This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/21/2020 12:00 AMMaria pre-planned with each family to obtain the necessary ingredients in time for the Friday morning start that brought us toward making lemon meringue pie with homemade pastry crust!
The class assembled in CELC’s regular Zoom meeting room, each from his or her own kitchen! Unexpected elements of this first-time experience were certainly discovered.
Maria became a sports commentator / orchestra conductor, giving play-by-play instructions and maintaining order from her vantage point, host of the Zoom room! She demonstrated technique and continuously broadcast instruction and cooking guidance to the eight separate pie-making locations!
From separating eggs the “right way” so as not to have any yolk interfere with the egg whites, to rolling out the correct consistency of dough for a flaky pastry crust, her piloting of all the parts was in and of itself both brilliant and remarkable to behold!
The other unanticipated aspect was how families in each home came together in their respective kitchens to take part in the activity. It provided family bonding time and a chance to be immersed in an all-consuming task. Time was somehow suspended. Instead of the now-too-common stress and worry of these times, focus was concentrated instead on the intricate aspects involved in the creation of sweet yummy pie to be shared!
The Why Cook? class is designed to allow students to be exposed to a wide range of recipes, experience a variety of cooking techniques, and open up to the possibilities of the culinary arts. Parents often report CELC students are much more involved with meal preparation at home. We even once had a student request a crème brulée torch for his thirteenth birthday!
Recipe plan for next month’s class : potato leek soup with homemade chicken and/or vegetable stock, suiting the personal preferences of the students!
We invite prospective students and parents to please visit our online classroom! While admissions season is challenged, we encourage interested families to be in contact. Openings are available and applications are being accepted for 2020-21.Contact mandm@CTEXperiential.org or 203.433.4658 to schedule a “visit” and for more information.