"I recently had the pleasure of working an entire week with 15 fabulous youth during our 2nd annual 4-H Junior Chef Academy. It was awesome seeing those young people learning not only how to cook but also learning proper etiquette during a meal, seeing food businesses in action, and creating their own food businesses.
One of my favorite memories of this academy was watching these 9- to 13-year-olds sitting down to a meal at a fine dining establishment (Pinehurst Resort) for their first time. They not only learned which utensil to use for each part of the meal but also how to sit in the chair, where to place their hands, and under what circumstances to excuse themselves from the table. In addition, they learned where to place their napkin before leaving the table, how to talk during the meal, and cell phone etiquette. They didn’t know exactly how to act or speak yet handled the experience quite well, probably better than some adults. It was priceless! Following our meal, Executive Chef Thierry Debailleul provided a tour of their expansive kitchen. He also shared the story of his culinary journey, hopefully, inspiring future chefs in the group.
Another favorite memory of the week included touring La Farm Bakery in Cary. Each young person baked his or her own loaf of French bread (baguette). What a tasty prize for each! Youth and adults alike were amazed at the huge European steam-injected oven at this bakery. Each drawer was lined with stone to hold heat like old-world ovens, producing a crispy crust. The youth also learned about making lattes, yeast as a leavening agent, and the three-day process they use to bake old-world style bread.
Another experience was working with the local foods and tourism agent to learn about local foods at the farmers market and new terms like “value-added products.” They had the opportunity to talk to farmers about produce and value-added products sold at the Robeson County Farmers Market. While on the field trip in Pinehurst, teams searched the local businesses for value-added products.
Foods they prepared from scratch included spinach and chicken quiche, crepes, French toast, chocolate mousse, blueberry jam, butter cake, and decorator icing. Many had their doubts about eating spinach, but there was very little quiche left on any plates. Their favorite foods seemed to be the crepes. They also learned how to decorate cakes and cookies.
As a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, I’m usually preaching to eat half your plate in fruits and veggies. In addition, this academy provided a wide range of culinary experiences and skills these youth can use for a lifetime at home and in a career. They learned measuring, math, food safety, nutrition, and much more.
Another grand opportunity for these youth was working with our Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) on reading nutrition labels, making healthy food choices, and learning about whole grains. As you can see, we had an activity-intense week.
One of the greatest compliments we receive from this camp is when a parent or grandparent comes in and identifies the skills their child learned from this camp as things they now do in everyday life. Then it seems like these youth are having more than just fun cooking up things. They are gaining skills that will last the rest of their lives.
For more information, please contact Janice Fields, Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at Janice_Fields@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation."
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