Should I be insulted??

[joesfolk]

Yep ... kids are funny.

Last week my culinary students breaded chicken breasts that had been stuffed with green chilies and pepper jack cheese. The breasts were pan fried and served with a chile sauce, herbed rice pilaf, and grilled asparagus.

The students did a great job but after eating their meal, one of the kids asked me when we would begin making "real food."

I asked him what he thought real food was.

The answer was pizza, fried chicken, tacos, and burgers i.e. fast food. After some additional thought, he added mac and cheese ... the Kraft instant mix not the made from scratch type.

(sigh)

I find this very depressing. When culinary students are interested in this fare there is something wrong. Don't get me wrong, the occasional meal like this is fine but you said these were culinary students, aren't they more adventurous than that? Or at least shouldn't they be? Maybe I'm just too old to understand.

 

[Andy M.]

...The answer was pizza, fried chicken, tacos, and burgers i.e. fast food. After some additional thought, he added mac and cheese ... the Kraft instant mix not the made from scratch type.

(sigh)

...and what was Chef Dave's response to that?

There's nothing wrong with learning to make pizza (from scratch), fried chicken, tacos and burgers. They aren't fast food, they're American staples.

As for the guy who wanted to 'learn' how to make mac and cheese from the blue box, I'd throw him out of the class.

 

[Chef Dave]

I find this very depressing. When culinary students are interested in this fare there is something wrong. Don't get me wrong, the occasional meal like this is fine but you said these were culinary students, aren't they more adventurous than that? Or at least shouldn't they be? Maybe I'm just too old to understand.

These are culinary students in a rural impoverished area. If you think about life from their point of view, what have they experienced? Our area has fast food, diners, Mexican restaurants, and a Denny's.

Local folk eat burritos, beans, Spanish rice, grilled meats, and fast food. Italian food is something that comes from Pizza Hut or out of a can or microwave. French food is French toast and French fries.

What do they know about the world beyond Arizona let alone beyond this isolated valley?

On top of everything else, they're teenagers ...

My advanced students are for the most part, dutifully learning about mother sauces and their derivatives and whenever possible, I let the students make derivatives that are "teenage friendly." In this area this means turning a Bechamel into a cheese sauce to make mac and cheese ... or turning a Veloute into a green chile sauce that is more in keeping with local tastes.

In the end, I'm here to serve them ... and the instructional standards for my state don't actually require me to teach mother sauces. I am simply required to teach them how to prepare food using a variety of different procedures i.e. braising, broiling, grilling, frying, steaming, poaching etc.

I'm willing to meet my students half way as long as they're willing to try new things.

 

[Barbara L]

...and what was Chef Dave's response to that?

There's nothing wrong with learning to make pizza (from scratch), fried chicken, tacos and burgers. They aren't fast food, they're American staples.

As for the guy who wanted to 'learn' how to make mac and cheese from the blue box, I'd throw him out of the class.

Agreed! However, there are techniques to make it better than following the box directions.

This topic made me think of a study I heard of 15+ years ago. For a couple months a school (I think in California) let the kids choose whatever they wanted for lunch. They had a wide range of foods, from unhealthy (candy bars, cake, cookies, etc.) to healthy (salad bar, fruit, vegetables, etc.). At first the kids went wild with the candy and other sweets. After a couple weeks, however, most of the kids switched to the healthier foods.

It just goes to show that our bodies will let us know what it needs--we just need to listen to it!

Barbara

 

[CharlieD]

Teenagers are weird and are even weirder (is it a word) around the kitchen. Last night I prepera this beautifull spaghetty diner with garlic bread and all, guess what my 15 year old ate. Cerial! Imagine that. That was insulting.

 

[Barbara L]

Teenagers are weird and are even weirder (is it a word) around the kitchen. Last night I prepera this beautifull spaghetty diner with garlic bread and all, guess what my 15 year old ate. Cerial! Imagine that. That was insulting.

I know a grown woman (around my age, which is on the 100 side of 50) who ONLY eats cereal!

Barbara

 

[CharlieD]

Yeah, but I bet that woman doesn't have her father slaving away by the stove making his home made sause, granding fresh chuck etc, etc.

