Written by Dana Dessources, Teen Culinary Apprenticeship Alumna
“How are you going to survive when you get older if you can’t cook? If you just eat ramen, you’re going to become shaped like the bowl it’s in”. My lovely mother, Corletta. She still lectures me every time I open a packet of ramen, though I can actually cook now. Cooking has always been my mother’s way of caring for me. I can taste the love for her family in every bite of her cooking. I could also taste the exhaustion after a 12-hour shift of work. That’s the power of cooking to me. Sharing and feeling the sincerity of the cook.
I never really liked to stand in the kitchen and watch my mother cook, but I did it to show her she didn’t have to worry about me. I wanted to prove I could care for myself the way she cared for me. When I found The Sylvia Center’s Teen Culinary Apprenticeship (TCA) in high school, I thought, “This’ll stop her nagging!” But really, it was for my own benefit. Taking part in TCA allowed me to experience the sincerity of making good meals with other people. I realized I liked presenting a plate to someone and watching them enjoy what I’d made. I felt so much warmth presenting to my family the healthy recipes TCA taught me, and bringing them a dish that we never would have made before. As delicious as a baked mac and cheese is, when I make TCA’s vegetable soba noodle stir fry, my family scrapes their plates clean.
I still remember the smile my mother gave me when I cooked for my family over the summer. I kept asking, “Do you like it?” Because, for some reason, cooking for loved ones feels vulnerable. I really want them to feel the effort I put into preparing the food, and to enjoy it. Cooking has the power to lift the spirits, so when I fail at making a recipe for my family, I feel as though I messed up an opportunity to delight them. But, what I learned through the process of experimenting with new recipes is that it doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect or the most lavish meal. What matters most is the care I put into the stew or cupcakes I make for my family and friends.
In TCA, they encouraged us to ask questions, experiment with recipes and learn from our mistakes. In addition to learning proper knife skills and collaborating with friends, we laughed at the mistakes we made and encouraged each other. When we finished cooking, we always came together to enjoy the meal we made. It was almost never a perfect meal, but always a tasty one.
Cooking has the power to give us so many genuine and vivid experiences. The power of cooking and sharing food may have never fully dawned on me with just my mother pushing me. After all, I can be a bit stubborn. The Sylvia Center taught me culinary and life skills, various recipes, and insights about cooking I never had before – that experience unlocked the sincere enjoyment I now have for cooking and baking. I’m grateful that I no longer have to wonder ‘what if.’ Now, I have the ability to make wholesome meals for my community, passing on the love and sincerity instilled by my mother.
Until next time, be powerful in the kitchen!
Dana
