Memories of 2018 Around the World Camp

Highlights of Around the World 2018 Camp

In five short days, the campers had traveled to the food scenes of Latin America, Europe, and East Asia. At Passion For Spices™ Summer Cooking Camp, the kids learn about the food and flavor profiles of regional dishes native to a particular country, which changes every day. From fire-roasted poblano salsa to chicken shao mai, Passion For Spices™’ chef, Sam Kadko, kept the kids on their toes in the kitchen.

Day 1: Mexican Cooking

During our brief stop in Mexico on Monday, the campers charred poblano peppers, removed the skin, and combined them with blanched tomatoes in a food processor to form a delicious sauce that the kids loved to spoon over their tacos. The kids also made chicken enchiladas smothered in green tomatillo sauce and stuffed with chicken and freshly grated Monterrey jack cheese.

Day 2: Spanish Specialties

On the second day, we visited Spain where the children prepared paella valenciana with chicken and chorizo. Older campers enjoyed browning the chorizo over the stove while our younger chefs enjoyed cutting summer squash and zucchini for a traditional Spanish tapas. The children made a roux sauce, frequently used to thicken other dishes.

Day 3: Asian Dishes

On Wednesday, we stopped by China for some dim sum. The kids watched excitedly as Chef Kadko showed them how to make pleats for the chicken potstickers. They also enjoyed making shao mai, an open faced dumpling. They also had golden egg rolls packed with mushrooms, noodles, and aromatics like ginger and garlic. Surely enough, we sent home a class full of happy campers with stomachs full of lots and lots of dumplings.

Day 4: French Delights

On his last day of this week’s camp, Kadko gave the campers a taste of what has long been known as the culinary center of the world: France. He showed students how to swirl crepe batter around a lightly buttered pan to evenly distribute the batter so that the crepe cooks evenly, while others used a portable induction cooktop to make petite crepes. The flatbread was filled with either an apple or chicken filling. In addition to the crepes, the campers baked citrusy madeleines. Once baked, the campers dipped half into a rich chocolate ganache, that was so good, kids were demanding it by the spoonful!

Day 5: Argentine Cuisine

Day 5 came with guest chefs Anita and Vicky of Summit’s own Anita’s Baked Goods. Together, they instructed the campers on how to prepare traditional Argentine empanadas, alfajores, and Argentinian gnocchi. Campers got to prepare everything from the empanada fillings to putting the alfajores together, which are cookies with dulce de leche (caramelized condensed milk) sandwiched between two sugar cookies. But the campers favorite part of camp that day way filling the empanadas.

Passion For Spices Team is Gearing Up for our 9th Annual Around The World Cooking Camp 2018

We at Passion for Spices™ offer a unique camp where kids and teens are able to come and enjoy an exquisite culinary experience learning about various cultures and classics around the world.

Every year we follow a theme, in the first week we learn about cultures around the world where our team selects the regions to educate the campers about the cuisine, culture, and people of that country. In the second week, we learn about the Art and science of cooking where they learn the basic science of cooking by preparing food and experimenting the ingredients. The last week is the farm to table week where they get introduced to a sustainable farm, where they can hand pick the produce and plan and prepare for the day. It's always a fun day at the farm!

Below is a shot of the Art and Science program, where Chef Sam Kadko is demonstrating how to make fresh mozzarella.

Our Young Chefs making fresh mozzarella.

As we showcase here, our young chefs ages vary from five to teen, and is organized in such a way that they learn at their appropriate levels. Our Passion for Spices™ team are well experienced professionals, who will be guiding and training the kids to get the best experience in this culinary journey.

We also make sure we provide a generous portion of the food we prepare so everyone gets to try the food they prepare including the "picky eaters", which we have converted many of them over the years.

This year we have some exciting guest chefs, including the pastry chef doing a cupcake war and savory and sweet pretzels, I am sure will be one of the highlights of the camp. 

All  of the ingredients used during the weeks of camp are organic, fresh, and non-processed. Each day we have a totally different theme, but all to show kids that their food can be delicious, healthy, and sustainably grown!

Here is some of the examples of our young chefs in action in our previous camps. In the Farm to table day we made fresh fruit crostata and the kids made their own pie dough and assembled delicious pies, and some of them took home for their parents as well. 

Kids learning to make plum crostata topped with homemade plum jam filling.

This year we are planning another great program with our young chefs and the Passion for Spices™ team is looking forward to welcoming them to our camp.

"Cook with Mom" and Create Memories

Passion for Spices invites you to come and celebrate Mother's Day by having a joyful cooking experience. Our team is ready to help you and your family celebrate this special day.

