Niki F. is quite the cook. She can make Greek favorites such as the pastry baklava and orzo, a type of pasta. She can bake deserts, roast a lamb,and barbecue.
No, Niki isn’t a professional chef, but she does have years of experience. “I started learning when I was 5, and I cooked small things,” says Niki, 10, of Chicago.
Niki used to follow her grandfather around the restaurant he owned. Now he manages a doughnut shop, and Niki likes to visit and help out. Sweets are her specialty. She also cooks Greek food with her grandmother.
“I love to cook, and I think a lot of other kids do too,” Niki says. “It’s just the fun of making something.”
Move over Mom and Dad, there’s a new chef in the kitchen. Many kids are tying on aprons so they can bake, brew and stew their favorite dishes.
Cookbook author Megan Carle, 22, says young celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Rocco DiSpirito have helped to make cooking cool.
“It’s people close to our age, so kids realize it’s not just older people who cook for their families. Young people can cook, too, and cook for their friends,” says Carle, co-author of “Teens Cook” (Ten Speed Press, $19.95).
Young chefs became famous on network TV and cable channels such as the Food Network. Before the Food Network became popular, chef shows were sometimes slow-moving programs on PBS. Carle says these shows, including “Frugal Gourmet,” were “boring” for younger audiences.
Now chefs vie in intense televised competitions such as “Iron Chef” and “Hell’s Kitchen.” Jordan A., 14, of Hinsdale has seen “Iron Chef,” and says he learned to cook by taking kids’ cooking classes at Flavour Cooking School in Forest Park. “The best part of cooking is knowing how to do it yourself,” he says.
Jordan attended a kids’ cooking camp during the summer and says he learned how to make French, Italian and Mexican cuisine. At a typical class, the instructor explains the menu for the day. Next, the students organize their ingredients and materials. Jordan says this preparation is called “mise-en-plas.”
“It’s [French] translated to ‘everything in its place.’ We [organize our supplies] and get everything we need, and then we start working and creating food,” Jordan says.
Students always sample their food, so Claire R., 14, of Chicago says she never packed lunch when she went to cooking camp at Sur La Table in Chicago. She made her own pasta, California rolls and crepes. “I was kind of surprised at how easy it was,” she says.
Claire says her classmates were easy to get along with, because they were “all there to learn to cook, and they cooperated.”
Now she and her sibs help in the kitchen, and sometimes offer culinary advice to her parents. “We all work together,” Claire says.
Niki also attended a camp at Sur La Table, where she made ice cream, pancakes and nachos. At home, she often cooks. But, she cautions, accidents can happen, so kids should cook with an adult.
“I was making cookies with my grandma … the tray was hot and I burned myself. Then I had to go to ice skating and my arm really hurt,” she says.
Cooking takes practice, and Carle says kids can start with easy baking recipes, such as cookies or brownies. Learning to bake might take a few batches of burnt brownies or rock-hard cookies, but she says it’s part of the process. “I still [make] bad batches of cookies. I’m really infamous for losing count of measuring,” Carle says.
As kids become more experienced chefs, a few extra pinches of seasoning might turn a regular recipe into a kid’s signature meal. Claire says creativity is the best part of cooking. “I like the fact that I can create whatever I want, and that it doesn’t really matter what goes into it. It’s freedom of expression,” Claire says.
– – –
Grab an apron and get cooking
Craving a cooking class? There are plenty of area schools that offer cooking lessons for kids. Classes can range from one session to a weeklong camp. Many schools offer evening and weekend classes.
Kids who want to take a cooking class should dress the part. “You shouldn’t wear nice clothes to cooking,” says Niki F. “It’s not really dressed up; you’re just making stuff and you don’t want to get flour on your nice clothes.”
Here’s where aspiring chefs can get creative:
– The Chopping Block, 4747 N. Lincoln Ave. or the Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 107. Classes are for kids age 3 and up, and include such course titles as “Spaghetti and Meatballs” and “French Fries and Onion Rings.” Schedules online at TheChoppingBlock.net.
– Flavour Cooking School, 7401 W. Madison St., Forest Park. Classes are separated into three age groups, and kids can sign up for lessons such as “Pasta-bilities!” Families also can register for parent-child classes. Check out the calendar of classes at FlavourCookingSchool.com or call 708-488-0808.
– Northshore Cookery, Port Clinton Square, Highland Park. Kids 10 and older can sign up for an eight-class series that begins in January. See the class schedule at NorthShoreCookery.com or call 847-432-2665.
– Sur La Table, 52-54 E. Walton St. or 55 S. Main St., 1D, Naperville. Most workshops, such as “Cupcakes,” are aimed at kids ages 8 to 12. Class schedules vary between locations; schedules are online at SurLaTable.com.
– – –
Do try this at home
Want to try your hand at cooking but don’t know where to start? Here are some cookbooks to inspire you:
– In “Cooking Up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook” by Sam Stern (Candlewick Press, $16.99), British teen Stern, 15, has whipped up a kid-friendly book with recipes that range from simple (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) to slightly exotic (My Friend Joe’s Thai Green Curry).
– With 75 recipes from around the globe, Chef Emeril Lagasse’s latest cookbook for kids, “There’s a Chef in My World” (HarperCollins, $22.99), offers a great way to learn about other cultures through their food.
– “Batter Up Kids: Sensational Snacks” by Barbara Beery (Gibbs Smith, $19.95) has treats and meals that require only 7 to 10 ingredients. The recipes, such as Pizza in My Pocket, are easy to prepare with a little adult supervision.
———-
ctc-kidnews@tribune.com
