Common Threads
Students prepared Anticuchos De Pollo from the cookbook Common Threads Cooking for Life Student Passport: Cooking Skills and World Cuisine.
Last month, I attended an after-school cooking program at P.S. 171 Patrick Henry Preparatory School on East 103rd Street in Manhattan. The Chef-led program, “Cooking Skills and World Cuisine,” is provided by Common Threads, an ABZFF grantee. Founded in 2003, Common Threads was created to support the health and wellness of children, families, and communities though cooking and nutrition education, cultivating healthier lifestyles and celebrating diversity though food.
Chef Corb led the students in a knife skills lesson.
“Cooking Skills and World Cuisine” consists of 10, two-hour lessons designed to engage students through the exploration of the culture and cuisine of more than nine countries including Senegal, Greece, India, China, and Australia. The students follow recipes from Common Threads Cooking for Life Student Passport: Cooking Skills and World Cuisine.
During my visit to P.S. 171 Patrick Henry Preparatory School, which serves 772 students from Pre-K through 8th grade, the 15 student participants were learning about Peru from Chef Corb. He was energetic, passionate, and patient as he led the class in a lesson on Peruvian geography, language, landmarks, and culture, followed by the preparation of Anticuchos De Pollo (spicy chicken skewers); Roasted Potatoes; and Pineapple Basil Cremolada.
The students — who earn the right to take part in the afterschool class through good grades and exemplary behavior — were divided into two rotating groups: one group seasoned the chicken while the other group chopped the vegetables and herbs. Chef Corb taught the students safe and effective knife skills (a “hand bridge” when cutting potatoes and a “rock and chop” knife when cutting herbs.) He emphasized the importance of following the recipe, using the stove properly, and “controlling your environment.”
While working, the young chefs discussed the similarities and differences of Peruvian, Spanish, and Mexican languages, cultures, and food. They also quickly learned kitchen improvisation while preparing the Pineapple Basil Cremolada, which calls for the use of a blender. The kitchen blender was out of order, so Chef Corb instructed the students on “recipe deconstruction” by mixing chunks of pineapple, honey, and basil.
Once the chicken skewers and potatoes were in the oven and the pineapple desert chilled, the school kitchen filled with a delicious aroma and the young chefs partook in a very important cooking lesson — leaving the kitchen as clean as they found it! With the meal cooking and the kitchen tidy, we returned to the large cafeteria where the young chefs practiced the Common Threads class creed:
Today we tasted healthy foods and practiced eating well to keep us strong.
People all over the world—and even in this room—are different!
But we all have things in common:
We can work together, share together, learn together, cook together and then…
Together we can EAT!
Soon it was time to enjoy the young chefs’ culinary efforts. It was a lovely way to spend a cold NYC winter afternoon as we were briefly transported to warm Peru thanks to our Common Threads Cooking for Life Student Passport!
—Liz
