Teen/Preteen – US Regional Foods – Days 3, 4 & 5
Thursday, August 11th was our 3rd day of Camp. The topic today was the Pacific Northwest and included Alaska, Washington State, Ida and Oregon. The menu was:
Dungeness Crab Bisque, Potato and Mushroom Soup, Open-faced Crab Sandwiches, Corn Relish, Cucumber/Sour Cream Salad
Potato Cheese Spoon Bread, Oregon Blueberry Rolls, Ginger Snaps and Rhubarb Cake. In addition, some of the students created a Caprese Salad using leftover tomatoes and cheese from Tuesday.
Student Creativity
The students who made the Bisque had an interesting time removing the meat from the Crab. Fortunately, the Crabs were purchased cooked, so we didn’t have to deal with live crabs.
Katie serving Crab Bisque
The Crab Bisque and Crab Sandwiches represented the state of Alaska. Unfortunately, when we were in Alaska, the restaurants that we ate at had no King Crab available. Evidently, most of it is shipped down to the lower 48. We never seem to have trouble getting it here in California.
The Mushroom /Potato Soup and the Potato/Cheese Spoon Bread were representative of the state of Idaho which everyone knows is famous for their spuds. Spoon Bread is more a casserole than bread and is served as a side dish and of course is dished out with a large spoon.
Potato/Cheese Spoon Bread
The salads were the Corn Relish and Cucumber/Sour Cream Salad. Oregon was represented with the Oregon/Blueberry Rolls which are very similar to Cinnamon Rolls. We also made Ginger Snaps and Rhubarb Cake, both of which were enjoyed by the students. All the students went home with some of the baked goods as there was too much food to be eaten at one time.
Corn Relish
Oregon Blueberry Rolls
Day Four was Southern Cooking and for this day the menu was Southern Fried Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak,Scalloped Potatoes, Succotash, Ambrosia,Weeping Salad, Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Pies, Pecan Bars and Sweet Mint Tea.
Fried Chicken
The last day of camp was Pacific Rim Food and this entailed the Pacific Rim States of California and Hawaii. Unfortunately, we were short TA’s on Saturday and did not have time to take many pictures. The Menu was California Rolls, Chicken Fajitas and Hot Artichoke Dip. The Artichoke Dip represents the area of Monterey where Artichokes have been grown for a long time. Noweadays, the growing fields near the coast in Oxnard also grow Artichokes, so Monterey is no longer alone in that area.
Artichoke Dip before Baking
We also made a Hawiaan Grilled Shrimp Salad that was served with a Papaya/Mango Marmalade, Oahu style Potato Salad. This Potato Salad contains bay shrimp, crab meat and corn. We also made a corn pudding. Needless to say, corn is grown in many areas in Southern California and Hawaii also grows some. We made Strawberry Pie and Macadamia Nut Brownies for dessert. For the beverage we made and served a Pineapple Punch. Strawberries are grown year-round now in California. They usually ripen in serial order from the San Diego area being the first crop on up to the Santa Maria area in Central Coast being later ones to ripen. In the Oxnard, different types are grown and one type or the other is available year round.
Strawberry Cream Pie
All in all the camps were a great success and the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and learned some new techniques and we hope a few facts that they can use during the school year.
Categories: Cooking for Kids, Dinner Ideas, Leftovers, Lunch Ideas, Main, Pre-Teen Classes, Salads Tags: Children's Cooking, cooking with children, Dessert Ideas, family dinner, kids cooking, Leftovers, Tomatoes, Vegetables
Teen/Preteen – US Regional Foods – Culinary Camp at LGC
The week of August 8th, 2011 was US Regional Foods Camp for the Teen/Preteens who attend the Culinary Classes at Let’s Get Cookin’ in Westlake Village, CA. The camp lasted five days which included Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The time was from 11 – 2 making each camp day 3 hours long. Just long enough for the participants to learn and practice new skills without becoming too tired.
