For Immediate Release

KAVITA MEHTAS AJIKA FOODS CELEBRATES FALL HARVEST Announces The Expansion of Ayurvedic Cooking Classes Minneapolis, MN September, 17 2012 /E-Release/ -- Ajika, the food, health, wellness and lifestyle subsidiary of Ethnic Foods Company, wants to celebrate the tastes of fall with exotic, health food lovers across the Twin Cities! Ajika and Ethnic Foods Company, long-time purveyors of ancient exotic spices, foods and nutrition, are the largest companies in the Twin Cities that specialize in authentic International cooking and classes. Ajika offers several classes to the public, including; Savor Thailand, Savor the Middle East, Savor Mexico, Savor Persia, Savor India, and Savor Minnesota Harvest cooking classes. This month Ajika announced the expansion of their popular Savor Ethnic Foods Cooking classes to include specialized Ayurvedic cooking classes. This fall the majority of the Savor Ethnic Foods classes were sold out within weeks of being announced. So to help supply the demand for these palate changing classes Ethnic Foods Company has added several new winter menus, guaranteed to add color, spice and heat to your winter! Ajika is committed to our mission and commitment to the health and wellness of the entire community and we are striving to be a visible "healthy lifestyle" advocate in the Midwest, explains Kavita Mehta, CEO of Ajika and Ethnic Foods Co. Enrollment for the November classes begins soon and Ajika welcomes you to sign up before all of the classes are sold out. "These classes are like a mini vacation where you will feel yourself magically transported through your senses to exotic far away lands. Please bring your own wine to help top off this enchanted evening of fun!" says Mehta. In November, Ajika is offering a half price offer for all classes as a special way of saying thank you for the Holidays when you register before October 15th, 2012.

About Ajika and Ethnic Foods Co.

Founded by International Food Expert, Kavita Mehta in 1988, Indian Foods Company now Ajika, quickly became the main supplier of many Indian products in mainstream grocery stores and area health food stores in the Midwest. Ajika provides a distinctive array of exotic foods and spices carefully chosen and prepared in the Ayurvedic tradition. In addition to food products, the company provides culinary consulting services, popular ethnic cuisine classes, called Savor Ethnic Cuisine and the newly added Ayurveda lifestyle classes. The mission of Ajika, is to provide the flavors and the culinary traditions of International cuisine to those seeking healthy food options. Thanks to Kavita Mehta and Ajika, those with a passion for fine exotic cuisine can now create their own international culinary delights. Ajika stocks many products across multiple categories including an extensive selection of the companys own signature line, Ajika products. The exclusivity of Ajikas offering lies in its ability to source and stock unique, high quality gourmet products and ingredients from around the globe, including the most extensive line of organic ethnic food spice blends currently available on the market. For more information, and to register for classes please visit www.ajika.com or call 952-593-3000. To book private parties, for cooking demonstrations, Ayurveda classes or to register for one of our Wine Dinners please email kandisknight@gmail.com . Upcoming Wine Dinners:
January: February: March: April: May: June: August: September: New Years Dinner Couples Dinner Easter Dinner Earth Day Dinner Cinco De Mayo Dinner Mothers Day Dinner Fathers Day Dinner Harvest Dinner Back To School Family Dinner

October: November: December:

Halloween Fun Night Dinner Thanksgiving Native American Feast Mixed Holiday Dinner

Biography Kavita Mehta CEO Ajika & Ethnic Foods Company International food expert, Kavita Mehtas love for good home cooking began early at home in India. Mehtas mother was trained in Ayurveda and methodically trained Mehta the ancient art form in her traditional Indian kitchen. From a young age, Mehta mastered Ayurvedic stages of food, types of food and the medicinal benefits of foods and food preparation. Mehtas father, who loved to travel across India was also a lover of local foods. Mr. Mehta took his daughter all over India during her long summer vacations where she mastered the value of local food and tastes and food preparation. Her Uncle, Mr. A.B, Kerkar, nurtured Mehtas love for global foods and sharing Indian culture further. Kerar, the famous creator of the Taj Group of Hotels in India, is credited with putting India on the world map for global cuisine. Mehta was at his side when he hosted many prestigious events including inviting the common wealth leaders, such as Margaret Thatcher to India and hosting spiritual advisor, Deepak Chopra's seminars. Mehta wields a combination of holistic techniques coupled with the ancient Ayurvedic nutritional science to teach her students how to craft amazing meals. Mehtas demonstration cooking sessions, called Savor Ethnic Foods, teach how to easily integrate local fresh ingredients with health giving spices, organic and heritage foods of the world into our daily diets. Mehta is a veteran of the international food industry and has been catering to the discerning palates of Midwest food connoisseurs since 1988 by offering many firsts in the industry through local, esteemed grocers including Byerlys and Kowalskis. Mehta brings a wealth of knowledge to Ajika and Ethnic Foods

