PITTSBURGH — Just before noon on a recent Friday, the commercial kitchen at the former St. Louise Convent is full of activity.

In one corner of the sprawling, 1,110-square-foot space filled with cooking equipment, executive chef Kevin Watson is putting the finishing touches on a crispy chicken Romano and juicy brisket he'll be serving later that day for a prospective bride and groom to taste.

In another corner, sous chef A.J. Wallace is rapidly filling lunch containers to be delivered to seniors in Vincentian's personal care and independent living communities.

Pastry chef Jen Moore is just as busy in the 450-square-foot baking space, where the day's menu includes hand-decorated sugar cookies and cake pops drizzled with thin ribbons of orange and green icing.

The sweet, briny aroma of freshly fried cod is also in the air in what is now known as the Unconventional Kitchen (unconventionalkitchen.us). It announces a few of many Lenten fish dinners the chefs will dish up in the weeks leading up to Easter.

The tastiest component of the day's work, however, is knowing that every meal made and served by the kitchen supports a century-old nonprofit mission aimed at building community and serving seniors in need.

In 1924, the 24-bed Vincentian Home for the Incurables opened under the auspices of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, with the Vincentian Sisters of Charity in charge of nursing its poor residents. As the facility's services expanded over the years and included the motherhouse, so did the number of nuns providing community care.

At its peak in the 1960s and '70s, some 150 nuns — who became the Sisters of the Holy Spirit in 1983 — lived in the convent on McKnight Road, serving as teachers in parochial schools, working in health care or providing services to immigrants.

In 1999, the facility came under the umbrella of Vincentian Collaborative Services, which coordinated care ministries for the aging sponsored by the congregation.

The number of women joining convents has declined dramatically in recent decades, and in 2008, the nuns became Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, an international organization. When the handful of nuns still living in the motherhouse relocated to the motherhouse campus in Kentucky in 2021, the remaining staff had to come up with a plan.

While some of the convent space was being used for offices, they also saw potential in the spotless commercial kitchen.

"We thought, 'Why not do catering to raise some money?" remembers executive director Jude Hazard, "Only not with old nursing home food."

The idea quickly took root and in 2021 Vincentian started testing the market with made-from-scratch family meals crafted in the repurposed convent kitchen. Made with locally sourced ingredients, they were available for pickup at Vincentian's McCandless day care center.

It was a hit almost immediately, and the kitchen soon expanded into individual meals. Today, Unconventional Kitchen serves nearly 1,000 meals a week to those in senior care, independent senior living and child care.

The catering arm launched in 2022, says Hazard, and has grown to where there's now a full-time staff of six. While it's currently focused on the North Hills market, "we hope to push out from there," says Watson.

The fish fry meals, which are served in a pizza box with two homemade sides and a Mancini's bun, are new this year.

"The number of lives touched by Vincentian are many," says Hazard.

Watson, a 1994 Pennsylvania Culinary Institute grad, worked at high-end establishments such as The Ritz-Carlton and the Top of the Triangle, a restaurant that operated on the top floor of the U.S. Steel Tower for more than 20 years, before becoming executive chef at Savoy in 2011.

He opened the BYOB eatery Chef's Table in Ross in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The certified health coach and culinary instructor — he taught at Le Cordon Bleu Institute for 11 years — also provided private chef services back in the day for Steelers players Jerome Bettis and Alan Faneca through his catering company, Pittsburgh Premier Catering. Other celebs who've enjoyed his cooking include former President George W. Bush.

Watson's commitment to community service is a core value. Growing up, he watched his grandmother, a professional cook, give away meals to anyone who needed them at a local community center.

He continued that good work as an adult after he moved to Pittsburgh, both as a volunteer for Allegheny Youth Development with their after-school program for inner-city middle and high school students, and at now-closed Chef's Table, which offered a "Buy a Meal, Give a Meal" program to donate meals to seniors in need.

Cooking for Vincentian residents, Watson says, allows him to continue to pay it forward.