The Regions that we visited were New England, the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, the South and the Pacific Rim States.
Monday was New England and different breakfast dishes were prepared; blueberry pancakes, Johnny Cakes (or Journey Cakes), Skillet Apples, Molasses Doughnuts, Cranberry Muffins, Deviled Eggs Florentine and a Broccoli Cheese Fritatata. Since it was breakfast, the beverage that was served was milk. The Blueberry Pancakes were served with Butter and Blueberry Syrup. The Johnny Cakes were served with the Skillet Apples. The Deviled Eggs Florentine were an Appetizer and the Fritata was served with the Cramberru Muffins. The Molasses Doughnuts were dessert.
Flipping Blueberry Pancakes
Preparing Muffin Batter
Cooking Skillet Apples
Day Two was the Midwest and luncheon items were prepared. Since the midwest is known for Beef and Corn, these items were the main focus, but not the only ones. Early in the morning before class I went out to Underwood Farms in Moorpark and purchased a box of corn. Needless to say, corn has been a mainstay of the United States, not just in the midwest but almost in every region. The box contained about 46 ears of corn and by the end of the week, most of it had been used. One of the unique things about Corn from Underwoods is that it retains its sweetness far longer than corn purchased in the supermarket.
The Appetizer was Asiago Cheese Puffs and these were passed around during prepartion time so the students wouldn’t get too hungry. The taste buds can be quickly activated when the aroma of good cooking is around. We made a Corn Chowder and Cheese Stuffed Burgers along with a Midwestern Potato Salad. The Midwestern Potato Salad is very similar to a German Potato Salad and for good reason. Back in the early days of immigration to the US from Europe many German immigrants and Scandinavians settled in the Midwest.
We also made Taffy Apple Salad, Apple Pie and Peanut Popcorn Bars. The beverage that was prepared and served was Blueberry Lemonade, which of course was very popular.
Belinda and Cassy making Burgers
Burgers & Potato Salad
Who's cutting the Bars? Emili or Sofi?
Please check out our next post for the remainder of the week.
LET’S GET COOKIN’ TEEN/PRETEEN BAKING CAMP
This past July was Baking Camp time for the Teens and Preteens who take classes at Let’s Get Cookin’ in Westlake Village. The schedule was as follows:
Day One – Breads – Yeast and Quick Breads which included:
Challah (Egg Bread), Kaiser Rolls, Pizza, Cinnamon Rolls & Cream Cheese Frosting, Monkey Bread Cheddar Cheese Biscuits Ginger Scones & Ginger Butter, Fruit Muffins & Honey Butter and Jalapeno Cornbread.
For lunch we made BBQ Pork Tenderloin and used the Biscuits to make Pork Sliders. The sliders were served along with a salad. The bread that was not eaten in class was divided into ‘take-home’ boxes for the student participants.
Day Two – Cookies which included: Bar Cookies, Drop Cookies, and a miscellaneous variety which included Black and White Cookies (a delicatessen favorite), Mexican Sugar cookies (also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies), Ginger Snaps, Graham Crackers and Rugelach. Included with the Bar Cookies were Brownies and Lemon Bars. The Drop Cookies included Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies as well as Lemon Meringues. Lunch was a salad and pizza that never made it to the oven on bread day.
Day Three – Pastries which included: a variety of Pie Crusts, Pie Fillings, Cobblers and Fruit Turnovers. The students also learned to make a variety of pie toppings which included Meringues and Whipped Cream.
Making Pie Crust
Rolling out Pie Crust
Pie Crusts
Mini- Apple Pies
Berry Tart
Day Four – Cakes – which included Classic White Cake, Sponge Cakes including Angel Food, Chocolate Lava Cake, Upside Down Cakes, and Cake for Decorating. Frostings included Chocolate Fudge Frosting and Whipped Cream. The students broke up into groups of 4 and each group made 6 inch cakes for each student to decorate the next day. In addition, they made two other cakes which were one of the ones mentioned above. The Angel Food Cake was split and filled with Whipped Cream and Strawberries and the Upside Down Cake was Peach. Each student had their own individual Chocolate Lava Cake and the Fudge Frosting was put on the Classic White Cake. The students also made several batches of Butter Cream Frosting to use for decorating on the last day.
