Kids can (and do) cook at ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen kids camps
It’s a day off school for Edmonton-area students.
The teachers’ convention is happening up the street, and most kids are taking advantage of the free time by sleeping in or playing video games.
But a dozen nine- to 12-year-olds have something else going on downtown today. They’re making pasta.
Kids Can Cook – Italian Feast edition – brings plenty of self-described young foodies to the commercial kitchen at ATCO’s downtown site on March 2, though the Blue Flame Kitchen brims with cooking enthusiasts during spring break and summer session camps too. With hands washed, safety instructions understood and blue aprons on, these kids are ready to create a feast of homemade pasta, meatballs, Caesar salad and dressing, and pan-fried croutons—all to be made and devoured within a couple of hours.
“This is the coolest part,” says 10-year-old Peter Hlushak of cranking the pasta-maker and turning a strip of well-floured dough into fettucini noodles as his eightyear-old sister Zoe catches the pasta strands at the other side of the machine.
“We’ve never had fresh pasta. We just buy it in the box at the store,” adds Ty Anthieren, 10, whose eight-year-old brother Callen is busy loading the tray with his own freshlycut strands of dough.
Working in groups of four with recipe sheets, cutting boards, chef’s knives and measuring spoons, the enthusiastic bunch gets busy creating noodles, toasted bread cubes and meatballs; taking turns reading the recipes, measuring out basil, oregano and salt, cracking eggs and chopping the lettuce for the Italian-themed lunch—all under the watchful guidance of two ATCO community educators, of course.
“I didn’t know how much work it takes to make a meal,” says 10-year-old Jack McDermott about two hours into the class.
In truth, many kids already know a lot about food and cooking according to Melissa Kubik, ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen supervisor. With TV cooking shows (many featuring kids) and a steady stream of online food demo tutorials available 24/7, children are exposed to as much, or more, information about kitchen tools and techniques as their parents ever were.
“We took home ec in high school, but didn’t have any of the cooking camps or food competition shows the kids see today. Parents tell us they want their children to have confidence and a comfort level in the kitchen—to help make supper. That’s why demand for our Kids Camps keeps growing,” says Kubik.
“Lots of kids take more than one class, so we’re always upping variety in our programming, looking at trends and adding more of what gets the best response,” adds ATCO community educator Janet Young, pointing to pasta-making, Mexican enchilada or taco-making sessions and baking class as perennial favourites with kids and parents alike.
“But this is definitely one of our messiest classes—the kids can get covered in flour when they’re making pasta,” says ATCO community educator Lisa Lindquist.
The Kids Can Cook camps at ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen are all half-day offerings—$50 for a three-hour session of demonstration and hands-on learning for tweens. Safety, hand-washing, proper food handling and knife skills are emphasized throughout the sessions, but kids know it’s getting to do the actual cooking that makes this camp especially fun.
“We want the fun and learning of doing it ourselves,” says 10 year-old Vida Wagenseil, a veteran of numerous kids cooking camps around town.
“I’m definitely going to go home and make this for my family. My brother will want to try these meatballs,” adds nine-year-old Rowan Foulger.
Kubik says some parents report that their children do show a new-found enthusiasm in the kitchen.
“Kids are brave. After they create something here they are more willing to help out in the kitchen at home, and show off what they can do,” she says.
Kids camps range from Mediterranean, German and Asian-inspired creations, to backpack snacks, quick breads, pastries, backyard burgers and gnocchi-making. See www.ATCOBlueFlameKitchen.com for camp dates and subjects.
The ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen is iconic in Alberta— known as much for its popular cookbooks as its phone help service with tips and answers about household problems, food safety, stain removal and recipes. For some 90 years, the trusted brand has become synonymous with kitchen wisdom.