During these pandemic times, we are so happy that we could hold our 11th Annual Around the World Cooking Camp. We had the opportunity to do it outdoors as well as virtually, where all the kids followed our COVID-19 protocols while learning and enjoying the culinary journey. We are thrilled to provide a platform for our young generation to learn about food and culture, and provide a true culinary experience. As always, we were so happy to receive farm fresh and organic ingredients from our local vendors to be incorporated in our cooking camp.

Week 1: Roadtrip America

Every year, our team comes up with a list of culinary regions to focus on, and introduces the cuisine and culture of the selected regions. This year we thought why not teach our own country! This year’s culinary journey across the U.S. included regions such as New England, Pennsylvania, Cajun, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest, where the campers got to experience the taste and flavors of each of these U.S. regions. For example, the campers made Beef Shepherd’s Pie, Blueberry Shortcakes, and Johnnycakes with Maple Syrup.

Week 2: Around the World

For the Around the World Week, our team picked different culinary regions from around the world to teach to our campers. This year, our team included regions such as Mexican, Country French, Italian, Austrian, and Asia. The young chefs were able to learn about and cook cuisine they never heard of, and experience different tastes every day. For example, the campers made Pollo Saltado, Pasta alla Norma, and Crema Blanca.

Week 3: Art and Science

The staple Art and Science of Cooking and Baking week was meant to teach our campers about art and science that goes behind the cooking process. We showcased many dishes that used different processes to make. As always we used farm fresh, and locally sourced ingredients so our campers get the best taste they can. For example, the campers made Potato Gnocchi, Fresh Pita Bread, and Pici Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil.

Week 4: Farm to Table

In our final week, the objective was to teach the kids how freshly grown food can be used to make delicious healthy meals. Each day we had one type of produce that we incorporated in all of our dishes. This again was all with the help of our wonderful professional chefs. The campers got to taste so many types of fresh produce, and combine different ingredients to make creations like Tomato Gazpacho, Grilled Focaccia with Tomatoes and Basil, and s’mores.

The final day of the Farm to Table week was a harvest feast, where all the families came and celebrated with the young chefs. Everyone was happy to have an outdoor farm to table experience. The kids loved the farm animals, and were sad to leave the new animal friends they made at the farm. Everyone said they can’t wait for next year’s cooking camp! We are so thankful for all the new families that joined the Passion for Spices™ community. We would like to thank Murph Farm for hosting the whole Farm to Table week, where the kids were able to enjoy the Farm to Table experience in an outdoor environment.