Richard LaMarita

Teaches at Natural Gourmet Institute

Richard LaMarita is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and has been a chef/instructor since 1986. He has worked in many popular restaurants in NYC including Tabla. He has been practicing and studying Ayurveda for 25 years. He holds a Master's Degree from Maharishi Vedic University and has worked with accomplished Ayurvedic masters such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Dr. B.D. TriGuna. He has led seminars on Ayurveda, Diet and Nutrition, Cooking, Yoga, and Meditation throughout the US, in Europe, and in Asia. Presently, he is a chef instructor at the NGIHCA, teaches classes in specialty and ethnic cooking, and is a private chef.

(41 Reviews)

Pickling and Fermenting Foods at Home

Reviewed by Denisse B. on 3/19/2019
Vegan Entrées for Meat Lovers

Reviewed by Mark M. on 1/21/2019

Amazing class, amazing food, amazing instructors. Definitely check it out!
Power Bowls That Heal: Mind, Body, and Soul

Reviewed by Stephanie W. on 10/25/2018
Power Bowls That Heal: Mind, Body, and Soul

Anonymous review on 10/24/2018

I thought the course was good. It was a little chaotic in that the kitchen was many steps from the workbenches so one had to run back and forth a lot. The meal planning was very good. The dishes chosen were very tasty and the right level of difficulty. Everyone was friendly.I would recommend the class.
South East Asian Cooking

Anonymous review on 10/2/2018

Excellent chef! Excellent food!!!!!
Sensational Soups and Salads

Anonymous review on 6/8/2018

The class was great and the instructor was patient and amazing! My mom and I attended together she loved it.
Sensational Soups and Salads

Reviewed by Victoria Y. on 6/8/2018

Chef was wonderful and generous with his knowledge, but facility was awful. The main kitchen was closed and so 16 students were crammed into a space meant for 8 students. People kept on bumping into each other to a point where it felt no different from being in a jam packed subway train. It was dangerous to cut vegetables with a very sharp knife while being bumped into a couple of times while holding the knife. My fingers are still intact. Ingredients and equipment could not be found or sometimes not available, until chef pressured staff members to find or make them available. The young female staff member was lazy and rude and kept lying that supplies and equipment were not available until the chef intervened and somehow magically the rude staff member found the lemon juice squeezer in 1 second (while my asking for it for 15 mins produced no results). It was an absolutely chaotic class. This is such a disappointment because my first class for Pickling and Fermentation was amazing, but this Soups and Salads class was so awful that I am undecided if I will ever return again for another Natural Gourmet Institute cooking class.
Sensational Soups and Salads

Reviewed by Liala S. on 6/7/2018

Instructor was great as were assistants. I would have liked a desert soup and more salad choices
Chinatown: A Food-and-Culture Field Trip

Reviewed by Denise L. on 4/9/2018

This class just isn't what you expect; it is more a guided shopping day. The Chef is lovely but gives a little culture, and no information about the veggies, how to use them or even anything about what you are looking for or at. The instruction was, look around, and I will see you in a few. It might be fun for someone has never been in a China town, but it's lacking any depth and not satisfying for a home chef or traveler wanting for a different purview.
Date Night: Valentine’s Day Edition

Reviewed by Claire M. on 2/12/2018

We had a great time. It was lovely to learn something new together, something that we can put into practice when entertaining friends and family together. All the staff were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The space was safe clean. Very professional but not stiff. Loved every minute
Date Night: Valentine’s Day Edition

Reviewed by Niki M. on 2/12/2018

The institute is inflexible and I am not willing to work with then again.
Vegetarian Indian Street Food

Anonymous review on 2/7/2018
Knife Skills & Kitchen Survival Full-Day Immersion

Anonymous review on 12/18/2017

Chef Richard LaMarita led an informative, delightful class! I learned some useful knife techniques, and appreciated the delicious recipes we were provided and taught how to make. I could definitely recommend this class.
Knife Skills & Kitchen Survival Full-Day Immersion

