5/20/2016 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855 | Privacy | Classifieds | Virtual Edition | Contact Us Welcome, HELEN | Logout Subscribe Call 805­966­7171 for Print Subscription Friday, May 20, 2016 Home Local Sports Editorials Opinions­Letters Obituaries Real Estate Classifieds Special Publications Archives Life Home » Life All stirred up Kids get excited about cooking and nutrition in Foodbank class By DAVE MASON, NEWS­PRESS STAFF WRITER May 18, 2016 6:28 AM They sampled chicken satay and summer Share Story Tweet Translate Website rolls. Select Language But the students weren't participating in an Powered by Translate exchange program overseas. They were preparing the dishes for an Related Stories Asian feast for their parents and siblings as Teenagers crunch numbers for taxpayers part of a home economics class right here Apr 15, 2003 on the South Coast. Letters: Business put before quality of life Sep 14, 2008 The Teens Love Cooking after­school Green candidate would boost wages, health care course at Carpinteria Middle School recently Jul 6, 2000 prepared summer rolls with nuoc cham; Granada to reopen as movie house chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce; Oct 24, 2002 Mayra Jimenez, left, and Stephanie Oh, Christmas Tree! veggie and pork fried rice; and Szechuan Gonzalez, both 11, chop chicken to prepare Dec 23, 2003 the chicken satay. green beans and tofu. Groups of students, Police make surprise endorsement of Wolf : Split in sixth through eighth grades, worked NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS­PRESS PHOTOS from sheriff's deputies who favor Roger Aceves in 2nd together on various parts of the elaborate District supervisor race menu, which included pineapple upside­ May 23, 2014 down cake for dessert. CIF­SS WINTER PLAYOFF: DP faces tall order in trying to repeat Feb 13, 2012 "We can ... make things we thought we Bishop Diego goes for gridiron title tonight didn't like and (they turn out) really good!" Dec 8, 2007 11­year­old Vanessa Ortiz, a sixth­grader, Giving them credit told the News­Press while nibbling on the Feb 23, 2001 summer rolls she and others made. She Melgoza's big night not enough for Dons said they were the biggest challenge to Feb 6, 2015 make. The work involved carefully wrapping noodles, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, shrimp and other ingredients in rice paper. Ortencia Ortiz, her mother, said she was surprised by Vanessa's culinary skills. "I will have her cook at home!" the proud mother, 38, said in Spanish as Vanessa translated. % OFF The free, seven­week Foodbank of Santa 4 your 0purchase Barbara County program, which launched in the fall of 2013, emphasizes cooking ENDS TODAY techniques, nutrition and kitchen skills such Online & In Stores. SHOP NOW as the safe use of knives. In addition to See site for details. Carpinteria Middle School, the classes have http:b//weewnw .tnaewugsphrets as.tc oFme/sTloepr/A Jrutinclieo/arr tHicilge.hjs pS?cShecotiooln =inLIFE&ID=567551646612193317 1/4 5/20/2016 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855 been taught at Fesler Junior High School in Santa Maria. They were added this year at El Camino Junior High School in Santa Maria and La Cumbre Junior High School in Santa Barbara. Typically a dozen or more girls and boys attend. It's open to all students enrolled in the after­school programs at their schools. At the end of the seven­week class, parents and siblings get to sit with the students and taste what they've cooked in feasts with themes such as French, or in Carpinteria FOR TODAY AND EVERY DAY Middle School's case, Asian. SHOP NOW "They did an amazing job! It started smelling good 10 minutes after they started cutting and chopping things," said Mary Ann Everett, who taught the Carpinteria class with the help of several other volunteers such as Makenzie Champion. Miss Champion, 26, said she was amazed by the kids' willingness to cook unfamiliar foods such as Szechuan green beans and tofu. "I was surprised by the summer rolls. I thought it would be hard for them to get Mary Ann Everett demonstrates in the third the hang of it, but they did well." week how to chop vegetables during the Teens Love Cooking program at Carpinteria Middle School. Parents said they were impressed with their kids' cooking. Parents of Teens Love Cooking students dish up during an Asian feast, the finale of the seven­week class. On the menu were "It is good, and it's teaching her a lot!" summer rolls with nuoc cham; chicken satay Enrique Herrera, 45, said in Spanish as his with spicy peanut sauce; veggie and pork daughter, 12­year­old Valeria Herrera, a fried rice; and Szechuan green beans and sixth­grader, translated. tofu. While some kids had never cooked before, others said the class helped them improve their technique. "I took this class last semester," said 14­ year­old Julia Nguyen, an eighth­grader who decided to take it again this spring. Recipes differ each time. "I already knew how to cook, so it enhanced my skills a little bit more. I know how to follow a recipe more efficiently." Students