up to present “Mushrooms in the Plant-Forward Kitchen.” The educational video series targets professional chefs, and aims to bring mushrooms to the plate in globally-inspired, plant-forward cooking. 


Pam Smith, RDN, and foodservice consultant for the Mushroom Council, believes this is a great way to introduce more diversity to the use of mushrooms. “In a Venn diagram of plant-forward recipes and globally inspired flavors, mushrooms will always be in the middle as they are the ideal central ingredient for both trends thanks to their meaty texture, savory flavor, nutritional profile, and versatility,” said Smith. “Whether it’s swapping meat with mushrooms entirely for a plant-based meal or blending meat with mushrooms for a creative, umami-bursting dish, utilizing mushrooms in plant-forward, global cooking is a strategy that every chef can master, and we developed this series to showcase how simple this can be.”


The 13-part series will offer 12 creative and popular global recipes that chefs can incorporate into menus. A sampling of the recipes include Korean mushroom bibimbap, Mexican street food inspired mushrooms al pastor, Japanese mushroom katsu, and more. Every recipe is accompanied by a downloadable and printable recipe for chefs and menu developers.

Since its launch in April of this year, the campaign has been viewed by audiences 100,000 times across digital media platforms. The educational series is also part of the Plant-Forward Kitchen Training and Certification program, offered by The Culinary Institute of America. The online course is designed to educate and train chefs on plant-forward, sustainable cooking techniques. The Plant-Forward Kitchen is on a mission to bring craveable plant-based meals to every table, even those that are dedicated carnivores.