We have a few great ideas that will create memories for your lifetime and we promise it will be loads of fun and something special for you and your Mom.

At Passion for Spices our culinary professionals have various workshops and customized classes designed for beginners to experienced cooks.

Here are some examples of a family enjoying preparing authentic Japanese food.

This is one of our family culinary workshops where they learned how to make soba noodles from scratch. We used buckwheat grout created the flour for the dough. They learned how to make real soba noodles from scratch , and we are so happy to see that many are making fresh noodles at home.

It's always fun to cook with mom and make authentic dishes like empanadas. 

Here in our roti making workshop, the child is making authentic rotis from scratch. It is a fun experience to make food from scratch and the joy of cooking is something special. 

Our family workshops are designed for the entire family to come and cook together to have a good time. The children sit down and enjoy the prepared meal with their families. This is the best experience they have shared. 

Passion for Spices™ Around the world Summer Cooking Camp

Passion for Spices™ is very excited about the 9th Annual Summer Cooking Camp and welcoming our alumni campers, some of whom have been coming since the first year! We are offering even more opportunities for young chefs to enjoy  a fun culinary journey to learn food and future.

9th Annual Kids & Teens Summer Cooking Camp 2018

This year, for the summer camp we have introduced two more categories, a Culinary Teen Competition and a Family Culinary Workshop. 

In the Culinary Teen Competition, we are inviting teens to join us in this exciting culinary adventure. The teens will engage in exciting cooking events along with their teammates while learning about the various components of the culinary arts, including organizing, planning, and preparing a three course meal.

Proper Stirring Techniques

Around the World

Making Sacher Torte

 

Week one: around the world

• Heritage & International Cuisine

• Traditional Techniques & Authentic Organic Ingredients

• Cultural Experience & Take Home Recipes

We make it a point to use all authentic ingredients, for example in 2017, Chef Nicola taught us how to use 100% stone ground cornmeal fresh from Italy to make traditional Italian pasta and sauces by hand.

 

week two: art & science of cooking

In the Art & Science week we focus on many important classic techniques like the baking, fermentation, pickling, preserving and focus on teaching the science behind it. The kids also will be able to do hands-on experience of decorating and presenting food in a creative and artistic way.

Highlight of this week, executive Pastry Chef John Sauchelli will be organizing a "Cupcake War," that is going to be loads of fun for the kids!

 

Week three: farm to table

In the Farm to Table week we teach our young chefs the various food ingredients by season and showcase the food literacy in a fun and practical way. We visit farms and pick the vegetables and try to make the dishes from the farm and learn about all the sustainable practices. For example, we have all about tomato's day, all about herbs day, seasonal fruits day, etc... where we learn how to prepare delicious classic dishes using these ingredients.

This year,  in the 2018 Farm to Table camp we are visiting the Murph Farm and will be cooking a feast from the vegetables and fruits available in the summer season.

Shakshuka

Culinary Teen Competition

In this exciting  Culinary Teen Competition, teens complete for points with the teammates while learning about various food ingredients and techniques, and achieve the joy    of making a three course meal. We assure you that it will be a fun and positive experience for the teens!

Chocolate Mousse

We have a fun menu planned for the competition including "Wok and Roll" and "Italian Fest." And on the final day, Parents are welcome to join us for the final judging and "Grand Finale".

We are calling all teens  to engage in this fun competition and get ahead in their culinary skills and  be prepared for college where they can use some of these techniques and talents.

 

 

 

 

Family Culinary Workshops

In this unique workshop, we provide a platform for parents, siblings, or anyone who wants to cook as a team and prepare classic dishes. We make this as a fun experience, where you learn hands-on cooking techniques and sit down and have a joyful family meal together.

We have many families really loving this program and who have mentioned this program as one of the best programs they have done with their families. We try to customize it as per your needs, dietary requirements, or specific requests. 

 

Our Culinary Team

We to put together a professional culinary team of educators, program directors, and other staff members, trained and following the sustainable practices Passion for Spices™ believes.  Our chef educators are experienced and top in the industry. 

Chef Sam Kadko

Chef & Culinary Instructor Sam Kadko graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1977. He has 40 years of Industry experience has included locations across the United States including top tier venues such as the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

Chef Kadko is both a Certified Hospitality Educator and Certified Secondary School Culinary Educator currently training future chefs at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Chef Kadko believes chefs need to use foods produced in a sustainable manner, which could help to minimizes harmful impacts on the environment.

