Healthy Cooking with Chef Crystal
Chef Crystal teaches the women how to bake chocolate chip cookies from scratch.
The smell of warm, fresh-baked banana bread wafts down the hallway.
“This is so satisfying,” says Diana as she struggles to mix an enormous batch of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough in Epiphany Center’s commercial kitchen.
Diana is a client in Epiphany Center’s nationally acclaimed Residential Recovery Treatment Program. Recently named to Newsweek’s list of “America’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers,” the family-focused program offers residential drug treatment at two sites for women and their young children facing addiction, homelessness, and domestic violence.
Founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1852, the Center offers holistic, evidence-based treatment therapies including acupuncture, art therapy, recovery groups, vocational counseling, healthy cooking, and support in parenting, independent living, and communications skills.
Chef Crystal, a former Epiphany client was recently appointed as the agency’s new culinary coordinator. A gifted baker, Crystal leads weekly hands-on healthy cooking classes for the women, many of whom are moms learning to cook wholesome meals for their little ones. “I never learned how to cook when I was growing up,” says Crystal. Passionate about food, Crystal graduated from Epiphany Center and successfully completed an internship as a sous chef at San Francisco General Hospital before being hired full-time.
“It was always my dream to return to Epiphany and give back. I owe my life to Epiphany Center. I truly do.
When I learned about the job opening at Epiphany, I had to take it,” says Crystal.
Today, Crystal is teaching the women to bake banana muffins and chocolate chip cookies from scratch. “I used to be a cook,” says Sarah, a new client. “I love making reductions and homemade mustards with fresh herbs.” While the women come from various backgrounds, they share a singular focus on developing the skills and strength within to build brighter futures for themselves and their children.
Crystal informs the women that next week, the class will meet in Epiphany’s community garden adjacent to the kitchen, overlooking the children’s play yard. “We’ll be weeding,” she says. The women are noticeably quiet. Crystal adds, “Later, we’ll be planting zucchini, tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, and herbs that we can harvest, cook and share.”
The women planting vegetables in Epiphany’s Community Garden.
“The women open up to me because they know I was a client here too,” said Crystal. “I love showing the women that anything is possible if you try and try again.”
Looking for a rewarding job where you can make a tangible difference in the lives of San Francisco’s most vulnerable women, children, and families? Check out Epiphany Center’s job opportunities here.