To kick off our third week of the Passion for Spices™ Around the World Cooking Camp, we started with breadmaking. The kids made apple cheddar scones, which would usually have bacon in them; however, we omitted it for an equally delicious vegetarian and kosher option. Then our aspiring chefs got to make Dutch babies: a fluffy pancake creation that is thought to have originated in the American Northwest. In the morning, the kids made traditional sweet Dutch babies with organic seasonal berries. In the afternoon, the kids were able to get creative with savory dutch babies, which were a fun deviation from the norm. The kids went home with a lot of good recipes, so parents should be expecting a warm homemade breakfast sometime soon.
On Tuesday, the kids learned all about pickling. Pickling is an incredibly easy way to preserve food for long periods of time. For any fruits or vegetables sitting in the back of your fridge that are close to rotting, consider pickling them or turning them into preserves to extend their shelf life. The kids made bread and butter pickles, which are made with a vinegar-based brine as opposed to a salt-based brine. These pickles were enjoyed with tasty ham and cheese sandwiches at lunchtime. Along with pickles, the kids also made mango chutney in the morning. Mango chutney is made with stewed mangos, vinegar, lemon, and spices. It’s typically enjoyed with indian dishes. In the afternoon, the kids made fresh fruit jam, a simple yet mouthwatering way to get rid of any less-than-fresh berries. This jam was wonderful served with bread and butter.
Wednesday was the art of making pies. It might seem intimidating, but pie dough is super easy to make at home, so there’s no need to use store-bought pastry sheets. The kids made their own pastry dough, combining the butter and flour with their hands to make a flaky dough. Then they used that pastry dough to make chicken pot pie, a hearty and filling American staple. They also made a vegetable pot pie to accommodate dietary restrictions. The kids also baked apple turnovers. They peeled and sliced the apples themselves, then cooked them over the stove, and folded them into pastry dough. In the afternoon, the kids made seasonal fruit galettes with fresh organic peaches and blackberries. A galette is a kind of rustic tart where you fold the sides over the filling. It's easier than baking a pie, but it's just as delicious as one.
The fourth day of our cooking camp was focused on making homemade cheese. We started off with Ricotta. Ricotta is a simple white cheese from Italy. It's made from whey, milk, vinegar, and lemon. It’s a great source of protein and tastes perfect in pasta dishes like lasagna, which is how the kids used it. They made a beautiful lasagna using their freshly made ricotta. Lasagna is a stacked pasta dish with numerous variations, most of which feature a red sauce, some type of meat, and ricotta cheese. Lasagna originates from Italy. Different regions have different traditional lasagna recipes, which makes it a great adaptable recipe depending on what you have in your fridge. In the afternoon, our young chefs made paneer. A indian cheese that’s perfect in a spinach dish like palak paneer. Paneer is a fantastic vegetarian protein and a great recipe to have on hand.
Friday was pasta day. We began with an orechiette bolognese. The orechiette was made with a homemade semolina dough. The kids shaped the past themselves, learning two different pasta shapes: orechiette and cavatelli. Bolognese is a meat and tomato-based sauce traditionally made with a mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onions. In many Italian dishes, most tomato-based sauces are sweetened with carrots and celery instead of adding sugar, so try making your sauce or bolognese and see how it compares to store-bought in both flavor and nutrition. Along with the bolognese, the kids were also hard at work making sweet potato gnocchi. A pillowy dough made with potato, gnocchi is a simple yet popular pasta dish. The kids used forks to create that iconic gnocchi shape, and the potato pasta was served in a brown butter sage sauce. For the afternoon, the students got to learn how to make pici pasta, a method of rolling out pasta that resembles a sort of rustic spaghetti. None of the pasta shapes that the kids learned today required any kind of machine or kitchen-aid attachment. We encourage you to try making it at home!
