Is your youngster an aspiring Giada, Ina, or Jamie?
There are all sorts of day programs to keep children occupied during the summer months, but parents of young foodies might want to consider the Kids Summer Cooking Camps run by Nella Cucina.
This is the third year the Toronto-based cooking school has offered its kid-centric program, which begins Monday and runs for four weeks. Parents can sign their kids (ages 8+) up for a single day, a full week, or a selection of dates. CityLine.ca recently spoke with Joanne Lusted, freelance chef and part-time culinary instructor at Nella Cucina, about the program, and she mentioned that the recipes the kids make in class are often the same ones offered in the adult cooking classes.
“It’s really not dumbed down for kids at all,” Lusted notes. “Maybe just a tiny bit in terms of the spices and whatnot, but they’re not just decorating cupcakes. They’re cooking with real knives, and real flames and everything.”
Safety is of the utmost importance, Lusted assures. There’s a ratio of one chef instructor for about every six kids, a maximum of 24 pupils per class, and a thorough explanation of the rules at the start. Kids learn about knife skills, how to properly use the stoves, as well as other important lessons such as setting the table and cleaning as you go.
“One parent actually came in specifically to thank us because her child had finally learned to clean as you go,” the chef recalls with a laugh. “She said, ‘Mom, we have to make sure that this station’s clean before we start something else.’ It’s hilarious.”
Lusted says she’s always surprised by how much the students already know about food and cooking before they even set food inside the classroom.
“They’re really not afraid of it. I didn’t have sushi until I was well into my 20s and these kids are eating it at six years old, it’s really amazing,” she says.
The days are themed, so one day will be Thai food, the next might be Moroccan, and the day after might be Greek. For instance, on an Indian food-themed day, students might make butter chicken, green bean thoran, and samosas. The classes run from 10am-3pm, so in the morning kids will make something that they’ll eat for lunch, and then in the afternoon they’ll make something to bring home with them, perhaps some Jamaican patties or jerk spice rub.
For Lusted, the best part is getting kids to try foods they might otherwise turn their noses up at.
“We had them eating artichoke pizzas last year,” she says. “They’d come in and see the artichokes and go, ‘Eww, artichokes! That’s stinky!’ And then as soon as [the pizza] comes out of the oven it’s covered in cheese and all these great ingredients, and they look at it, and eat it, and say, ‘Oh my gosh this is delicious.’”
For more on Nella Cucina’s Kids Summer Cooking Camps, click here.