Cooking Curriculum?

[Pamela H in Texas]

I just must be missing it everywhere I look. SURELY there is an AWESOME 1-3yr cooking curriculum available.

I know that the best way to pass on cooking is from mom to kid, but....this mom can't really cook....and neither could this mom's mom. I mean, we do some, but....he just needs better than a handful of family dishes and Campbell's Kitchen, ya know? At this point, we really don't even know what all is even available cooking wise.

My son is very interested in food. I would like to encourage that a bit. The ideal curriculum would cover some nutrition, lots of vocabulary, and get him started being able to cook well.

Anyway, so we're not really looking for a home-ec class, but really want to focus on cooking.

Does such a curriculum exist? And if not, anyone willing to make one? LOL

[Pam in MA]

I'll have a ninth grader next year who wants a cooking elective. She already knows how to do a lot in the kitchen, but I'd like to write an elective for credit this summer. In fact, it's a great idea to include some nutrition stuff, too. I'll keep you posted. In the mean time, there must be a book out there that works through basic cooking skills. . .

[Jumping In Puddles]

I just checked out Martha Stewart's Cooking School (http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Cooking-School-Lessons/dp/0307396444/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237983468&sr=8-1) from the library and it is excellent! A teen boy may be put off by the fact that it is Martha Stewart but really, she is not in the book at all; only on the cover and in name.

I went to cooking school, and this book covers almost everything we did. At cooking school, we used The New Professional Chef (http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Chef-Culinary-Institute-America/dp/0764557343/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237983703&sr=1-2) from the CIA (culinary institute of america) but it is not well suited for the home cook and more of a reference book than how to learn to cook.

Marion Cunningham (http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Children-Lessons-Really-Learn/dp/0679422978/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237983878&sr=1-6) Cooking with Children: 15 Lessons for Children, Age 7 and Up, Who Really Want to Learn to Cook is decent but will probably be too basic for a teen but you could check it out from the library and see.

[JFS in IL]

I believe I have read here ...or in Amy in Orlando's blog...that it is easy and educational to use Alton Brown's books as texts. He explains the science behind the recipes.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

I think you just need a basic cook book that explains exactly how to cook. The best in my opinion are: Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Garden.

[Kelli in TN]

Oh, I really don't think you should. Although there have been some textbooks that I wanted to cook before. But you could easily set your house on fire with such activity.


Sorry. I could not resist.

Okay, back to what you were talking about.

[Moira in MA]

I went searching for similar last year. I was unable to find a decent curriculum that was consistent with my own food dispositions -- seasonal, preferably local biodynamic/organic -- I ended up choosing Alice Waters' book, 'The Art of Simple Food.'

Yes it's a cookbook, but it talks about how to choose good food and a little about menu planning.

It's light on the nutrition side but, imnsho, most of what is written on the subject is way off base -- for a real eyeopener on that subject, read 'The Terrors of the Table' by Walter Gratzer.

I also recommend 'On Food and Cooking' by Harold McGee.

HTH
~Moira

[tmkclscroggins]

Pamela,

I noticed you live near Dallas. I was looking online the other day at Sur Le Table and they offer cooking classes ( a bunch of different ones). This might be an option.

Also.....could you just have him cook from some of the books recommended and maybe add in Nourishing Traditions for nutritional info. Check our college bookstores for used textbooks on nutrition. Maybe he could read these also.


melissa

[MamaSheep]

I got this cookbook for ds(almost 12) when he started asking to learn to cook this year. So far we're just tinkering with it, but I think it would work great for a beginning cooking class.

Anyone Can Cook (http://www.amazon.com/Anyone-Better-Homes-Gardens-Cooking/dp/0696232936/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238001803&sr=8-6)

It's written in a very friendly, conversational tone with clear explanations and LOTS of photographs. In the front of the book is a section called "Intro to Cooking". It begins with pictures and explanations for things like tools used in the kitchen and what they're for, how to shop for and store ingredients, how to choose good quality ingredients, and basic cooking techniques that can be mysterious to new cooks, like what it means to dredge or braise something.

The rest of the book is mostly like a typical cookbook, but with useful extras. The instructions are clear and guide you through step-by-step, usually with pictures of the more confusing steps. Each recipe has a difficulty designation from 1 to 3 so you don't get in over your head, and at the bottom of the page for each recipe there's an "ask mom" section that pulls things from the recipe that might need more explanation for a new cook, and gives the page number to find it in that "Intro to Cooking" section. For example, the ask mom section for "Herbed Potatoes" says things like, "How do I measure butter? pages 58, 59 / How do I slice green onions? page 43 / How do I grate cheese? page 71 / How do I snip fresh herbs? pages 42, 328" and a bunch of other things like that. This is a level 1 recipe. It really does walk you through as if you've never done anything in the kitchen before.

Anyway, we like it. :001_smile:

[Julie in CA]

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Go-MyCulinaryLab-Sarah-Labensky/dp/0135061075/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238294117&sr=8-1

There is a study guide to go with this too. I haven't seen it yet, but have ordered an older edition for my own edification.