 

[Barbara L]

No, and I wasn't really comparing the two. She just doesn't know how to cook, and since she likes cereal, she doesn't care to learn. I'm not sure if she ever cooked for her family.

I've never understood why kids would want to eat something like cereal or Ramen when there was good homemade food available. But you never know what's going on in a kid's head sometimes!

Barbara

 

[CharlieD]

Tell me about that. My kid went away to boarding school, came back full blown teenager with all the perks of being one. Kind of hit me in the head hard. My oldest one was muche easier, not that he always behave, but he alwassy did with such faness and respect that it was really hard to get mad at him. I want to lough and cry at the same time now.

 

[Mel!]

My 9 year old is pretty insulting about my cooking too. I make great bread, and she hates it. She tells me she does not want it, and I am to buy the shop bread for her in future.

She is the same about pizzas. I make great ones, but she wants the frozen ones from the supermarket.

I dont know what it is with kids and their bad food taste. I have been making home made food all my daughters life, so one would think she would like it more than supermarket copies.

Mel

 

[Andy M.]

My 9 year old is pretty insulting about my cooking too. I make great bread, and she hates it. She tells me she does not want it, and I am to buy the shop bread for her in future.

She is the same about pizzas. I make great ones, but she wants the frozen ones from the supermarket.

I dont know what it is with kids and their bad food taste. I have been making home made food all my daughters life, so one would think she would like it more than supermarket copies.

Mel

All her friends eat the store bought stuff so she has to as well to fit in.

 

[zfranca]

I don't understand the point here. You are "laboring" in boling 9 cups of water and dropping 3 packages in it. I would be disapppointed, too. Your kids got good taste....
But then I don't know what Ramen noodles are. Please explain, thanks.

 

[Barbara L]

All her friends eat the store bought stuff so she has to as well to fit in.

And they are all being told by advertisers (who know how to manipulate kids pretty well--as well as a lot of adults) that they will be so much cooler if they eat their products.

Barbara

 

[zfranca]

So, I asked my kids ( 15 (boy) and 13 (girl)) what they wanted for dinner tonight. Its my day off. I love cooking, and have never considered it a chore. Got all the time in the world to prepare just about anything they want. My kitchen is fully stocked, just went shopping. Been cooking for about 30 years. Attended many food and wine shows, and seen many talented chefs perform culinary masterpieces before my eyes. Havnt traveled abroad much, but living in the northeast, with New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington Dc in my backyard, Ive had the opportunities to try dozens of different cuisines ( and always attempted to recreate what ive experienced , at home. So, what were my kids response??? Ramen Noodles. So I labored over the stove, got the 6 cups of water to a boil, added the 3 flavor packets, then the Noodles. A few minutes later, dinner is served.

Anyway,

Ill just assume its a teenage thing ( and not that my food taste like crap).

Just had to vent,

larry

I don't understand the point here.
You are "laboring"over boiling 9 cups of water and dropping three packages in it?????
No wonder your kids were disappointed, I would too.
But then I don't know what Ramen noodles are. Kindly explain to me.
Thanks

 

[Barbara L]

I don't understand the point here.
You are "laboring"over boiling 9 cups of water and dropping three packages in it?????
No wonder your kids were disappointed, I would too.
But then I don't know what Ramen noodles are. Kindly explain to me.
Thanks

I hope Larry doesn't mind me jumping in here.

The point was that Larry was willing to make, from scratch, any nice meal they wanted, but they chose cheap, salty noodle soup instead. Larry was the one who was disappointed because they turned down real home-cooked food for a practically instant soup.

Barbara

 

[zfranca]

Thank you Barbara. It was a misundertanding on my part. Sometimes "we foreigners" take words literally. I still don't know what Ramen noodles are. Never heard this word before.

 

[Andy M.]

Thank you Barbara. It was a misundertanding on my part. Sometimes "we foreigners" take words literally. I still don't know what Ramen noodles are. Never heard this word before.

ramen noodles - Google Product Search

It's a noodle soup of Japanese origin. It is sold a lot in the US as a dried noodle package with a separate seasoning packet that you combine with hot water to make soup. Some folks use half the water and make a noodle side dish of it instead. Cheap and easy - usually $0.20 $0.25 a pack. Often on sale for a dime.

 

[zfranca]

Thank you Andy. That explains why I never heard of it..