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Food
E-Z bake
"Whisks, everyone!" Dan Mathieu is teaching cooking to children in South Boston. They're making pie filling. When 12-year-old Ayla empties her can of pumpkin into a bowl, she leans over it, then lifts her head and announces, "It smells just like squash." "Time's running out," says Mathieu. Donna Montgomery, his partner in this project, Kids Can Cook, uses measuring spoons to season the bowls of pumpkin with nutmeg. "Are those my spoons?" asks Mary, another student. "They sure are," answers Montgomery, "and I'll give them right back." The kids of Kids Can Cook have plastic containers with their own measuring cups and spoons, hats, and notebooks, and each one guards that box. The eight Boston students from public and private grammar schools who attend this program at the Paraclete Center spend eight weeks learning elementary recipes - banana muffins, peanut noodles, spaghetti and meatballs - along with basic skills likeir14p11,26l chopping and mixing. "They make their opinions known," Mathieu says. "In one of the first classes, we made meatballs. I made the mistake of putting shredded carrots in them. The kids let us know how things should be." Out came the carrots. Mathieu, who was raised in Lewiston, Maine, owned East Meets West caterers until a few years ago and just started Max Ultimate Food, another Boston catering company. Three years ago, when Mathieu was between companies, Paraclete's director, Barry Hynes, showed Mathieu the center's large, dreary kitchen. Mathieu decided to teach city children how to cook. He put a board of directors together - people already connected in some way to the food business - and tapped a graphic artist to design a letterhead (a little boy with a pot on his head and a happy, slurping mouth). Now, the kitchen is whimsical and appealing. Paraclete, which hosts after-school educational programs, was once a convent and is owned by St. Augustine's Parish. The kitchen is large; along one wall sits a six-burner Imperial stove with a griddle, a secondhand gem that Mathieu bought after a friend wrote a check. About $25,000 more came in through donations, and while the money trickled in, there were many trips to the dollar store. From those excursions came bagfuls of caps, which all the kids wear, the measuring cups and spoons, and the notebooks that contain their recipes. The walls are decorated with words. Everywhere you look, descriptions of the taste and texture of food greet you: "creamy," "pickled," "soggy," "succulent," "fried," "moist," "supple," "tangy," and many more. With its bright yellow walls, long worktable, and an M & M's candy dispenser, the room is warm and inviting. The candy is there for a reason. It stands for Mathieu and Montgomery. "We're M & M," she says. Before hooking up with Mathieu, Montgomery, who is a Boston native, was general manager of Boston and New York's Georgio Armani boutiques. The kids get one handful of candy, plus fruit, vegetables, and juice for a snack. No one goes into the kitchen hungry. Kids Can Cook is now operated by the Urban Culinary Foundation. The program has attracted enough volunteer teachers that other Kids Can Cook series are planned for Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, and Cambridge. All will be funded by the foundation, which has raised $40,000. There are three classes at Paraclete, one more challenging for children who have learned the basics. Both programs begin with recipes and quietly incorporate other important subjects. The teachers like to discuss healthful foods, for instance. "We're talking about nutrition while we're rolling out dough," says Montgomery. "And hygiene. We're trying to encompass a lot of things, and the kids are willing participants." At the end of each session, the children make invitations for their friends and family, then collectively cook dinner for 50 guests. Party planner friends of Montgomery and Mathieu come to help decorate. "We teach kids about setting the table, where the forks, knives, and spoons go," says Montgomery. "They serve their families. It's very special for them." And the kids approve the menu. If there are meatballs, they don't contain carrots. BANANA MUFFINS 2 eggs Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand a 12-cup muffin tin. Lightly grease the tin and line it with paper cups. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, bananas, and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and nuts (if using). Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and transfer to the hot oven. Bake the muffins for 20 to 30 minutes or until the tops spring back when gently pressed in the center. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes. Release the muffins from the pan and transfer them to a rack to cool. Serve at once or wrap in foil until ready to serve. MAKES 12 MUFFINS SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS Spaghetti sauce: 2 tablespoons olive oil In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, crushed pepper, salt, vinegar, and sugar. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water to the pan. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer the sauce for 40 minutes. (Add the meatballs - recipe follows - after 30 minutes.) Meatballs and spaghetti: 1 small onion, grated In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Wet your hands with cold water. Form tablespoons of the meat mixture into balls with your hands. Set them on a plate. In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until they are golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meatballs to the spaghetti sauce and continue cooking them in the sauce for 10 minutes. For the spaghetti: In a large stockpot, bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and stir constantly until the water returns to a boil. Cook the spaghetti for 8 to 10 minutes or until it is cooked but still has some bite. Drain the spaghetti in a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the sauce and meatballs on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve at once. SERVES 6 PEANUT NOODLES 1/4 cup peanut butter In a blender or food processor, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil, ginger, and chili paste. Work the motor until the mixture is smooth. Transfer it to a bowl and set aside. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Drop in the noodles, and cook them for 5 minutes or according to the package directions; make sure they are not overcooked. Drain the noodles in a colander and refresh them with cold water to stop the cooking. Add the noodles to the peanut sauce with the scallions and sesame seeds. Toss gently but thoroughly and serve at once. SERVES 6 |
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