Memories From Our 2021 Kids and Teens Fall After School Cooking Program

At Passion for Spices™, we had fun with our Kids and Teens After School Cooking Program, where kids and teens can come learn about classic cooking techniques, and foods of the world. It is perfect for weeknight meals, snacks, or any special occasions. This is a five session program where each session has its own theme. In our cooking classes, we emphasize on quality, seasonal, and farm-fresh ingredients, as well as hands-on learning practices which are taught by experienced culinary educators.

For the Fall Sessions, we had:

---

Session 1: Soup-a-Rama

Minestrone
Chicken, Coconut, and Galangal Soup

Minestrone

Chicken, Coconut, and Galangal Soup

On the first day, we focused on teaching classic soups. The kids and teens learned the techniques of making classic soups from the regions of the Mediterranean and Thailand.

They learned many techniques including chopping ginger, garlic, and other herbs and spices which were incorporated into the soups. For the Thai soup, the chef showcased the lemongrass herb and how to prepare it.

The young chef enjoyed the Classic Soups on a cold winter night with Garlic Bread made from scratch. The kids enjoyed all the new flavors and it was a perfect meal made from scratch.

Session 2: Weeknight Meals Made Easy

Ratatouille Gratin
Cous Cous Pilaf

Ratatouille

Our After School Group

Cous Cous Pilaf

In the second session, the young chefs learned to make simple weeknight meals. The Ratatouille Gratin had multiple seasonal vegetables such as squash, eggplant, and leaks. For the Cous Cous Pilaf, the chef discussed how to prepare Cous Cous.

Session 3: Fall Pie Making Workshop

Chicken Pot Pie
Seasonal Fruit Pie/Galette

Chicken Pot Pie

Apple and Blueberry Gallate

In the third session, the young chefs learned how to bake classic dishes including Chicken Pot Pie and Gallate

They made individual Pot pie in a French cast iron pots. The crust was very flakey and delicious, with the recipe being adapted from a professional pie making chef, Kate McDermot

Session 4: Pasta Making Workshop

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
Pasta Primavera

In the fourth session, we taught the young chefs about how to make classic pasta from scratch. This included making the dough, using the food processor, and forming the pasta shapes.

For the Pasta Primavera, they added the spinach puree for the extra green color and filled the raviolis with fresh ricotta.

The Sweet Potato Gnocchi was made from scratch by adding the roasted sweet potato. Then they learned how to knead and incorporate the potato to make a soft dough. The chef added just some regular potato to make it easily moldable. The pasta was served with Sage Butter Sauce, where the sage was fresh from our garden.

Session 5: Halloween Special

Mac O Lantern
Spider Web Apple Pops
Frightful Cookies

In the final session, the young chefs learned how to make Mac O Lantern, Spider Web Pops, and absolutely Frightful Cookies.

The young chefs enjoyed the Fall After School Program, and it gave them a productive and enjoyable way to spend their time.

---

We are excited about our Winter After School Kids and Teens Cooking Program coming up soon. The first session will be on December 1st, and the Passion for Spices™ Team is looking forward to welcoming the young chefs again.

Winter After School Cooking Class Menu

We will be showcasing many classic and authentic recipes from around the world, and made sure to incorporate some holiday spirit into our menu as well.

December 1st: Hanukkah Special:
Classic Latkes
Baked Spiced Donuts

December 8th: Classic Christmas Feast:
Classic Whole Roasted Cornish Hen with Chestnut Dressing
Scalloped Potatoes
Classic Christmas Cookies

December 15th: Taste of Italy:
Tuscan Style Chicken
Tiramisu

January 12th: Easy Hearty Meals:
Turkey Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

January 19th: Taste of France:
Beef Bourguignon
Crème Brule

Passion For Spices™ Team is Gearing Up For our Annual Around The World Cooking Camp 2021

We are thrilled to open our Passion for Spices™ Cooking School and our Annual Around the World Cooking Camp in-person for 2021. We have a combination of outdoor and indoor classes to ensure safety during these pandemic times. As always, we are following health protocols to ensure the safety of our participants and our Passion for Spices™ team.

