Not too much heat in kitchen
MONTANA LIBRARY It’s never too early to learn how to cook, even if the instruction doesn’t involve a stove or oven.
About 20 elementary and middle school-aged children from north Santa Monica received a valuable lesson in healthy eating last week — that health food doesn’t necessarily have to taste like yucky Brussels sprout or cauliflower.
In an effort to promote fresh organic produce available at the Farmers’ Market and steer children toward healthier after school snacks, the city of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Public Library partnered up last year in creating a class entitled “No Cook Cooking.”
The one-hour class — which has been held at the Montana Branch library, Fairview Branch library in Sunset Park and at the Main Library in downtown — is geared toward teaching students from elementary school up to high school the importance of creating healthy and tasty snacks without the use of an oven or stove.
“We’re trying to expand our educational program and get kids more involved in learning about locally grown Farmers’ Market produce,” said Darra Adler of the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market.
On Thursday afternoon — the second installment of a three part series of such workshops held at the Montana Branch Library — students from Lincoln Middle School and Roosevelt Elementary School’s after school CREST Program learned how to make California’s signature dip — guacamole.
All the ingredients — avocado, salsa, lemon, lime, apple juice and cilantro — were purchased fresh the day before at the Farmers’ Market in Downtown Santa Monica.
“The funny thing is a lot of kids walk into the program with a can of Coke and a bag of Doritos,” Adler said. “That’s their typical after school snack and they come here and say, ‘Oh my god, this tastes so good.’”
The kids, many of whom were young girls from the CREST Program, chatted excitedly as they learned how to cut an avocado in half and scoop the meat of the vegetable into a glass bowl. The adults in the program removed the pits beforehand to avoid any injuries.
“They learned how important it is to use locally grown veggies and about the nutrients you get out of fresh veggies and fruit,” said Tatresse Ridley, a program specialist for CREST.
After scooping the avocado into the bowl, the kids added the remainder of the ingredients and dug in.
During instruction, Adler taught the students about healthy eating and the nutrition of the snack they were making. After cooking time was over, the room where the lesson was held transformed into a cafeteria-like setting as girls socialized over snacks.
“I love it,” said Chloe Chagaris, a Roosevelt fifth grader with a handful of tortilla chips.
Usually staying in the CREST PRO- GRAM until the early evening, Chagaris’ after school snack is usually whatever is available through the program.
“I usually have animal crackers, an apple and banana and milk,” she said, scooping up some guacamole. “I love the milk.”
In the Chagaris residence, Tuesday nights are usually “Taco night.” From now on, Chagaris plans to participate by whipping up some guacamole.
KIDS HAVE REDEEMING VALUES During the previous workshop, last month, students learned how to make pita sandwiches with hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers and avocados. All ingredients were purchased from the Farmers’ Market, except for the pita.
After the course is over, students receive a non-expiring $1 coupon that can be redeemed at any of the four Farmers’ Markets in Santa Monica. It’s a great way to encourage the students and their families to visit the market while promoting the market itself, Adler said.
For Francesca Pezzullo, who said her family is obsessed with fresh organic produce, there could be nothing better than living in a city that has four Farmers’ Markets, especially considering they used to live in New York.
“Everything is shipped from 100 miles away,”said Pezzullo, a sixth grader at Lincoln Middle School, of New York.
A frequent patron of the library, Pezzullo has visited both of the workshops staged thus far.
“After this, I can go back in the library and do my homework,” she said. “It just went from field trip to homework.”
In fact, several students who attend the class do so because they were already in the library and were curious about what was taking place over in the next room, Adler said.
“A lot of kids come to the library as a place to gather and hang out and do work,” Adler said. “Some stumble upon the class.”
The next “No Cook Cooking”class will be held on March 8, at 3:30 p.m., at the Montana Branch Library.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 13, 2007. Read the original PDF.