It has been an uplifting 2 weeks. The kids were so open to all the different foods in class; Ramen in a Miso broth with egg and fish patties, Pancakes and 3 kinds of Fruit compotes, Turkey Tacos and all the fixings, Spaghetti and homemade Marinara w/Meatballs, Vietnamese Springrolls with a sweet bean/peanut sauce, . I heard normal things kids would say like, “I don’t like mushrooms…cilantro…” yadda yadda but, by the end of the class they were eating everything up. ALL of them loved spicy foods, and one of my students had so much chilli in his Peanut Sauce he started to tear up…when I told him that he shouldn’t make it so spicy, he replied with, “But it’s so good teacher.”
On the last day of cooking class I took them on a mini culinary/career tour. We bussed to Hayes Valley and went into Dish where we met up with my friend Sherise who designs clothing and showed them the boutique and she gave her story, then off to the infamous SEBO sushi with Michael Black who was kind enough to slice up some fresh Kanpachi , from there we went to Paullette’s Macaroons and they each had their own brightly colored and flavored cookie fix. The group finally ended their journey at Zuni Cafe. Burgers, grape juice in wine glasses, pizzas, fries, and cookies. They were treated so well, beyond belief!
I wanted to show the kids what the world has to offer them.
The kids were magical. They had knife cutting skills, and great palates. I had them season their own food, and sat back while they savored every bite. It was such a good feeling. The best thing to happen to these kids also include Julie, Thuy, and Diana for their time as the positive role models for the kids everyday.
Cooking for anyone…well anyone that appreciates food is such a rewarding experience. Whatever happens I can only hope that these past two weeks in cooking class have affected them in a way that will secure a positive memory into their lives.
State of Flux 