Passion for Spices 8th Annual Summer Cooking Camp: A Peek at the First Two Weeks

In the last two weeks, July 31 - August 11, young kids and teens had a fabulous experience preparing authentic food from around the world. The enthusiasm of the kids was so contagious, and you could see the kids learning ingredients and techniques, and were comfortable following instructions.  The first week’s theme, Around the World, gave a glimpse into the culture and cuisine of different countries. The kids learned many classic recipes and techniques taught by professional chefs. The second week's theme, The Art & Science of Cooking, was focused on teaching the art and science behind various food ingredients. 

Although each day of camp has it's own theme, all ingredients are fresh and organic, and the team at Passion for Spices emphasizes on our mission of learning to cook in a non-processed way, while learning about food from various cultures of the world.  Our food literacy program is not just a cooking camp, but focuses on educating the students the details of food ingredients, where it comes from, it's origin, and connecting food to the heritage and culture.

Highlights of Our First Week - Around the World

Our first day of 2017 Summer Cooking Camp was kicked off by our guest Chef Nicolas DiGiorgio (NicolasPastaFresca.com).  Chef Nicholas taught authentic Tuscan food and showcased the "pici" pasta from the region and talked about his experience in Italy when he went to school there. The kids made handmade pici pasta and polenta. They made pesto sauce by picking the farm fresh basil and we excluded the pine nuts in this recipe to accommodate the nut free diet concerns for kids.

During the week, Author May Fridel led us to the amazing world of Indian Roti Workshop! The campers made varieties of roti or Indian flatbread from her recently published cookbook Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook. Kids starting from 2 1/2 years old, loved handling the dough and kneading it and rolling it. It was such a fun experience and they were excited to make their own roties.

Russian Chef Sam Kadko, our chief culinary instructor from Passion for Spices, who is of Russian descent,  introduced regional Russian cuisines, food, and ingredients. It was interesting to see the similarities between the shashlik and the Indian kebabs, and the influence of the spice route had in this region.

A Few Highlights of Our Second Week - The Art & Science of Cooking

The cheese making day was very exciting, kids got to make fresh mozzarella from scratch, so we got the cheese curd from Antonio's Cheese Factory in Springfield, and use that to create fresh mozzarella. The kids learned to make rolitini's by rolling the fresh mozzarrella,  and panzanella salad.

Executive Pastry Chef John Sauchelli from MaritimeParc and owner of Jersey Barn Fire Hot Sauce taught us how to bake Soapapilla Cheesecake Pie with kashmiri garam masala and pop tart pastries filled with our own homemade jam.

We are looking forward to the next two weeks and welcoming our new campers for the Farm to Table & Family Cooking Series.

The highlights include a visit to Murph Farm, where the kids get a farm to table experience picking vegetables from the farm, checking out the chickens, and making recipes.

We are happy to accommodate anyone who is interested in our next sessions coming up  

Check our  Camp Brochure or Click Below to Register:

Memories of our 2016 Farm to Table Experience

Written by Passion for Spices Camp Counselor Antonia Sylva.

If you haven’t discovered the uniqueness of Passion for Spices’ summer cooking camp, the third week of fun will prove it to you. From August 15-18th, kids of all ages learned about more than just cooking. The week’s theme, Farm to Table, was a constant presence. The guest chefs brought in each day—along with May Fridel, the camp’s coordinator—placed a great emphasis on sustainable living and eating. Campers were taught mostly about different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, all of which can be grown in a garden. Furthermore, all of the ingredients used during the week (and during all three weeks of the camp) were organic, fresh, and healthy. Each day had a totally different theme, but all helped to show kids that their food can be delicious, healthy, and sustainably grown!

On Monday, we focused on herbs: Mrs. Fridel brought a display of many different herb varieties. Each child was able to pick out a few of their favorites and arrange them into a piece of artwork, which we pressed down in between two pieces of wax paper with an iron. The campers then placed their designs within picture frames they painted themselves. Of course, we also spent the day learning to make Chicken Paillard from our esteemed guest chef. The chicken was a huge hit, and the kids ended the day enjoying a delicious lunch!

