Cooking Matters for Teens at Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls
by Anisha Glanton
Early in my life, my grandmother labeled me as the “picky eater” of our family. The list of foods I refused to let grace my plate was long, oddly specific, and based on arbitrary rules: no cheese (unless it was melted), absolutely nothing spicy or salty, and anything I couldn’t spell was off the table. When I went off to college, I knew I would have to learn how to sustain myself, so I quickly mastered the art of making grilled cheese and how to make a pot of pasta without setting my dorm kitchen ablaze. It’s safe to say that I am far from being a cook. Joining the team at Operation Food Search has pushed me to evaluate my approach to cooking, try new foods, and volunteer in cooking classes.
This month, I’m excited to share my experiences. This first adventure starts with a Cooking Matters class at Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls.
Good Thymes
We began the class by gathering the girls in Hawthorn’s cafeteria and taking attendance. Our instructor, Jessie, recapped the recipes from our previous meeting, which included yogurt parfaits with homemade granola and pita chips with mango salsa. Today the participants decided to make baked chicken, homemade BBQ sauce, fruit smoothies, and wholegrain brownies for dessert—which is a lot of cooking for an 80-minute class with 12 teenagers.
We divided into two groups of six, one for preparing the chicken and another for baking the brownies, and then went to work. For preparing the chicken, the girls learned how to properly portion chicken strips for even cooking and how to incorporate a healthy alternative to breading by using crushed corn flakes as a coating. At first, many of the participants were skeptical of how the crushed cereal would taste on the chicken, but we reminded them that adding familiar spices, like paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper, would help the dish taste great. After breading the chicken, Jessie showed them how to make their own BBQ sauce using a few simple ingredients, including ketchup, onions, and brown sugar. In the brownie group, the girls learned how to incorporate alternative sweeteners and fats, such as honey and applesauce, in their recipes to reduce the use of sugar and oil. Once the brownies were in the oven, their group prepared our smoothies. By the end of the class, the girls were excited to try their dishes, and many of them enjoyed the meal so much that they took home extra helpings to share with their parents and siblings.
So, What’s the Big Dill?
On the surface, Cooking Matters offers its teen participants a structured after school activity where they can spend time with their peers and unwind before heading home to homework and chores. For many of the girls, the course is an opportunity to learn about healthy eating and to hone new skills, both of which they can share with their families. During my time with the girls at Hawthorn, I believe that we all learned how to be more receptive to new foods and how to try a new technique or recipe without having a complete meltdown. My first foray into Cooking Matters as a volunteer was incredibly positive, and I’m looking forward to the next few weeks of cooking with the girls at Marian Middle School!
