Archive: Around Town

18 chefs, aged 7 to 14, divided into two teams bustled around the kitchen, cutting ingredients, mixing dough, improvising recipes.  They only had 45 minutes before their creations would be judged.  There was excitement, but not panic.  Neither team's pizza dough cooked through -- Team 1 decided to adapt by eliminating the dough altogether.  Which team would win the Iron Chef competition?

That was the scene in the Sincredible Pastries kitchen last Friday, the last day of 'Iron Chef' camp.  "I thought it would be exciting for them to learn techniques all through the week," says Sincredible Pastries Executive Chef Marion Cardwell-Ferrer.  "They put it all together Friday to see what they remember and to have fun creating something."



The 'Iron Chef' camp was the first in a series of camps for kids who want to learn to cook.  Ferrer taught them to cook a variety of soup, salad, entrees, desserts from recipes she provided during the week.  Typically the class cooked four dishes per day.  On the last day the challenge was to take that knowledge and improvise.


The kids broke up into two teams, and had 45 minutes to come up with dishes to impress three judges:  Heights Cafe Owner/Executive Chef James Larounis, Lansing Star Online's Karen Veaner, and Chef Marion's mother Suzanne Cardwell.  The teams were judged on creativity, presentation, taste, teamwork, and cleanliness.

Ferrer says the young chefs wanted a hands-on approach, and that's what they got.  "This class started out being more of a class where I would demonstrate for them," she says.  "After 20 minutes they asked 'When are we going to start to make stuff?'  Immediately I shifted my focus.  I figured out a way for all of them to help and by the end of the week they were doing everything themselves."


They also had a say in what dishes they learned to cook, including omelets, rice pilaf, chicken tenders with dipping sauces.  They cooked the chicken two different ways: sautéing it and baking it so they could learn the different techniques.  They were also given a glossary of cooking, and were tested on it.  The highest scorers won a prize.

"I'm really impressed with this group," Ferrer says.  "They have pretty sophisticated palettes.  There are only a couple of little kids who aren't fond of some of the items, but most of them are trying everything out.  I was surprised that every one of them loved the salad.  It had beets and peppers and tomatoes, and cheese, and carrots -- it had a little bit of everything."

On Friday the teams had to come up with two dishes using ingredients they were given.  Team 1 presented 'crustless pizza' and fruit salad to the judges.  Team 2 created fruit salad and 'dessert pizza with raspberry, melted jelly, and sauce.  The judges were hard pressed to declare a winner, and the contest ended in a tie.  The kids received a chef's hat and their own recipe boxes with cards to start their own recipe collection at home.


This week Ferrer offered a dessert camp for about 20 kids.  She says she loves working with young aspiring chefs.

"If I could make a good living I would just do this," she says.  "I like to be with them.  They're really fun and they say the funniest things.  They really are interested in learning this.  I think it's great because so many kids don't know how to cook.  They have a huge sense of pride when they make something for themselves, and to be able to do that for their parents."

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