This is the 12th year of our Annual Around the World Cooking Camp, and we are thankful that we have inspired hundreds of young chefs in our community to experience a culinary journey while exploring the cuisines of the world. Our programs are planned in such a way that the young chefs learn more about food literacy and culinary techniques as a base that will help them enhance their knowledge of food. The campers will also enjoy a generous portion of the food they prepared and will get to experience the various food cultures they learn about.

In our 12th year of the Around the World Cooking Camp, our cooking program includes Foods of the World I: American Road Trip; Foods of the World II: Around the World; Art & Science; Farm to Table; Culinary Teen Competition; and Families Cooking Together. Passion for Spices™ Team can’t wait to be with the campers and enjoy the culinary adventure.

Foods Of The World I: American Road Trip
July 5-9

The first week of our summer camp is Foods of the World I: American Road Trip, where:

• Day 1 will showcase Midwestern food

• Day 2 will showcase Cajun Louisiana food

• Day 3 will showcase Southeastern food

• Day 4 will showcase New England food

• Day 5 will showcase Southern Barbecue food

Foods of the World II: Around the World
July 12-16

The second week of our summer camp is Foods of the World II: Around the World, where the young chefs will be making stops all around the globe. Every year we feature different Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian cuisines for this Around the World week.

• Day 1 will showcase French food

• Day 2 will showcase Indian food

• Day 3 will showcase Cuban food

• Day 4 will showcase Korean food

• Day 5 will showcase Moroccan food

Arts & Science of Cooking and Baking
July 19-23

The third week of our summer cooking camp is all about the Art & Science of the cooking process. In this week, our young chefs learn the science of baking that includes making classic breads and pies from scratch. In this week, they also learn to make simple pickles that are available in season.

Farm To Table
July 26-30

During the Farm to Table week, the young chefs will explore and get introduced to local, seasonal, and farm-fresh ingredients. Each day we feature a specific farm-fresh ingredient like tomatoes, eggplants, corn, and berries. As always, we source our ingredients from sustainable farmers and teach our young chefs about the importance of supporting local farmers as well as following a sustainable practice. For the Farm to Table week, we are thrilled to have our classes at the Murph Farm, where the kids will explore a working farm where there are chickens, vegetables growing, and even honey bees that produce fresh honey.

Families Cooking Together
July 14, 21, 28

In our Families Cooking Together Workshop, we provide a platform for families to come together as a team to cook a themed menu. It has been a very popular program, and everyone has enjoyed cooking together and relishing the food they made. This year’s themes include Breakfast for Dinner, Taco Bar, and Dumplings from Around the World.

Culinary Teen Competition
August 2-6

For our Culinary Teen Competition, we put several teams of young adults/teens in our progressive culinary program that builds their culinary skillset and gets them ready for their competition on the last day of the program! Our professional chefs will be working with each team everyday, and each team will learn new techniques, building their skills as they go. At the end, they will increase their skills in planning, preparing, creating and presenting a 3 course meal using mystery ingredients from our seasonal "market basket" along with open access to our "community pantry." Finished dishes will be judged on presentation, use of seasonal ingredients, technique, flavor development, and teamwork. Based on their performance, teams are awarded points, with each team receiving a daily score. On the final day, daily scores will be added together and whichever team has the most points wins! It is a very fun experience for teens and young adults, and the parents who are able to enjoy the meal that they make.

As a sustainable business, Passion for Spices™ as always ensures quality, local, and organic ingredients for our programs. Each day we have a totally different theme, but all to show kids that their food can be delicious, healthy, and sustainably grown!

Check out the details of our Around the World Summer Camp below, including the camp brochure and registration page:

Cook with Your Dad on Father's Day

At Passion for Spices™, we want to create food experiences and memories with families and friends by providing a platform to learn techniques and classic recipes. We are thrilled to have chef James Peterson, a seven James Beard award-winning Chef to teach us classic French cooking which includes grilling a steak and other classic recipes.

For this Father’s Day, we have a special Master Class with award-winning Chef James Peterson showcasing his book Sauces. This class is the perfect gift for you and your loved ones, and we can guarantee it will be a memorable experience.