The next day was eggplant day. We started the morning with a study of the different types of eggplants (Asian, Italian, etc.). After gaining a little eggplant knowledge, we moved onto the bulk of the day, which was, of course, the cooking! We made Eggplant Napoleon and Baba Ganoush, two very different— but equally tasty— varieties of eggplant-centric dishes. The kids loved them (even the ones who didn’t think they liked eggplant to begin with)! And that’s what this camp is really about: kids discovering new foods, and ways of preparing them, that can give them a greater appreciation for cooking and for their own health!

On day three—seasonal veggie day—the kids had an amazing time making pizzas with their fresh vegetable toppings. In fact, they loved the end result so much that our guest chef had to make about seven pies! The campers were surprised at how much they ended up loving the vegetables on their pizza, and everyone had seconds!

Day four was spent learning the history of many different types of melons, as well as making pickled watermelon rinds, bread butter pickle, and Sicilian watermelon pudding. These were all extremely unique recipes that the kids had never been exposed to before!

Day five, tomato day, was a great one: the campers were taught how to make ketchup, Turkey meatloaf, and Focaccia with tomatoes. Tomatoes are already a pretty popular food among younger kids, so learning even more ways to prepare them was a really great experiences (of course, they got to eat all the delicious food)!

Overall, Farm to Table week was a great experience for everyone involved. I, as a counselor, learned a ton about sustainable living and eating fresh healthy food. The campers were educated too, and they also learned a bunch of cooking techniques. The best part of the week, hands down, was the eating! From eating chicken to pizza to Watermelon pudding, each day sent the campers’ taste buds on an explosive journey, one that opened them up to new flavors, new foods, and new experiences.

Celebrate Father’s Day with a Surprise Cooking Lesson

Father's day is a great opportunity for families to connect and do something special for your Dad. Passion for Spices has some great ideas for you to celebrate the special person in your family.
This year Passion for Spices  has introduced a Family Series providing a platform for families to cook together and learn some classics cooking techniques. This class is designed for children and adults to work, learn, and cook together, and enjoy a family meal together.

Here is the Family Series Cooking Camp Brochure

We have many interesting themes to choose from:

To Register for the camp:

As compliments from Passion for Spices, we are providing a recipe from May Fridel’s new cookbook, Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook published by the American Diabetes Association

Perfect Summer Grilling Recipe
Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook
Chapter: From Elegant and Exotic Dinners

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Grilled Masala Lamb Chops with Pickled Salad

Culinary History:
This is dish is popular in the northern Indian regions and can be done on the tandoor or any outside grill.

Serves: 8
Serving size: 2 oz.

Procedure:

1. Using a paring knife, cut a few 1/4-inch-deep slashes in each lamb chop.

2.  In a large bowl, mix the marinade, the spice masala and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Transfer the lamb chops to the marinade and turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Add the oil to the marinade and toss with the lamb chops. Remove the chops from the marinade and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. Light a grill. Season the chops with the remaining tsp of salt and grill over moderately high heat for 8 minutes, turning once, until well browned.

5. Brush both sides of the chops with the ghee and grill for another 2 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Cooks note:
You could use store bought garam masala which has nutmeg, cinnamon, cardomom, mace etc..

Any Curry blend which has a mild flavor.  

Ingredients:

8 lamb rib chops (2 1/2 pounds) (for the marinade)
3/4 cup low fat Greek yogurt
¼ low fat sour cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
2 tsp sunflower oil

(Spice Masala)
1 tablespoon Kashmiri Garam Masala
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoon Keralan Curry
2 tsp  sea salt
1 tsp ghee or Sun flower oil

(Pickled Salad)
2 cups / 300 g julienned radish (skin on)
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
1 green chili, julienned
1/4 tsp / 1.7 g salt
Juice of 1 lemon

To Buy the Book

Memories from Our 2016 Kids Cooking Camp

The Passion for Spices camp provides a unique opportunity that is rare to find elsewhere in the state and even the country!  It not only teaches kids the cultural inspirations of certain foods, but also how the transfer of these cultural foods from place to place attributes to a melting pot society.  In addition to the cultural information, kids are exposed to the health benefits of certain foods; in doing so, they are given a brief glimpse into this new era of dieting that millennials find so attractive.  

