Spotlight on Longwarry
Students at Longwarry Primary School have been cooking meals from around the world for the past two years.
On Thursday night grade 5/6 students hosted around 20 of their parents at the school's new kitchen and dining space for an Italian-themed three course meal.
Parents could choose from several items on the menu. For entree there was the choice of bruschetta or mini pizzas, lasagne or carbonara for the main course and tiramisu for dessert. The pasta was made by the students from scratch. Homemade garlic bread was also on offer.
Students have previously hosted their parents for an English food themed night, an Asian themed night, a Mexican night and a French night that was held by the grade three and four students.
Grades three to six have held parents’ restaurant nights. Preps, grade ones and grade twos will hold a high tea in term 4.
Rosemary Holden teaches the cooking classes. She also holds cooking sessions once a week with students who help to cook food to be donated to the BlazeAid, in support of the Bunyip State Park bushfire relief efforts.
In the past students have helped Rosemary cook sticky date pudding and apricot crumble for BlazeAid.
But Longwarry Primary's culinary education program is about more than just making greattasting food.
"They have to learn to take turns and work in teams and share," Holden says.
"It's about life skills," says Rosemary. "Number one is about table manners."
"Hygiene is a big one," says Rosemary. "And kitchen safety. We teach them how to use big knives."
The students learn about different types of vegetables, fruits, spices and cooking techniques as well as how to use utensils correctly and how to properly set the table for dinner.
Holden prepares some of the ingredients for the younger year levels, but the older children are simply given a recipe to copy.
"They have to make sure if it says one teaspoon you don't put one tablespoon in." "We do a lot of kitchen vocab," she says. The classes introduce new flavours and textures to the students' palettes. Holden tries to make even the most reluctant students try a new food for the first time.
"You have to taste it, but I'll never make you eat something you don't like," she says. "They taste food they've never tasted before."
"Some kids go home and copy recipes they have cooked."
"Some get their parents to make the stuff they have cooked."
"It's about sharing food," she says. "It's so much fun. It's just fabulous."