My dd14 is doing cooking this year, but what I had planned for her is not working out. The school we are using this year allows for me to plan the class myself and will award a high school credit provided she clock 160 hours (or 1/2credit if she does 80 hrs). I got a cookbook with recipes from around the world to have her do and we are taking pictures of her cooking plus the final product. But its just not clocking enough time. I want to add nutrition instruction and some more difficult recipes. Does anybody have ideas on what I can do? Maybe some ideas of books or DVD's to watch?
Has she planned a full menu with all of the food groups? How about planning a week's worth of meals/snacks with the nutrition info for all of it? Can she bake for others as a gift? Does budgeting while planning and the actual shopping for food count?
I don't know if I can count literally shopping for the food, but creating the menu and actual cooking/baking I can. I am a very simple 'chef' myself so I would like to get her some sort of book that teaches technique, as well. Remember "Julie/Julie Project" and Julia Child's book had pictures of the techniques? Something like that.....I think. Maybe....I'm not sure what I need.
Yes, planning the menus AND shopping for the food should count! She has to make decisions while shopping as far as brands, costs, etc. That's ALL part of it!
I'm with Jackie, it should count. Planning the menu, shopping, nutrition, etc, should all count. Do you have Food Network? Could she watch a show and cook what they cook in the show (should add 30-60 minutes in here and there? What about Unwrapped-neat info on how foods are made and such... For nutrition-discuss the government's food pyramid vs Harvard's Healthy Eating Pyramid vs all the other food pyramids (there is mediterranean, mexican, chinese, etc-just google it) Have her plan a day's menu based on each of the different pyramids. Have you watched Super Size Me yet? It's a must see. As well as Food, Inc and King Corn. (all are available for streaming through Netflix if you have that or know someone who does) Food, Inc has a FB page that posts lots of interesting links you might could read and research and dive into. (they also have a website) What about researching the government regulation for Organic, and Free Range, and other labels. A field trip to a Dairy or any farms or food plants near by? What about researching, planning and cooking for special diets for medical conditions. Diabetes, gluten free, etc
You know - Food TV and other cooking websites have how to videos on the site. That would be an idea too, learn different techniques by watching the videos (and also clocking time that's not too taxing).
My favorite site for recipes and such is www.allrecipes.com. I believe they also have sections for how-to. One idea I had for your dd is for her to join a site like that where she can keep an online recipe box, write reviews on the recipes she has tried as well as how she tweaked them. When I took cooking in high school, a huge part of what we did was meal planning, making our shopping list for our teacher, including brands or generic, and analyzing cost per serving. Add nutritional value and cooking for special diets and I'd think you would have a full course.
Alton Brown!! Oh, how I love him (in a cooking sort of way, of course). You should be watching "Good Eats" on the Food Network. There is so much how and why and when and who ... and humor! ... and recipes in that show. And forgive the self-plug, but I sell a recipe set "for kids" (although it's for grown ups, too... just recommended for 8+ because of the reading a motor skills involved). http://store.barefootbooks.com/kids-kitchen.html (You can click on the image to see a lot more views and scroll to the bottom to see what people think about it.)
My kids are doing a cooking class this year too but it isn't until the second semester. We did however do about the first 12 lessons. So far it has taught them which measuring spoons and cups are appropriate for measuring dry or wet ingredients. After going through all the utensils and their uses they were to follow a recipe and were graded. They were to make chocolate chip cookies. Their final is to make a meal and invite guests over and they need to do everything themselves ~ plan, cook, set the table, clean up, etc... If you need more ideas I can look in my book to see what they are plannig for the rest of the semester.
Are you familiar with America's Test Kitchen? What if you have her do some comparison cooking like that? You know, where they test all the different ways to bake a chicken breast and decide which is best... Their website is great, too. They even have a whole section called "science" where they discuss the science of cooking. That's another rabbit hole she could go down and kill two birds in the process. If it comes to it, you could see about checking out Culinary Arts textbooks on an inter-library loan. They would be exactly the sort of book you're looking for, but are VERY pricey to purchase. If you DO decide to buy them, I suggest finding one of the many textbook websites that guarantee buyback at a certain price (which you can see before you buy the book. So you know the book is $100, but they'll guaranteed buy it back for $60, so really you're only spending $40 to 'rent' it for the year).
You might also want to check out 4-H. They've got some awesome cooking projects that include lots of science. And, here in Ohio at least, ANYONE can buy the books. They run about $5 each, so they are fairly inexpensive.
I love Alton, too. We call him the Bill Nye Science Guy of Food. My husband already knows that he better not let me meet him in person. LOL LOVE HIS SHOWS!!!
wow! I must be different cookie out there. My girls never took a cooking class or I should nothing we record. I taught them cooking on my own time and have them making menus, make them shop, and do cooking too. Now with me back to work they have been doing alot. Last week came home to homemade peanut butter bars, and tator tot cassrole. Oh it was great.
Not the odd one Mom_2_3. My mom didn't teach me housekeeping, cooking or washing, either. Yes, sad to say I was spoiled and it was/is a HUGE disservice to me. My Dh and you ladies have taught me a lot and I have been married 21 yrs.
I haven't read all the posts, so sorry if I am repeating something already posted. How about teaching her about complimentary flavors. Some flavors clash while some inhance. Teach specifics; dicing, sautéing, browning, freezing, kneading, rolling, glazing, etc... If a meal takes one hour to make, if she browns, cuts, spices the food, count the time for it. It should add up fast. Does she make herself snacks during the day, count that as cooking too.
We don't have cable but I'm sure we can get the shows mentioned online. Great idea! Also the menu planning and actual shopping are good ideas. Then specific skills, like chopping or kneading. I could make a "unit" around the skill of kneading, for example, and it would be breads and rolls. I could find Food Network shows with the subject of breadmaking, compile a few recipes...OOOOHHH this is fun! Now you got my brain goin'! ~Tina
There's also a lot as far as leavening goes. Quick breads vs. yeast breads, what makes each rise? What needs to be present to activate yeast? What is the "ideal" temperature for the water to be? The fact that yeast is LIVING. How does the amount of salt/sugar effect the taste?