Reviewed by Carmen D. on 9/2/2017
South East Asian Cooking

Reviewed by Caitlin m. on 8/29/2017
Intro to Basic Sauces: Getting Flavor Like a Pro

Anonymous review on 7/14/2017

Great teacher. I just wish it were mentioned somewhere that almost everything was vegan. I wouldn't have signed up had I known.
Dahls and Kitcharis

Reviewed by Komal S. on 6/26/2017
Dahls and Kitcharis

Reviewed by Jay S. on 6/25/2017

Excellent instructor and content.
Chinatown: A Food-and-Culture Field Trip

Anonymous review on 6/5/2017

This tour, while okay overall, is definitely meant for tourists who are not at all familiar with NYC. As a local, I was underwhelmed. There was very little information presented, and mostly we were just shuttled back and forth, without any explanations or historical background beyond a basic overview of the area. It was also unclear from the course description that we would be visiting so many stores - so this is perhaps the fault of Course Horse and not the organizers, but I wanted to point it out. Lastly, it was not stated anywhere that the meal would be vegetarian, which was the biggest disappointment. While the food was good, I purchased this tour as a gift for someone who is anti-vegetarian, and would have 100% not booked it had it been advertised as such. On top of this, for all the concern that the guide showed for having a vegetarian lunch, he made a HUGE deal about a member of the group being gluten-free, that was embarrassing to say the least.
Vegetarian Indian Street Food

Anonymous review on 5/25/2017
Vegan Burgers that Rock

Reviewed by sylwia v. on 5/8/2017
Vegan Burgers that Rock

Reviewed by Michaela R. on 5/6/2017

awesome instructor and recipes. just too many people in the class.
Shrub @ NGI: Cocktail Revolution

Anonymous review on 3/16/2017
South East Asian Cooking

Anonymous review on 2/17/2017

Chef Richard LaMarita was an excellent teacher and chef. We prepared a variety of South East Asian foods We had a short, interesting lecture to start. Then we reviewed the recipes. Chef demonstrated a few useful techniques, such as how to cut ginger, make ginger juice, prepare a whole fish and steam it in a wok. Next step - cooking. The chef and staff were always roaming the room, giving pointers and help. I've taken several cooking classes, and this was very well-done.
Pizza for All Eaters

Reviewed by Jenna M. on 1/26/2017
Vegetarian Indian Street Food

Anonymous review on 8/13/2016
Delectable Dosa: The Art of Making Indian Crepes

Reviewed by Sherry B. on 4/3/2016
Delectable Dosa: The Art of Making Indian Crepes

Reviewed by Natalia M. on 3/6/2016
Indian Dhal Demystified

Anonymous review on 2/6/2016
Achieving Balance with Ayurveda

Anonymous review on 1/11/2016

Exceptional, a must take class!!!
Achieving Balance with Ayurveda

Reviewed by Cheri H. on 1/10/2016
Achieving Balance with Ayurveda

Reviewed by Nitza G. on 11/8/2015
Wok with Confidence: Asian Stir Frying at Home

Anonymous review on 10/29/2015
Wok with Confidence: Asian Stir Frying at Home

Reviewed by Robert L. on 10/29/2015
Knife Skills

Reviewed by Ellen C. on 7/29/2015
Achieving Balance with Ayurveda

Anonymous review on 6/15/2015
Basics 2: Knife Skills

Anonymous review on 1/9/2015
Basics 2: Knife Skills

Reviewed by Alana I. on 1/8/2015

The Chef instructing the class was a great teacher. Comfortable learning atmosphere. The Chef assistants were also helpful.
Basics 2: Knife Skills

Anonymous review on 1/7/2015
Delectable Dosa: The Art of Making Indian Crepes

Reviewed by Elizabeth S. on 11/9/2014
Incomparable Homemade Pasta

Anonymous review on 10/1/2014