"It's like unfinished business," he says. "We have the best food in benevolent care!"

Pastry chef Jen Moore, who is self-taught, ran a small made-to-order bakery in Aliquippa before coming on board two years ago.

It was a great opportunity to shine a light on her decadent handmade desserts, which includes cakes, muffins, dessert bars and hand-decorated cookies.

"It's just a great place to work," she says. "Every day is different and it's a wonderful mission."

News of the kitchen's good eats has spread mostly through social media and the professional network of staff and board members, says Hazard. The kitchen is hoping to grow even bigger in the months and years to come.

As Watson and his staff continue to build clientele and fine-tune and expand their food offerings, the kitchen hopes to launch a more intimate "chef's table" experience in the coming weeks in which 10-12 people will be able to watch the chef at work preparing a four- or five-course gourmet meal.

The economics of the health care and social assistance sector "are upside down" because of Medicaid reimbursement shortfalls, Hazard says.

"So the goal of this [kitchen] is to bring it to the retail sector, and charge retail prices that we can funnel back to the mission."

"We're all here for the same reason," agrees Christine Holko, who oversees marketing and sales. "This is bigger than ourselves. There are real people in need."

People need to eat and they also need catering for special events, says Hazard. "So why not support a nonprofit that's been supporting [your] neighbors for years?"

Unconventional Kitchen's last fish fry of the season is on April 11, and can only be ordered as part of the nonprofit's "Late Night Catechism" interactive comedy show. It starts at 6 p.m. and tickets cost $70, or $87 with the fish fry. The location is 8200 McKnight Road, Ross. Tickets, information: vincentian.us.

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Power Bowl

PG tested

Vegan, gluten-free and equal parts nutritious and delicious, this plant-forward power bowl is built on a bed of quinoa, a protein-rich "super food." It only takes about 25 minutes to prepare, start to finish, and can be eaten warm or at room temperature. It make a great packed lunch.

For bowl

1 cup of uncooked quinoa rinsed

1 3/4 cups water

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

3 ounces chopped curly kale (about 1 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced red pepper

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

For tahini dressing

1/4 cup smooth tahini

3 tablespoons water, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil

1 small garlic clove, grated

Combine quinoa and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit covered for 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Chop sweet potatoes and kale. Spread sweet potatoes, onion and red pepper onto the baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Create an even layer and roast for 10 minutes.

Use a spatula to flip over and push to one side of the tray. Add kale to the empty side of the baking sheet and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes more.

While vegetables are roasting, make dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, water, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic and a pinch of salt until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add more water 1/2 tablespoon at a time until it's pourable.

Add chickpeas to a mixing bowl with brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Use your hands to coat the chickpeas well.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the hot skillet. When oil starts to shimmer, add seasoned chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned (about 8 minutes). Note: Don't be alarmed if they look like they are burning. They aren't!

Divide roasted vegetables and quinoa between two bowls, top with chickpeas and drizzle with dressing (or serve dressing on the side).

Serves 4.

— executive chef Kevin Murphy, Unconventional Kitchen

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

PG tested

Thanks to the Easter Bunny, carrots often come to mind in spring. These light, ultra-moist carrot cake cupcakes are easy to make and even easier to eat.

For cupcakes

1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups peeled and shredded carrots, roughly chopped if necessary

For icing

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla in large bowl. Add carrots.

Add wet mixture to flour mixture and fold together. Batter will be slightly thick.

Spoon batter in cupcake liners using 3-ounce scoop.

Bake at 350 degrees for 21 minutes. (My cupcakes took about 24 minutes to fully bake.) Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack while you make icing.

Prepare icing: Beat cream cheese and softened butter in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla.

Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until incorporated. Continue to beat until frosting is very smooth.

Using an offset spatula, scoop up a generous amount of frosting and spread it evenly over the top of each cupcake.

Makes 16 cupcakes.

— pastry chef Jen Moore, Unconventional Kitchen

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