Teens in Hudson, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens have been working hard in the kitchen to learn new cooking skills that they can share with others. With a host of solid recipes under their belt, and plenty of practice with cooking techniques, they are primed to take these recipes and skills home, and into their communities.
Teens in Hudson prepared Vegetable Dumplings and Spring Fried Rice.
At Hudson High School, teens learned how to incorporate more vegetables into these two classic (and delicious!) dishes.
In Brooklyn, teens prepared for summer cooking classes by teaching their peers.
This summer, Brooklyn teens will teach younger kids during summer camps throughout New York City. To prepare, Brooklyn teens practiced their teaching skills by mock-teaching with their peers. Given only ingredients, teens were left to research the procedure and select which tools were best to use for the recipe. Senai, one of the Brooklyn teens, demonstrated a basic broil technique and explained the benefits of plant-based recipes to her peers. Senai explained that plant-based proteins are plants that are edible and are minimally processed. She asked her peers to give an example of a minimally processed food seen in their everyday life.
- Before beginning any recipe, be sure to mise en place. By preparing all of the ingredients first, it makes cooking more efficient and organized.
- Different recipes call for different cooking techniques — choose your tools accordingly. For Senai and Jusina’s lesson, they used a chef knife and a spatula, for slicing and scrambling eggs.
- Always be mindful of kitchen safety. Teens demonstrated how to hold tools safely. For example, fingers should be clawed to prevent the knife from cutting your fingers.
- Taste as you go! Students tasted the food while it was cooking to see if extra seasoning is needed.
In the Bronx, teens have been cooking up a storm at the Bronx Cookspace.
With veteran Chef Instructor, Justina Petway, these teens took their lessons outdoors to examine their food environment and learn about local food systems. With only a few weeks of their practicum intensive left, they are emerging as young leaders who are ready to show young kids how much can be learned inside and outside the kitchen. Bravo teens!
Teens from Riis Community Center in Queens visited Plated Headquarters.
Teens from Riis Community Center in Queens took their cooking skills to new heights — showing off what they know at the Plated headquarters with Chief Culinary Officer, Elana Karp. After preparing a yeast dough from scratch with the Plated culinary team, teens prepared pizza with fresh spring herbs, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Later, teens had a lesson on food styling, food marketing and food procurement. Teens left with even more inspiration for creativity through food.
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