Culinary And Food Ed Learning- A Deconstructed Approach at OFSHEEA...

It's been a while since I posted- I have been super busy with my cooking programs, new food projects, home renos and oh yeah- I went away for a week with the fam bam (Disney cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, then Disney World in Orlando). Day before heading out to warmer weather, I brought in some colour and sunshine facilitating a food and culinary skills workshop at a food educators' conference I have been excitedly preparing for. 🤗👩‍🍳👨‍🍳🍴🌈🥕🥦🍆🍅

When I was in grades 7 & 8 family studies was mandatory- we learned basic cooking skills, sewing and wood working. Raise your hands if you remember how great these lessons were! In particular, Food Skills which are Life Skills! Across Canada, home economics got cut and the increasingly fast paced lifestyle caved in to the influx of processed food, convenient take out and the microwave. Cooking skills, very sadly fell by the wayside. Food education courses are being taught in high schools- but they are elective. And with the education funding cuts, compulsory classes would be the first to go 😔.

There are some great Home Economics Associations that tirelessly champion real food, food education and getting kids and people in the kitchen to cook by providing resources and tools to members who are food industry leaders, educators, teachers, parents and the community. I was so thrilled to join the Ontario Family Studies Home Economics Educators' Association at their OFSHEEA CONFERENCE 2019 to facilitate a hands-on workshop Food and Culinary Skills: A Deconstructed Approach with Family Studies Educators, sharing a culmination of experiences I have had food educating and cooking with kids of all ages, and youths. And it was a huge success 🤗! 

A huge thank you goes to OFSHEEA's organization committee Nahid Mawji and Mrs. Hucal for capturing and sharing with me many of these great photos to use in my post and social media!

The final spread of four insta-worthy fresh and colourful dishes!

A fun visual and take-home exercise for younger kids to share "what's in their home pantry?"

The Pantry includes spices, condiments, wet and dried packaged goods
that are stored in the cupboards, fridge and freezer. "What's in yours?"

I love seeing people of all ages get hands-on and work those knife skills!

You can cook with the bare bone basics such as a sink and running water, flat surface area and a cutting board & knife. I was inspired to do no-cook recipes while working with refugee youths two summers ago who were living in hotels and had no access to a fridge or stove. I showcased a series of fresh healthy recipes they could do in their hotel room with vegetables and fruits they could eat as a snack, or make and take for on outdoor picnic or BBQ. No-cook recipes are great for young kids at home making it safer without working with heat.

Easy and delicious recipes can be simply made with a cutting board and knife- no heat cooking!

So fresh and aromatic!

Crowd-Pleasing Bruschetta

A Deconstructed Approach encompasses Culinary, Food Education, and Team Work.

Let Kids Lead! Agree on a final dish, break down the recipe to focus on one ingredient each time over the course of the sessions, building up to the culminated constructed final dish. Taste the ingredient. Create a dish. Have a group conversation.

I interweave these elements into each lesson:

Culinary: Fresh produce, local, healthy/ age appropriate learning /integrate multicultural foods and dishes /Choose recipes that lend to customization (DIY spread)

Food Ed: 1. Food history (dish origin, how food is grown or produced, food varieties)
2. Food conversations (family stories- cultural customs / celebrations / experiences)
3. Sensory exploring with our five senses

Team Work: Food etiquette and safety / Hygienic work environment / team work & fairness

Part participants being hands-on- I love showcasing how everything comes together
at my finale demo! Fresh ingredients are great. Together they are magical!

These lovely ladies who teaches Family Studies to high school students prepared four fresh and healthy multicultural dishes as part of my Deconstructed Approach to culinary and food education learning! In under an hour, we made Italian Bruschetta, Caribbean Black Bean Mango and Papaya Salad, Mediterranean Yogurt Herb Dip and Mexican Taco Salad. And a vibrant feast for our eyes and senses they were 🍅🥕🥑🍴🧀🥗 made under one hour!

The culminated constructed dish is the Mexican Taco Salad. We got tomatoes (discussion point on fresh produce) from Italian bruschetta, black beans from the Caribbean salad (discuss pantry) and chives (discuss herbs) from the Mediterranean dip.

Taco Salad (Mexican)
Serves 6 to 8

1/2 head medium romaine lettuce, leaves washed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 can (540 mL) or 2 cups black beans, drained, rinsed and drained well
4 firm ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 ripe avocados, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 limes, juice of
Handfuls of tortilla chips, crushed
2 green onions or chives, chopped and/or cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Lay the lettuce pieces on a platter to cover. In rows, arrange the black beans, tomatoes, avocados and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lime all over. Scatter crushed tortillas and fresh herbs over top to finish. Toss altogether to serve.

Great Add-Ins: Corn niblets, red onions, sour cream, salsa, jalapeno, hot sauce

Caribbean Black Bean Mango and Papaya Salad, Mediterranean Yogurt Herb Dip,
Italian Bruschetta and Mexican Taco Salad

Let's together #feedinggreatfutures 💕🙏 #keepfoodskillsalive 

Thank you to keynote speaker and my pal chef Sang Kim for connecting me to OFSHEEA President Derek Wun and @ofsheea for all the amazing preparations to make it such an enjoyable conference! I heard the participants loved my workshop- they found it most valuable and fitting for this year's food-centric conference. YAY! Hope to be back again! 

OFSHEEA President Derek Wun and Chef Sang Kim

I am so grateful for the wonderful people I have met, partner with and the incredible opportunities I have been given to do my life's passion. Thank you all and to the universe that has been so good to me. 💕🙏 

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world."-- Gandhi