SC - Children/ Food / Events ( long)

[DeeWolff at aol.com]

So, I saw a need to fill and decided to run with it. I really wanted to work 
with this problem for the past couple of years, but never really had the 
nerve to do it. I now have that nerve.

The problem: 

1) unknown foods at events
2) children witn nothing to do
3) need for unskilled labor in kitchen (paring , mixing, chopping, washing, 
etc.)
4) need for more  training for more active roles in kitchen 

The positive influences:

1) A bored child is more willing to try anything to not be bored
2) A child is more often willing to eat something he has helped create.
3) What we see as unskilled labor is fun to children (Messy is good !)
4) Experience in a friendly atmosphere creates a liking for kitchen duties.
5) I work well with children ( teaching and nursing background).
6) My mom taught me how a kitchen  can be made fun .

The negative influences:
1) Period food is often strange to  a modern child
2) Previous help in the kitchen may have been unnoticed or unrewarded.
3) The decidedly adult atmosphere scares the timid child.

My response:

Small classes (of ten children) given out in areas  requesting a University 
style format.

Example: At our most recent East Kingdom University, I provided a workable 
(albeit, not typical) kitchen in which a maximum of ten children could 
create, and eat a small feast based on period sources. However, the cooking 
itself was thoroughly modern due to the constraints of the working area (in a 
conventional classroom). I have a portable oven (convection/broiler/microwave 
acquired in the 70's), a  electric steamer, and a good quality crockpot.
The menu:  Hirchones     from Harleian  MS 279
            La maniere de faire compost  from The Menagier du Paris
             Applemoyl from Harleian  MS 279    
             Hot spiced cider   

The result: A class of six, one child under five ( I had limited the ages 
from 6 to 12) , the father stayed to help the five year old. There were no 
other adults present.

The chopping and paring took a great deal of time. The results were ill 
formed and messy. They were incorporated into the final recipes with great 
admiration of a job well done and smiles from all. 

The spiced cider was a hit ! I encouraged  mortar and pestle use for the 
spices and they also grated a nutmeg into the brew.  All pronounced it  
excellent !

The hedgehogs, ended up looking like space aliens (one done like Pikachu by 
an older child who could not just make a hedgehog like the others) , but 
three were fully eaten, one had the almonds eaten off, and two went home to 
show Mom how cool this was!

The compost( mostly carrots) were considered to be  good. They really liked 
the honey sauce ( no surprise here) and were promptly eaten.

The applemoyl  had the best result of all , it was inhaled! The spices ( now 
, all familiar: I explained what they were and we "sampled" them before 
adding them) mixed with  the apples and the other ingredients were very good. 
While it did not look as visually pleasing to the adult eye (due to the 
chopping episodes) it tasted better than it looked. 

The downside: While I had brought games to occupy them during the cooking 
phase, I had forgotten that some do not participate well in group games. Next 
time I will bring solo activities too.


Final Note:  All in all, we had a good time. I learned a lot, and so did 
they. I think the best thing that happened to me is that when I asked them if 
they would do this again, EVERY ONE said yes!  My next class is  this weekend 
and I already have two on the schedule for Pennsic!! And at Pennsic, we will 
be using  camp fire cooking  techniques and be discovering how to use a turf 
oven !  

Andrea MacIntyre
Ostgardr, East Kingdom