 Company and is now able to share this directly with the customer. Mehta is an innovator and a proponent of the slow food, real food, local food and organic food movements and it shows in the carefully chosen selection of products at Ajika and Ethnic Foods Company. For more information about Kavita Mehta or to register for Savor Ethnic Foods classes please visit www.ajika.com . To book Kavita Mehta for cooking demonstrations, private parties or catering please email: kandisknight@gmail.com. Contact: Kandis Knight, Marketing Director Phone: (612) 599-7852 Ethnic Foods Company 204 Central Avenue Osseo, MN 55369 Phone (952) 593-3000 kandisknight@gmail.com

Internet Reviews:
Osseo, MN 6/22/2012

We absolutely enjoyed the Indian cooking class! the husband/wife owners/instructors were delightful! The food was delicious and we learned so much about the origin and traditions of Indian food. We will be back for more classes and to purchase more of the finds on the grocery shelves! Thank you!!

Kristi R.
Uptown, Minneapolis, MN 6/15/2012 I went to a demonstration cooking class here last night and it was so much fun and very educational. We were able to bring in a bottle of wine for the evening and got to **sample** all of the dishes. The instructor demonstrated cooking techniques native to her Indian heritage but also taught us a lot about other culture's techniques and flavors. We sampled foods from Indian, Greek, Persian and African cuisines. I was extremely impressed with the selection of spices and foods available for purchase to try the recipes at home. If you are in need of spices and some new ideas, this is the place to go.

Laura G.
Minneapolis, MN 5/31/2012 This place is fantastic! The store sells authentic ethnic spices, blends, foods, cookbooks (mostly Indian/Asian) and offers ethnic cooking classes! Just went there tonight for the first time -- bought a Living Social coupon. It was a small, fun, intimate cooking class that felt more like a family dinner. And the food was amazing. It was one of the best experiences ever -- we were so impressed we not only purchased spices, but future classes. Prices seem are very reasonable, esp compared to Penzeys in Mpls, which I think is a rip-off. Plus the owners taught the cooking classes and ran the store. I can't say enough good things about this little jewel of a place!

Karen C.
Minneapolis, MN 5/22/2012 The class was a small intimate setting. The instructors Kavita and Sunita, were so engaging and full of wonderful Indian cuisine knowledge. I have taken many cooking classes at other places and this was my favorite. It was a wonderful education about Indian food and culture. Then their shop was fantastic to buy the ingredients we were just using in class. I will return for another class and have also found a fantastic new place to buy spices and grains.

Mary R.

Minneapolis, MN 5/20/2012 I agree that this is a wonderful find in Osseo!

I have taken two classes from Kavita and will be taking more- I wanted to add more "spice" and flavors to my meals- she has helped tremendously! I love how she weaves stories of her own life into the class. The respect she has for food and life makes me calmer just sitting and watching as she does the demonstrations. (and then sampling each item isn't bad either!) The store has wonderful spice blends and has packaged them in such a way as to not be intimidating to the beginner. I must admit I am becoming addicted to adding the cardamom saffron blend to warm milk before bedtime!

Kim D.
Anoka, MN 5/18/2012 There are two parts to my review. #1- I attended a cooking class (Thai cuisine) last night at Ethnic Foods Company. It was about 3 hours long and well worth every minute! We learned about how Thai cooks combine flavors to make their food and don't follow recipes. The teachers did a nice job of talking about ingredients, the process, and filled in with anecdotes about the cultures they came from. Don't expect a chef style kitchen classroom. This class is in the modest back room with folding tables and chairs, but the content of the class more than made up for it. Bonus- they let us bring our own bottle of wine to enjoy while we tasted the food! #2- The store. After the cooking class. There was plenty of help to show us where the ingredients were that we wanted to purchase. The store is nice and clean and very inspiring for inspired cooking! Even if you don't take a cooking class, check out the store! 0 friends

1 review Christine H.
Minneapolis, MN 5/8/2012 We took the "Cooking with Spices" class, and it was so helpful and interesting! I loved that she went into detail about the philosophy behind Indian cooking. She really helps you think critically about the food you use, and gives great ideas for meals! Anna E. Minneapolis, MN

5/6/2012

This class was very helpful! I learned so much about spices and how to specifically make different dishes. The woman teaching the class answered all of our questions and taught us so many tricks! It was a very helpful class and I can't wait to start cooking! Minneapolis, MN 5/6/2008 Osseo is going global. Cooking classes, Indian food, Food events and now foods from many other countries. Quaint but excellent offerings including organic spices. I attended their cooking class and it was an excellent experience and I learnt a lot. A little hard to find at it is at the back of the building. Its best to call them - 952-593-3000.