Pre-Tasting Week Workshop Kicks Off at International School of the Peninsula

Posted on October 11, 2012 by armelle

Today Bernard Moutal, Chef at the Golden Gate Grill in San Francisco, visited the International School of the Peninsula in Palo Alto. He led a group of 2nd and 3rd graders in making palm tree pastries. Palm trees, also known as elephant ears, are made from puff pastry, which is rolled out, coated with sugar, and then the two sides are rolled up together so that they meet in the middle, making a roll that is then cut into about ¼” slides and baked.

ISTP’s “Palmier”

The kids really enjoyed putting plastic gloves onto their hands before starting the workshop. They were quick to name the key ingredients used to stick the palm tree together (water and egg), but they had very creative ideas when asked what went into the puff pastry (cinnamon and eggs for instance), but in fact there is nothing more than butter, flour, salt and water. This just goes to show you that you can make something wonderful out of very simple ingredients. The key factor of success is using the best butter you can find, time and patience. Today Bernard needed even more patience than usual since our oven was very slow…but it was worth the wait!

Below you can find the recipe for the palm tree pastries. Try them with your kids and let us know if they like it!

Two Weeks Until Tasting Week 2012

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Carla Matlin

Our team of volunteers is working hard to get ready for the second annual edition of Tasting Week. This year we are so lucky to host thirty chefs in fifteen schools across the Bay Area, from San Francisco to Sunnyvale. Among some of the great names participating in Tasting Week, we have Nathan Beriau from Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, Charlie Ayers from Calafia in Palo Alto, Marco Fossati from Four Seasons in East Palo Alto, John Bentley from Bentley’s in Woodside, Liv Wu from Google, and many more. All the chefs are busy preparing their workshops for the kids.

This year we are also very proud to join forces with two great organizations to kick-off and close Tasting Week. We will launch on October 12 with La Soiree in collaboration with the French American Chamber of Commerce. This will be our biggest fundraiser this year. La Soiree has lined up some amazing cooking demonstrations and competitions, as well as some really good wines.

We will celebrate the end of Tasting Week a few weeks later on November 11 at the Observation Post in the Presidio with an event for families, developed in collaboration with Omnivore World Tour, celebrating young and innovative cuisine. We have been working closely with Chefs Nathan Beriau, Cynthia Falatic, and the Cord on Bleu California Culinary Academy to come up with a very special program for children. There will be workshops for your five senses, tasty lunch kits, food trucks and music. Sign up to celebrate with us and join the fun.

Last but not least, we are hoping to raise funds to broaden the program to more schools in the future, develop more educational programs for kids about food, and invite a few schools on field trip to the restaurants participating in Tasting Week. If you support this idea, please contribute to our cause.

We look forward to hearing your feedback, on this site or on our Facebook page.

Sneak Preview of Tasting Week 2012

Posted on May 19, 2012 by armelle

Juana Briones Elementary

Yesterday local Palo Alto chef and cookbook author Laura Stec came to Juana Briones Elementary to give a cooking class to 4th graders. First Laura worked with the students on classifying seasonal fruits and vegetables and talked about how microorganisms in the soil help food grow. Then she did a demonstration of caramelized peas.

When the children expressed surprise at how sweet the peas tasted, Laura reminded them that caramelization happens at 330 degrees while water boils at 100 degrees – so if a vegetable does not taste good to us when it is boiled perhaps we should try sautéing it instead to bring out the sweetness in it!

May, 17th, 2012, Chefs move to school

Then Laura made a multi-fruit smoothie. There was not a drop left after the class. The kids were overwhelming positive and they asked Laura if she could come back every day!

This is just a sneak preview of the great events coming up during Tasting Week 2012 from October 12 to October 2012. Save the dates!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Carrots

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Carla Matlin

chef Craig Von Foerster and Principal Matt Nagle at Juana Briones Elementary school

On Friday Juana Briones Elementary school hosted chef Craig Von Foerster, Executive Chef at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, voted one the top 5 best restaurants in the San Francisco Bay in the Zagat. Chef Craig came all the way from Big Sur with a full carload of…carrots. The kids were a little intrigued at first, but ended up completely enthralled. He showed them the difference between supermarket bagged mini-carrots and fresh carrots from his garden. He showed them white, yellow, and purple carrots.

chef Craig Von Foerster

He made carrot soup and pickled carrots. And finished with a giant carrot cake. And while he was preparing his carrots, he answered dozens of questions from the children about his favorite and least favorite foods, his origin, what it is like working in a restaurant, and much more. At the end of the presentation, the children all lined up to get Chef Craig’s authograph on their plate!

A few moms snuck in to grab a taste of carrot soup and to talk with Chef Craig. Next year we need to plan a workshop for parents too!

Tasting Week “en Francais”

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Carla Matlin

Chef Gerald Hirigoyen at Gunn HS

Today Chef Gerald Hirigoyen from the basque restaurant Piperade visited the advanced French class of Ms Anne Jensen. He gave his entire workshop in French! The students were a bit reserved at first, but when he started cooking the piperade (a basque dish composed of onions, red peppers and olive oil) they asked him many questions. It was hard to resist him, since he prepared sample plates with marinated roasted peppers, smoked ham, marinated anchovies and peppers. Every student finished their anchovies, which just goes to show you that our kids are much more adventurous than we think. For dessert he had prepared a Gateau basque and figs. Delicieux!

Chef Gerald Hirigoyen at GunnHS

At lunch break, PAUSD Food Services presented the A to Z salad bar to Hot Lunch students and offered the salad bar to all 150 staff at Gunn. The Salad bar will take a break until next week before reappearing on Tuesday at Terman Middle School.