Chef John Sauchelli

Pastry Chef John Sauchelli has a passion for pastries and creating decadence through natural ingredients. The fervent gardener is seasonally inspired, and living in the Garden State acts as a muse for his simple, fresh, local ingredient-driven desserts. He is currently Executive Pastry Chef of Maritime Parc Restaurant and Private Events in Jersey City. He is also the co-owner of Jersey Barnfire Hot Sauce, LLC., which strives to make the best tasting, locally produced and sourced food products. Jersey Barnfire Hot Sauce wants to put the 'Garden' of the Garden State in a bottle utilizing the freshest Jersey ingredients whenever possible.

Chef Nicola Digiorgio

Each Sunday as a young boy Nicola would make fresh pasta, homemade breads and pizza from scratch with his grandmother.  She taught him traditional Italian cooking methods as were passed down to her before.  His love of cooking continued to grow from there. He attended the Italian Culinary Academy in Parma Italy, where he received a Grand Diploma Degree. While in Italy Chef Nicola worked side by side with the finest Italian Chefs.  There he learned different techniques of making fresh pasta.

May Fridel 

Recently authored The Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook, published by The American Diabetes Association, this cookbook brings the taste, aroma, and health benefits of basic and exotic Indian spices into your kitchen. Delicious Indian dishes that are packed with flavor and fiber-rich ingredients are easier to make than you think. Emphasizing a healthy eating philosophy, this cookbook helps the reader make non-processed meals from scratch in no time at all.

Cooking this lent season: Using Whole grain Farro

I am born in a Syrian Christian family in Kerala in the southern coast of India.. I have great memories of my family observing the lent and preparing special food during the season. My grandmother used to not even have any milk products, eggs, or seafood ,but strictly vegetarian. But here in the US during the lent season,  I am observing lent and preparing  many traditional vegetarian meals. 

I can think of so many different varieties of vegetarian and legume preparations during this season.  Here are a few recipes for everyone to try for "meatless Mondays" or "meatless Fridays" in the Western world.

The recipe we are sharing today is the "Farro Tahiri," a fun and traditional one pot meal, which includes wholesome ingredients and flavorful spices and herbs.  In this recipe, we have featured an ancient grain,  Farro,  which is high in protein and filled with minerals and fiber. This product is available locally at the  The Meat House, a local grocer in Summit, NJ. We have many more recipes for this lent season in our recipe collection including a Classic Dal recipe. Hope you enjoy making them.

Recipe courtesy of Indian Cuisine Diabetes Cookbook and the American Diabetes Association.

farro tahiri

Culinary History:

Farro, is a group of ancient whole grains comprised of 3 ancient wheat types. This ancient grain is sourced from Italy and is known for its complex nutty taste and it's similar appearance to brown rice grains. Because farro is so easily digested and so low in gluten, farro can often be eaten by people who are gluten intolerant. 

SERVES: 6 - SERVING: 3 oz 

Ingredients:

2 cup farro, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium
2 cups warm water
1 tsp salt

(Veggies for the Tahiri)
2 pounds sweet potato (about 2), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
½  tsp salt
1 tsp sunflower oil
1 head of cauliflower, 2 cups chopped cauliflower florets into pea size
2 medium carrots,  ½ cup chopped diced ¼ inch cubes
12 french beans, ⅓ cup chopped into ½ inch sized
½ cup green peas, fresh or frozen

(Whole Spice masala)
3 cloves
3 whole green cardamoms
1 small cinnamon stick

(For the Masala)
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 red onions, sliced thin, about 1 cup
1 tsp salt
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced, about ½ cup
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 green chili, seeds removed slit into half
 2 tsp Keralan Curry Spice Blend

(For Garnish)
1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
½ tbsp lemon juice

Procedure:

To roast the sweet potato:

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in the center. 
2. In a large bowl, combine 1 tsp oil, and salt with sweet potato, toss until well combined. 
3. Transfer the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet, spreading evenly. 
4. Place the baking sheet into the oven to roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until fork tender, about 30 minutes. 

To Make the Tahiri:

1. Preheat heat a dutch oven, medium high heat,  add 1tbsp of oil 
2. Add the whole masala and sauté till the spices are fragrant for about 2 minutes
3. Now add the sliced onions, and add  the 1 tbsp of salt and sauté until the onion become golden
4. Reduce the heat to medium
5. Now add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for about 2 minutes
6. Now add the chopped tomatoes and and sauté for another 3 minutes
7. Now add the spices and the chili and sauté for another minute
8. Now add the rinsed farro and the salt and sauté for another minute.
9. Now add the water + vegetable stalk cook on medium high and once the liquid boil close the lid and seal it with an aluminum foil and cook on low heat for another 30 minutes
10. Take the lid off and add the roasted sweet potato, cilantro and mint and the lemon juice and fluff the faro

Cooks notes:

If the farro is not cooked, close the lid and turn off the heat and keep it for another two minute.