Good food doesn’t need to have the word “cheez” written on the box.
That’s one lesson Union City Grille Executive Chef Robert Lhulier hopes the students at Bright Horizons Family Solutions took home from the Cooking for Kids program.
He gave two days of cooking demonstrations for the kids, before opening up his eatery’s kitchen for an educational tour covering the basics of restaurant management.
Lhulier’s daughter attends the summer camp at Bright Horizons and he offered to put on a cooking program to give the kids a new and interesting experience, he said.
“I hope the students develop a love of food,” he said.
Under Lhulier’s watchful eye, the students got their hands dirty making gnocchi from scratch, a process that involves mixing ingredients, rolling dough and shaping pasta.
Many of the students had some knowledge of cooking, but were impressed to see how the ingredients came together into a finished product, he said.
The next day, the kids helped craft handmade mozzarella cheese and French toast sticks, which they topped with a raspberry sauce.
The French toast was the favorite of 13-year-old Matthew Mekanik. The Woodcrest resident said he was impressed by how a few tricks could turn a simple dish into something special.
“When the ingredients all come together, it’s like a sense of accomplishment,” he said.
Jackson Webb, 10, of Wilmington was also a fan of the French toast, but said it was equally interesting to see the inside of a restaurant kitchen.
Lhulier led the students through the back of the restaurant, pointing out the different pieces of equipment and storage spots for all sorts of different foods.
“It’s interesting how they have everything in a very specific place,” Webb said.
Understanding where food comes from – that it doesn’t magically appear on a plate after someone orders it in a restaurant – will hopefully inspire the kids to get to work in their own families’ kitchens, Lhulier said.
“I want them to understand that food doesn’t necessarily come out of a package,” he said. “With a few basic skills, they can cook it at home.”