Just two more days before the Wine Tasting at Lavanda. It is time to get your ticket before the event is sold out! You can reserve by sending an email to rebecca@tastingweek.com

October 20, Tasting Week is in full swing in Palo Alto

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Carla Matlin

For the third day of the week, we received the visit of four fabulous chefs at Terman Middle School, Barron Park Elementary and the International School of the Peninsula.

Chef Art Smith and Principal Katherine Baker at Terman HS

Terman received the visit of chef, restaurateur, and television personality Art Smith, winner of Top Chef Masters and former personal chef for Oprah Winfrey for 10 years. The children were very impressed by his personal background, how he grew up in a small town and taught himself how to cook. His lesson on taste was also a lesson about life: be strong, be brave, and share your passion with those around you. His business partner Sari organized a blind tasting for the kids, who were able to recognize almost all the foods she presented. Art challenged the kids to discover their “broccoli”, or their contribution to the world – a reference to his non-profit organization Common Threads that teaches underprivileged children how to cook. The children could not believe their luck to have met such a famous chef and one of them posted on Facebook tonight “best guest speaker ever in home economics today”.

Chef Olivia Wu at Barron Park

The children in Barron Park were equally lucky to meet with Liv Wu, executive chef at Google. First, she explained to them that cooking could be compared to drawing. Adding a color is the same as adding an ingredient. She pursued the similarity by making them think about a color for each different taste that an ingredient can have: green for salty, orange for sweet, purple for sour, red for spicy. Nose blocked, they tried to feel the different taste of a strawberry, a peanut, and some mint. Then, in front of the children’s eyes opened wide, she prepared a mixed salad with a “vinaigrette”, French word like “chef” ! Chef Liv Wu chose the ingredients as an artist. She added the last pinch of salt, and it was time to eat. How amazing it was to see the children leaking their plates and ask for more salad!

Chef Suzanne Vandyck at Barron Park

Chef Suzanne VanDyck made crostini out of fresh garden tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and grilled baguette. Children traveled in Europe with the tomatoes, learned the olive oil secrets, and the art of cutting in small pieces. Then, they put their hands on in chopping basil in the tomatoes preparation. Made from organic tomatoes, with organic olive oil from 1st cold pressure, garlics and fresh basil, the crostinis looked gorgeous and were very appreciated by the kids.

At the ISTP, chef taught the kids the proper way to cut an onion, and how to make a salad with flavor by using many sorts of herbs- parsley, chives, basil and tarragon. They made a salad dressing and dipped bread into it to taste the flavors. Every child went home with a sample of their salad dressing. A recommendation from Chef Moutal as you prepare your pumpkin soup for Halloween: add some nutmeg and some sugar!

Tasting Week Continued on Tuesday, October 18

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Carla Matlin

Pastry Chef Cynthia Falatic at Terman

Tasting Week continued on Tuesday, October 18 with four excellent workshops at Terman Middle School and Gunn High School. Cynthia Falatic, Executive Pastry Chef at the Ritz Carlton, showed the middle school students of Ms Judy Salmon at Terman how to make apple crisp and chocolate mousse. She explained how to select the right apples for cooking and how to cook them so that they will be juicy but still crunchy. The chocolate mousse recipe Cynthia selected was very easy to make, with just whipping cream and chocolate, but so delicious. It helped that she made it out of Valhrona chocolate 64% – it really makes a difference when you use good chocolate…. The children were very engaged in the process and asked Chef Cynthia many questions, such as “do you sleep at the Ritz Carlton at night?” and “what was the strangest experience you ever had?”. Chef Cynthia answered every question in a poised manned and with a smile. After Terman, Cynthia went over to Gunn High School to conduct a great session with Ms Cindy Peters’ high school students, who were equally engaged.

Chef Bruno Ponsot at Terman

In the afternoon, Terman Middle school received the visit of Chef Bruno Ponsot, from the French Culinary Institute in Campbell. Chef Bruno focused his workshop on seasonal vegetables of the fall. He introduced the students to fennel, celeriac, turnips, butternut squash, which he presented to them both raw and cooked. They first smelled, then tasted the vegetables. Most of the vegetables received an overwhelming number of thumbs up. He then proceeded to introduce them to fresh herbs, from the most fine and rare chervil to the powerful tarragon. He even turned sorrel and watercress into delicate purees for all to enjoy. This session was a real discovery for the students who gave Chef Bruno a big round of applause.

October 17, Chef Emmanuel Robert, Sofitel, at ISTP

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Carla Matlin

Tasting Week had a strong start today with the visit of Emmanuel Robert, Executive Chef at the Sofitel, to the International School of the Peninsula.

Chef Robert gave two workshops for the classrooms of Ms Katia Belghadid (2^nd grade) and Ms Hayat Saba (1^st grade). Among the many samples he shared with the kids you could find olives, endives, pickles, grilled meat, asparagus, grapefruit, strawberries, marshmallows, apricots, dried bananas, ham, mint, chives, sugar and pepper. What a display!

He showed the kids the different ways to cook meat (seared vs well done) and taught them where chocolate comes from (cocoa beans, white chocolate and cocoa butter).The highlight of each workshop was when Chef Robert melted chocolate chips over a small burner and then let each child dip a fruit into the chocolate mix. This was so popular they went for seconds…and thirds. Chef Robert says he was quite impressed by the fact that all the children were able to name the vegetables he presented to them. When asked what he would put in a lunchbox, he said cold potato or pasta salads are quite popular and they lend themselves to introducing new foods to kids in small quantities.

Overall the kids were thrilled with their tasting experience today, as you can see from the photos. Thanks to Nazee Domiray-Sage from the Sofitel for providing the kids with the lovely chef hats!

Bay Area Tasting Week

Category Archives: Chefs