First class of the New Year calls for healthy cooking. Chef Donna, along with her volunteer youth helpers Sergio, Jemaya and Joseph, seasoned up some chicken breast, chopped up a lot of bok choy, sliced and diced onion, garlic and mushrooms. Everything was wok seared and served over a bed of freshly steamed rice. You know it’s a good dish when the youth come back for seconds!
Our founder Chef Lena brought her soup game to class tonight to coincide with the arrival of winter storm season. The prep table was piled high with veggies of all colors. Onions were chopped, potato peeled, garlic minced up, zucchini trimmed, butternut peeled and cored… Before too long a bright green spinach and zucchini soup was blended and ready to serve. Followed shortly by butternut squash soup. Happy bellies for all!
Tonight we welcomed Chef Jos of Food Network fame. She brought her team of capable youth to demonstrate the easy process of turning an original Phillie cheesesteak sandwich into a crunchy, gooey rendition wrapped up and fried as an egg roll. The ingredients were all chopped and cooked and seasoned, ready for each and every youth to come up to the kitchen and roll their own. A final bath in hot golden oil, the rolls were crisped to perfection and served with fries. Thanks Chef! We loved your class.
The boys got to work prepping the ingredients; peeling and cubing potatoes, trimming the broccoli, chopping and mincing the onion and garlic. Next up the chicken thighs were seasoned and pan seared. Potatoes were boiled then mashed. Mushroom gravy was quickly cooked up. And finally the plates were served up beautifully and decorated with minced parsley.
The audience gathered around while Tommy explained the importance of knowing your food source. Next up he expertly broke down a whole cabrillo fish, showing the youth all the edible bits that usually get tossed, explaining the concept of food sustainability and whole fish utilization.
Fish was cooked up, tortillas got warmed up, then the youth came up to assemble their tacos with their choice of toppings and condiments, coming back for seconds and even thirds!
By special request Chef Abegail brought her best chicken parmesan recipe to the kitchen. Eggs were cracked, flour and seasoning were measured out and mixed. The pounded chicken was coated and fried. The sauce was prepared, spaghetti cooked, chicken topped with cheese and baked, and all came together in a delicious plate.
Cant’t say it, can’t spell it! Not a single one of our youth participating in this class had heard of gnocchi. We love introducing the youth to new experiences. Chef Kelston and our two youngest pupils (9 & 6), siblings Jordan and Cory, sautéed and stirred, boiled and drained, chopped and blanched. In front of a large crowd they transformed plain, and not so good tasting, Italian potato dumplings, into a delectable dish with shallots and garlic, broccolini and seasoned chicken, cheese and cream and tomato concentrate. Some of the youth asserted this was the best dish they have ever eaten. Well done Chef and your two mini apprentices!
Chef Christina’s pizza class was such a hit the first time around we decided to come back to the boys home with the mini pizza oven. The pizza doughs were first to prep, kneading and kneading and kneading to work the glutens. Keeping the toppings simple; mozzarella loaf was shredded by hand, bell peppers were sliced, pepperoni, and by special request bacon.
The Ooni oven got pre-heated to 700 degrees. The dough got shaped and tossed. Topped with sauce and cheese and fav toppings before baking to perfection in the oven.
While Chef Scott was busy setting up his cook stations and cutting boards, the youth were clamoring to be his sous chefs. With such a lively start, tonight’s class was sure to be a smashing success. The youth practiced their knife skills, slicing and dicing all the veggies that were going to be used in the dumplings with extra veg set aside for the fried rice.
Once the stuffing mix was ready, the youth learned how to fill and shape the dumplings into all kinds of forms. While the youth were busying away finishing up with the dumplings, Chef Scott demonstrated to the audience his techniques for preparing a tasty stir fried rice, with any and every ingredient he had on hand. This included some magic with an egg!
Finally, the dumplings were fried up in the pans, and the youth customized with their favorite Asian dipping sauces.
Today’s class was more than cooking. Interspersed amongst the steps on how to make a delicious chicken vinaigrette wrap, Chef Sergio dug deep and shared many words of wisdom to a rapt audience. While youth volunteers chopped, sliced and diced all the ingredients, Sergio shared stories from his troubled past, and how he learnt the tools for his self-healing journey. The youth listened carefully, and asked many questions. All in attendance were very moved by the class, thank you for sharing, Chef!