Below are the details of the class:

Asparagus with Classic Mayonnaise

Classic Steak with Béarnaise sauce

Menu:

Asparagus with Morel Mayonnaise
Classic Steak with Béarnaise sauce
Crêpes Suzette with Orange Sauce

Class Details:

After the success of our first sauces masterclass, we are delighted to again have James Peterson teaching not only more about sauces, but about steaks and how to cook them right every time. Featured are béarnaise sauce, homemade morel mayonnaise, and suzette sauce for crèpes suzette. We are featuring the Sauces cookbook for this event, and a signed copy by Chef James Peterson will be available at the time of the event.
For more information on Chef James Peterson, visit his website here.

Our Vendors:

The featured menu includes vintage, grass-fed sirloin steak from D'Artagnan, which is “the exclusive U.S. purveyor of this high-quality grass-fed beef from Australia, in partnership with a sixth-generation family-run meat business. We are grateful for D’Artagnan and other local farms for supplying the quality and sustainable products for our cooking school.

To find more details for this class and to register click below:

Passion for Spices™ Cooking School

Cook at Home Virtual Program

In-Person Cooking School

Gift Cards

For Mother's Day "Cook at Home"™

A Beautiful Table Setting for Mother’s Day

Please select beautiful flowers of choice, then some favorites for your mom, seasonal and local, to make a lively table setting. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but make it fresh and lovely, and special for your mom.

View fullsize

The Passion for Spices™ team would like to honor and celebrate mothers everywhere. Our “Cook at Home” is a great way to create memories with mom! The pandemic has made family gatherings even more meaningful and intimate. We cherish all these moments, looking back and realize that these are special moments in everyone’s life.

For me, my mother was the center of our family, and I want to honor her memory. I was fortunate to have her as my mother and as well to be a mother myself to my son.

Passion for Spices sustainable methodology showcases the importance of Families Cooking Together and we are here to help you have j experience the joy of cooking with your entire family.

menu for mother’s day

Compliments from Passion for Spices

Please enjoy the recipes compliments from Passion For Spices. Click here

To read more about our memories on Mother’s Day, click here for more of our blogs.

We have a perfect gift for mothers Day! Please click here to buy our gift cards!

Passion for Spices™ Team Wishes You and Your Family A Happy Easter & Passover 2021!

After a long winter, everyone looks forward to a Easter and Passover celebration with their family during the springtime. It is always great to gather around the table with your loved ones during the holiday season, enjoying traditional recipes. Passion for Spices has curated a flavorful menu for everyone to enjoy! Each and every recipe has been tested by our test kitchen and is sure to create special memories during this special celebration. We have showcased a menu attached with a hint of spices to make it even more special for all of you. Happy Spring!

View fullsize

Flavorful Roasted Leg of Lamb with Gremolata Sauce

Makes 6-8 Servings

Procedure:

1. In a heavy bottom pan over medium flame, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil; add shallot, cook until softened and translucent. Stir in garlic, rosemary, thyme, zest of 1/2 a lemon, zest of 1/2 an orange, and anchovy paste; continue cooking, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool completely.

2. Remove the netting from the leg of lamb and place fat side down on a cutting board. Using your fingers, gently separate the muscles and flatten out. Trim excess fat and connective tissues with a sharp knife. Season the lamb with black pepper, salt, and Garam masala. Rub half of the cooled shallot mixture all over the meat, massaging it in.

3. Roll the lamb into a compact, tight roast and tie with butcher’s string. Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper; rub with remaining shallot mixture.

4. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Roast the lamb, fat side up, on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center registers 125 - 130 degrees F, for medium-rare. It took our roast about 2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, raise oven temperature to 500 degrees F. Put the lamb back into the oven to crisp and brown the outside, about 10 minutes.

5. Make the gremolata: In the bowl of a food processor, add remaining lemon & orange zests, lemon & orange juices, parsley, mint, and pine nuts. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped. Stir in enough olive oil to create a loose pesto-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a serving dish and set aside.

6. After browning, allow roast to rest for a few minutes before removing the butcher’s string, carving, and serving with the gremolata.

For more of our Easter and Passover Spice Up Your Holiday recipes, make sure to click here!

NOTE: This recipe is inspired by D’Artagnan. We are thankful for the grass-fed products provided by this vendor.

Ingredients:

1 medium shallot, minced

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon Garam masala

2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided use

Zest of and juice of 1 orange, divided use

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

1 Boneless Leg of Lamb, 5-6 pounds

1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup pine nuts (or bread crumbs)