JOFRSEA

We went to Alki Beach on July 1, 2011. It was finally a warm,...

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:30:50 -0700

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

We went to Alki Beach on July 1, 2011. It was finally a warm, sunny day.

Refrigeratorsoupmag.com will be the new home of JOFRSEA. Pardon the transitional “virtual...

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 10:17:53 -0800

Refrigeratorsoupmag.com will be the new home of JOFRSEA. Pardon the transitional “virtual mess” during this process. Thank you for all your support!

'Best Role Model'

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:43:49 -0800

“Best Role Model for Cooking with Kids” — It’s such an honor to be included in Seattle Magazine’s Best Of 2010 (Dec.) issue. I started this project to encourage families to cook together and it’s flattering to be recognized. But there is much more work to be done.

I am in the midst of creating some cooking classes for winter. My friend — and great photographer — Clare Barboza has offered the use of her studio kitchen for classes. I will post info on those classes soon. Thank you all for your support.

A new kind of lunch line

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:36:57 -0700

A new kind of lunch line

Easy Tortilla Apple Pie Recipe

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 15:19:11 -0700

Fall is the time for apples and pears. You can easily make a pie using either fruit. You can add some berries, raisins, dried cranberries, even nuts to add some other flavors and textures.

4 Granny Smith apples (or the equivalent of your favorite apple variety)

1 tablespoon butter plus more for the tortillas

¼ cup sugar (or to taste, depending on how sweet the apple is)

1 ½ tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ cup apple juice or water, as needed

Flour tortillas (6-inch size)

Powdered sugar and cinnamon for garnish, if desired

Peel and core the apples. Cut them into ¼-inch slices. Toss the apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice. In a pan, melt the 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. While the apples cook down, if it looks like you need a little more moisture, add the ¼ cup water or juice. When the apples are soft (but not mushy) and thickened, remove from heat. Set aside.

Fill each tortilla with some of the apple mixture and fold in half like a taco. In a skillet, melt a little butter over medium heat. Add the pie and brown on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on how hot your pan is. Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon, if desired.

This is how French schools feed their children.

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:34:13 -0700

This is how French schools feed their children.

School Gardens, Taste Washington Day, Artisan Food Fest

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:59:15 -0700

Community happenings:

Daniel Bagley Elementary in Greenwood has been building a garden for and with the students to teach them about the earth-to-table process. Next week (9/20-9/24) is Garden Week. Among the scheduled activities are “Move the Mountain” work party on 9/22 at 6 p.m. and an Apple Social on 9/24. Eric Boutin, the new Nutrition Services Director for Seattle Public Schools, will make an appearance. For a more information and a full schedule of events — including volunteer opportunities — please visit DB’s site.

Taste Washington Day is part of WSDA’s Farm to School Program and takes place on 9/29. More than 60 schools and 50 farms throughout Washington have agreed to participate. On 9/29, these schools will serve meals that use ingredients sourced from local farms. For a full list of schools and farms, visit this link.

Pike Place Market Artisan Food Festival takes place 9/25-9/26. It’s two days of celebrating handmade foods and crafts, and local producers. Slow Food Seattle will be hosting programming at its booth on both days, including a conversation about School-Food Revolution led by Hsiao-Ching Chou (of JOFRSEA) and Eric Boutin, Nutrition Services Director for Seattle Public Schools. This discussion will take place on 9/25 at noon at the Slow Food Seattle booth.

Women, Infants & Children

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:42:39 -0700

Cooking Classes for WIC:

I was contacted by a nutritionist at the Snohomish Health District who asked me to create a series of basic cooking classes for WIC - Women, Infants and Children - program clients in Everett and Lynnwood. My goal for the students is to offer them simple recipes that are also flexible. So a recipe for toast with cheese and berries could be made with any bread, any spreadable cheese (farmer’s cheese, ricotta, cream cheese, etc.) and whatever the seasonal berry is.

It was heartening to hear the moms say that they liked the toast and then to get questions about specific ingredients. The lesson was imparted and the response was instant. We also made Vietnamese salad rolls. Once the moms saw how easy it is to make, they all were eager to go buy the wrappers for the rolls so that they can make the recipe at home. They also were excited to sign up for upcoming classes. It’s so cool!

Laura had the fun idea of having the kids whip cream by shaking...

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:35:22 -0700

Laura had the fun idea of having the kids whip cream by shaking jars of cream with marbles in them. The marbles took the place of a whisk. The kids loved it!

Thanks to Grand Central Baking Co. for sending Gabby and Laura...