prepare various cuisine, from Asian to Moroccan to Italian dishes, such as spaghetti with no­cook tomato basil sauce. Not cooking the sauce preserves the nutrients. Students also learn such lessons as they can retain more vitamins and minerals in vegetables by steaming them instead of boiling them. In another lesson, they see what's in junk food by pouring the corresponding amounts of salt and sugar for various items into jars; they're surprised by the amounts. They're warned about consequences such as diabetes. When the News­Press visited during the third week, Mrs. Everett led an animated discussion about red fruits and vegetables and how they help lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. She asked the kids to name examples of red fruits and Three weeks into the program, Guadalupe Jaimes­Delgado, 11, places chopped sweet veggies, and they yelled, "Tomatoes!" potatoes in a pan for a lesson on how to "Cherries!" "Strawberries!" steam vegetables, which helps retain their nutrients. Students also were told how You'd think they were screaming about ice sweet potatoes are more nutritious than white potatoes. cream, but kids getting passionate about vegetables is exactly what the food bank HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS­PRESS wants. Ortencia Ortiz enjoys the Asian feast, the finale of the seven­week class, with her "Basically, the whole hope of the Teens daughter, Vanessa Ortiz, 11, who prepared Love Cooking program is to introduce the summer rolls. Mrs. Ortiz said she was http:m//widwdwl.ene­wscsphroesosl. c(oamn/Tdo pju/Anritoicrl­eh/airgtihcl)e .jsstpu?Sdeecntitosn =tLoIFE&ID=567551646612193317 2/4 5/20/2016 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855 middle­school (and junior­high) students to surprised and delighted by how well her daughter did in the course. "I will have her fresh, healthy food; empower them to cook at home!" create healthy meals for themselves; and get them away from processed foods, NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS­PRESS which are a source of health problems we've seen on the rise," said Bethany Stetson, community programs manager at Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Mrs. Stetson, 25, said the class is taught at schools where more than half of students, because of their families' low incomes, get free or discounted school lunches through a U.S. Department of Agriculture program. "We know if it's a high­need school, hunger could be an issue. But we don't want to just end their hunger. We want to push them to make healthy choices." The goal isn't to steer students toward culinary careers, but it's on some kids' minds. "I wanted to learn about cooking so I can become a chef when I'm older, like on a TV show," said 11­year­old Daniel Contras, a sixth­grader, who added he enjoyed cooking rainbow noodle stir­fry in the class. Twelve­year­old Kether Azavedo, also a sixth­grader, mastered the feast's dessert, one worthy of a pastry chef: the pineapple upside­down cake. What makes it so good? The sugar, he admitted. Though it's make with the light­brown variety. Sitting next to him, his mother, Jillian Azavedo, 41, grinned. She said Kether likes to do things with his hands, whether it's making art projects or cooking. "I think it (the class) is great. When he gets older, he'll be able to feed himself." Eleven­year­old Ruby Varela, another sixth­grader, already cooks at home ? things like rice, beans and spaghetti. She said she took the class to boost her skills. "And I wanted to show my mother new recipes because she's a really big fan of cooking." Thirteen­year­old Jackie Hernandez, an eighth­grader, said the class helped her after just three weeks. "They taught us how to steam vegetables, and I didn't know that until today. I'm hoping to cook healthier for my brothers." email: [email protected] FYI Foodbank of Santa Barbara County teaches free Teens Love Cooking classes each fall and spring at middle and junior high schools in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. For more information, contact Bethany Stetson, community programs manager at Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, at 403­5679 or bstetson@ foodbanksbc.org. http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=LIFE&ID=567551646612193317 3/4 5/20/2016 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855 Home Editorials Classifieds Real Estate Site Index Contact Us Local News Opinions & Letters Place your Ad Finance Weather Contact News Breaking News Obituaries Real Estate House & Home Traffic Pay Your Bill Business Travel Rentals Open Home Directory Arrest Logs Advertising Information Celebrations Employment Commercial Properties RSS Feeds Elected Representatives Columnists Special Publications Announcements Rentals Gas Prices TV Listings Parade Magazine Life Merchandise Archives NP Commercial Printing Sports Garage Sales Events Calendar FAQ Scene More Front Page Virtual Edition Follow us on: Facebook Twitter All Content Copyright© 2016 Santa Barbara News­Press / Ampersand Publishing, LLC unless otherwise specified.