Miniature chef ready to whip country’s best
She may be too young to take cooking as a subject at school, but Grace Thompson is already a whizz in the kitchen.
The 12-year-old Orewa College student has taken out the Auckland Kids Can Cook competition, and will represent the region in the national finals later this month.
Cooking unaccompanied from age seven, the Hatfields resident had plenty of experience to draw on to impress the judges.
Having a chef for a brother to give her a few handy tips certainly helped a bit too.
Grace’s meal entries were inspired by a few of her favourites; the ‘‘very New Zealand’’ lamb cutlets with tzatziki and Greek couscous, and a prawn fettucine with zesty salad and garlic bread.
After cooking her meals for her family all week in the lead up to the regional final, Grace only had 30 minutes to whip them up on the day.
She found the timing to be a bit stressful, but says the judges commended her for cooking right down to the final minutes.
The final showdown will take place on July 30 at the Logan Campbell Centre, alongside the Food Show.
Grace says she is nervous but excited to get her cook on at the event, where she plans on working with her family favourite; kai moana.
She hopes to impress judges with a crayfish meal and a ‘‘modern day’’ take on the classic fish and chips.
Grace’s uncle, who is a crayfish diver in Wellington, plans to send Grace up a few crayfish for her to practice preparing.
‘‘I’ve never cooked it before, but mum’s going to teach me,’’ she said.
Grace rates her presentation and use of herbs and spices as her biggest strengths in the kitchen, saying she is fussy with her food and knows what goes together well.
Should Grace win the national finals, she will take home an oven and a trophy, with a cash prize going to her school.
As a year 8 student, it’s her last chance to take part in Kids Can Cook, but she’s not fazed on taking out first place.
‘‘It’s not really about winning for me - it’s just about doing it,’’ she said.
Grace hopes to one day be a food photographer for magazines, or a hairdresser.