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:06:17 -0700

Thanks to Grand Central Baking Co. for sending Gabby and Laura to Queen Anne Farmers Market on Aug. 5 to teach the kids how to make a trifle. They used cupcakes, which were easy for the kids to cut into pieces. They layered the cake with fresh berries from Hayton Farms and fresh whipped cream.

Refrigerator Soup

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:06:52 -0700

I launched my new home-cooking magazine today. A percentage of the sales will benefit JOFRSEA to bring more free cooking classes to kids. Please support us! Thank you!

For Hire...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:24:10 -0700

For Hire: I have received some inquiries about teaching in preschools (or upper grades, for that matter). I am happy to do so. Just email me and we can discuss your needs and the nominal fee.

Summer Cooking Program

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:12:29 -0700

Summer Cooking Program:

Anthony’s has a cooking academy for kids that’s taught by chef Julie Kramis-Hearne. It doesn’t say what the minimum age requirement is, but if I were to gather from the course description, your child should be at least 8 or so.

With much appreciation for Luuvu Hoang’s time and artistry...

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:46:00 -0700

With much appreciation for Luuvu Hoang’s time and artistry for this video of the June 3, 2010, kids’ cooking class at the Queen Anne Farmers Market. If you don’t know Luuvu’s work, you should watch this video and some of his other videos on Vimeo.com. He calls himself a food cinematographer. Thank you for your support!

Robin

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:26:08 -0700

I was equally inspired by Jaimie Oliver after watching a podcast of his talk after receiving the TED awards. I want to get involved in this grassroots movement and show children that they can grow, cook and eat very good and healthy food that does not require plastic packaging and synthetic ingredients. I have four children and am teaching them all to cook and be inspired by healthy food that they can either grow or purchase locally. We talk about the Michael Pollen books and the ideas presented from reading Fast Food Nation along with watching several documentaries about the food industry. I am thinking about what I can do to get involved locally in this movement and while I’m not prepared right now to tackle the publlic school lunch program (I have and will always pack my children’s lunches), I am thinking about helping my youngest daughters montessori class build some square foot gardens so that they can grow peas, beans, lettuce and tomatoes and actually work in a producing garden space. 4 foot square gardens are very inexpensive, require little space, have low maintenance and are really fun. I would love to do more to get involved so thank you for starting this important and essential group in Seattle.

QAFM Class Schedule

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:43:43 -0700

We have a few more kids’ cooking classes to announce for Queen Anne Farmers Market.

June 10, 5 p.m. - Greg Johnson, chefandfather.com, (recipe tbd)

June 17, 5 p.m. - Hsiao-Ching Chou, founder of Jamie Oliver Food Revolution-Seattle, will teach the kids how to make a couscous salad.

July 1, 3 p.m. - Dan Bugge, owner of Matt’s in the Market. Dan, who used to be a fishmonger at Pike Place Fish (home of the fish throwers), will show the kids how he fillets and grills a fish.

August 5, 5 p.m. - Piper Davis, co-owner of Grand Central Baking Co. and author of “The Grand Central Baking Book” (recipe tbd)

August 12, 3 p.m. - Ashley Rodriguez, blogger, cooking teacher and mom of two boys, with another on the way.

Kids Cooking For Kids

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:01:28 -0700

Kids Cooking For Kids:

This is a fun site about two twin brothers who make cooking videos for kids.

Another great cooking class at Queen Anne Farmers Market! The...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:49:37 -0700

Another great cooking class at Queen Anne Farmers Market! The kids enjoyed making a strawberry salsa to top their toasted baguette with yogurt cheese. Many thinks to Samish Bay Cheese for the yogurt cheese, Tiny’s Organics for the strawberries, and Grand Central Baking Co. for the baguettes.

Red Tricycle Seattle Article about JOFRSEA

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:14:46 -0700

Red Tricycle Seattle Article about JOFRSEA

Free Class at Queen Anne Farmers Market

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:02:00 -0700

Back by popular demand…I’ll be at the Queen Anne Farmers Market on June 3 at 5 p.m. to teach a kids’ cooking class. It’s strawberry season, so I’m going to teach the kids a simple strawberry salsa for toasted baguette.

TOAST AND STRAWBERRY SALSA

MAKES 4 TOASTS

1 pint strawberries, washed, trimmed and diced

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

Juice of ½ lime

1 teaspoon sugar, optional

Baguette

Beecher’s Honey Blank Slate, or Chevre or Cream Cheese

Combine the strawberries, mint, lime juice and sugar in a bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Cut two sections of baguette, about 5 inches long. Slice each in half horizontally. Toast the baguette. Spread some Blank Slate (or your choice of spreadable cheese) on each toast. Divide the strawberry salsa on top.