Day Five – Cake Decorating – the students learned how to crumb coat and to finish coat. Different decorating techniques were also taught. Each student made their own cake and was given a box to take it home in. Several of the Students brought a full-size cake from home to decorate. All in all, all the students enjoyed the camp and some let us know that they were practicing some of what they learned at home.
A square Cake
A heart-shaped cake
Categories: Baking, Cooking for Kids, Dessert Ideas, Main, Pre-Teen Classes Tags: Bread, Cake Decorating, Cakes, Children's Cooking, Cookie Recipes, Cookies, cooking with children, Dessert Ideas, kids cooking, Pastries, Teen Baking
Kid Culinary Camp at LGC
The week of August 1st, 2011 was Kid’s Culinary Camp at Let’s Get Cookin’ in Westlake Village. Sylvia of Sylveee’s Kitchen.com was the instructor and was assisted by TA’s, Katie, Mia, Sofi and Emili. Shown below are some pictures of the class.
DAY ONE – PIZZA – FRUIT KABOBS & POPSICLES
Mexican Food Day
Categories: Baking, Cooking for Kids, Italian, Lunch Ideas Tags: Children's Cooking, Fruit Kabobs, Italian Sodas, kids cooking, Kids Culinary Camp, Pizza
Teen Basics Culinary – Day Five
Our last day of Camp was desserts which were chosen by the students on the first day of camp. There were some interesting requests, most of which we were able to do. Two students put down vegetables on the dessert list. Not knowing whether someone was just trying to be funny or really meant it, I decided to accommodate them. Two of the desserts that we made were Carrot Cookies and Zucchini Muffins with Cream Cheese frosting.
Two other requests were Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie. I combined the two and the students made Key Lime Cheesecake. These were made in mini-tart pans that the students were able to take home. Another request was for Pie; no particular kind of pie, but just pie. I provided Peaches and Apples for the Pies and we made half and half. Half were French Apple Pies with a streusel topping and the other half were Peach Pies with a double crust.
The two favorites of the day were the Chocolate Lava Cake and Strawberry Shortcake. The Chocolate Lava Cake had a molten interior and if you like chocolate, you certainly like these. These were made in individual disposable custard tins so that they could be brought home, if so desired. No one was able to wait long enough to take them home and they were all eaten in class. Of course, they are better when they are warm and the chocolate is molten, so the students made the right choice. Of course this way, they didn’t have to share the Chocolate Lava Cakes with eager siblings.
The Strawberry Shortcake was made with an actual ‘shortcake’. That is, sweetened biscuit dough. Some of the students had never made whipped cream before and they were amazed that you could whip up cream to that wonderful consistency that whipped cream is. The students did end up taking home their Apple or Peach Pie along with Carrot Cookies and their Zucchini Muffins. A few actually had not eaten the Key Lime Cheesecake and were able to take those home as well.
All in all, it was a very sweet ending to a wonderful week of learning the basics of cooking and of being able to apply their new skills. Each of the students ended up the week with a binder packed with recipes that were used in class along with a packet of Basic Information that included Safety Guidelines, Abbreviations and Equivalents, Cooking Terms and a list of Basic Equipment needed. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to take any pictures for this class so none will be posted. For some photos of our baking camp though, you can go to our Flicker Link and there will be many up there.
Categories: Dessert Ideas, Fruit, Main, Pre-Teen Classes Tags: Apples, Carrots, Children's Cooking, Chocolate, Cream Cheese Frosting, Dessert Ideas, Fruit, kids cooking, kids recipes, Peaches, Strawberry Shortcake, Whipped Cream, Zucchini