ETA: Here's the study guide:
http://www.amazon.com/Study-Guide-Cooking-Textbook-Fundamentals/dp/0131713388/ref=pd_sim_b_14

[Laurel-in-CA]

Well, there's always Julia Child. Your local library may have her show on video, along with cookbooks. My personal favorites are Laurel's Kitchen and the Victory Garden Cookbook, and something called Feed Your Family on $10 a Day. But cooking schools also teach things like sizing a meal (how many beans to buy so as to have 1/2 cup servings per person for the banquet, allowing for spoilage and cleaning and such) as well as fancy food presentations. All depends what you want.

[MomsintheGarden]

Fascinating thread - thanks, everyone! We are going to check out your suggestions.

I have one question for the folks here. Are their different mindsets/methods/etc. for home cooking to feed your family healthy food, every day, within a budget vs. cooking as a chef in a restaurant? What is the difference?

I wouldn't call this a curriculum, but my family has learned so much from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. We watch their show occasionally, have made many recipes from their book, The Best Recipe, and enjoy their magazine, Cooks Illustrated. We love to read the "story" before the recipe, where they tell how they made 50 recipes of biscuits and tweaked until they got just what they wanted, and why. I guess their method appeals to the engineer in dh and me.

GardenMom

[PollyOR]

I'm not much of a cook, so my poor dd didn't learn much before she married. She told me that this is her favorite - Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics: Learning to Cook with Confidence (http://www.autism-help.org/tell-you-autism-asperger%27s.htm).

[PollyOR]

Kraft (http://www.kraftfoods.com/KF/COOKINGSCHOOL/Videos/Pages/VideoLanding.aspx) has some online videos. I just watched one on Knife Skills (http://www.kraftfoods.com/KF/COOKINGSCHOOL/VIDEOS/videoplayer.aspx?vid=602).

[PollyOR]

Someone stop me! LOL!

http://startcooking.com/

Edit: This one is definitely a thumbs up for beginners. Done by a former Home Ec teacher. She even has a blog post (w/pics) on how to load a dishwasher (http://startcooking.com/blog/37/How-to-Load-a-Dishwasher).

[LoriM]

When my daughters wanted to learn to cook, I had them develop the menu they wanted to eat, then search out recipes in the cookbooks to make those things. Then they build 3-ring binders with favorite recipes, so that they could build their own cookbooks to take with them to their first apartments.

That fell apart quickly. Both of my girls cook better than I do. When they want to make something new, they just dig out a recipe, and go shopping, and make it! And now that my DH is retired, he does the cooking (and it's outstanding!).

I save my kitchen time for special meals. I make a carrot cake annually for Easter (and I think I got the recipe from here at WTM!); I make some cookies and candies that I enjoy baking for the holidays.

I think that's the easiest way to get a kid cooking--treats! If you want easy, simple recipes, don't forget to check out Ree's cooking website at thepioneerwoman.com.

[mchel210]

My son wants to be a chef! I purchased the Matha stewart cooking school book...and it looks wonderful. It was a lot cheaper on amazon then some other stores. The book is huge! Now I need to figure out how you can break this down over a couple years. It seems like a lot of information to learn.

Has anyone attempted to make a schedule for this book?

[DB in NJ]

Actually, ABeka has a course on this. The final project is a dinner party, planned and executed by the student.

It's called Family and Consumer Sciences (https://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=103403).

[Julie in MN]

My 7th grader isn't earning a cooking credit, but he's doing cooking each week. We are using MFW's 1850 to Modern Times, and they include the US History Cookbook.

One week, he and a neighbor homeschooler will go over the text with me, and then read through the recipes themselves. Once they have chosen what they wish to cook, I make a list of ingredients that I don't have on hand for the other family to contribute.

The following week, I hand them the cookbook & remind them to start preheating the oven. I stay within earshot in case they have questions.

I think figuring it out for themselves has been a good teaching method in this instance. And they know that I have little knowledge to offer in the cooking department!

[laughing lioness]

A friend of mine took a gourmet cooking class and they used The Joy of Cooking for their text. It's the one cookbook I've worn out. I've learned to cook pretty much everything (but bread) from it.

[tammi]

Thanks DB in NJ for the information about Abeka. I hope to use this for my
10th grade daughter next year.

Tammi

[WendyK]

Check out any books from the CIA (culinary institute of America). They have a ton of great books. I would recommend some sort of instructional video for knife skills (if you don't have solid knife skills). Probably the biggest basic topics covered in culinary schools are knife skills, mother sauces, and stocks/soups. Also getting to know names of equipment, herbs/spices, cuts of meats, etc is important. I'm assuming you are looking for something more than a book of recipes. I went to culinary school and what I learned isn't quite what one can find in a basic cookbook. This is not to say there isn't a ton of info in some basic cookbooks.

Focusing on those basics will be a huge huge huge head start for any culinary program.

[Jumping In Puddles]

I went to culinary school and what I learned isn't quite what one can find in a basic cookbook.



Also, much of culinary school is difficult to apply to a home cook.

What school did you go to? (I went to ICE, NYC)

[WendyK]

Also, much of culinary school is difficult to apply to a home cook.

What school did you go to? (I went to ICE, NYC)

I went to the Connecticut Culinary Institute. My grandmother left me a small inheritance and it was something I always wanted to do for the heck of it. So that is what I spent my money on. ;) I would have loved to go somewhere fancy, but due to family commitments, etc that is where I decided on. I really enjoyed it.