It is clearly important to become informed about healthy eating and cooking from a young age, as people of all ages are exposed to allergies, are gluten free, or defining themselves as vegetarians, pescatarians, or vegans.  Passion for Spices not only helps produce food that fulfills each category but also helps to explain the reasoning behind such restrictions.  

Health is a major focus for the Passion for Spices team, as well as a major topic that is explained in depth to the participants of the camp. In fact, Passion for Spices’ own products, the Keralan Curry and Kashmiri Garam Masala, are crafted using quality ingredients, with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories to help boost the immune system for optimal health.  

And that’s not all! The foods developed at the camp are not only very culturally accurate and healthy but are also made from the recipes of some renowned and respected authors.  Specifically, our Roman recipes are picked from Rachel Roddy, who was able to experience the style of Roman foods and the benefits of incorporating them into everyday diets.  Our French foods are from Claudine Pepin, daughter of culinary master Jacques Pepin.  We incorporate recipes from her work, “Kids Cook French,” which gives incredible insight on French cooking.  

Our team of chefs and counselors help teach the proper techniques of cooking that cannot be found elsewhere.  These are some of the best chefs in the state; our camp gives the kids an opportunity to work hands-on with ingredients and recipes.  This is our 8th year of the camp, and each year it grows exponentially.  We would love your child to take part in this amazing experience, but our camp is filling up quick with few spots remaining, so if you are interested, please visit our Registration Page. 

A Sweet Passover Treat From The Malabar Coast of India

Traces of the Jewish Community in India can be tracked back nearly 3000 years ago when they landed on the pristine Malabar Coast of India. They were  sailors in the fleet of King Solomon sent to purchase spices, animals, and precious metals. 

The oldest known Jewish Colony is Bene Israel on the Malabar Coast. According to historical evidence,  this colony was formed by survivors of a ship wreck in the second century B.C..

A second group of  Jewish People are believed to have migrated to India around 70 A.D. after the destruction of the second temple in Jerusalem.  This group came to be known as the Cochin Jews, as they landed in the Port of  Cranganore,  an ancient port near Cochin.

While religious practice  remained the same,  other customs merged with those of local traditions. Indo-Jewish flavorings give a glimpse  into this merge with dishes such as  molagachi (mahogany chicken and black pepper),  ellegal fish (spice rubbed fish with herb salsa) and coconut based deserts. The families strictly followed the Sabbath, its customs, and Kosher Laws. The men wore mundu (malabari sarong), while the women wore flowing silk saris with sparkling jewelry.

Traditional Indo-Jewish Sweet Delicacy From the Malabar Coast

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Spiced Coconut Rice Pudding

Makes 6 Servings

Procedure:

1. Pour coconut milk into a medium-sized heavy bottom saucepan. 

2. Rinse the rice and add it to the coconut milk, simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

3. In a small pan, add the ghee, dried fruit, almonds, and cashews. Toast for 10 minutes on medium heat. 

4.  Now add the garam masala and the vanilla extract to the rice mixture. Stir well until it thickens.

5. Stir in the toasted nuts & the dried fruits.  Reserving some for the garnish.

6. Serve the coconut rice pudding in small cups or bowls and garnish with the nuts and the dried fruits.

Ingredients:

2 cups SoDelicious CoconutMilk Lite
1/3 cup basmati rice
1/2 tsp Kashmiri Garam Masala
1/4 cup dried cranberries and golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped cashews
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs ghee for toasting the nuts and the dried
fruits