The Alexandria Cooking Camp was a three-day event with four participants all twelve years of age. They all had some culinary skills to boast; having helped their guardians cook meals or able to microwave left overs. Over the days, we hosted field trips to Whole Foods, and ALIVE!; a food bank in Alexandria.
The Whole Foods tour was hosted by the general manager, Alton. He kindly provided everyone with free sample snacks and water. As we toured the store, he collected foods that the kids had never heard of or tried before, and sent them back to camp with us. We were able to try smoked bacon, monk fish, jack fruit, Beyond Burger, quail and duck eggs, French cheese, and more crazy fruit with wild names not easy to remember. We were able to try food samples as we explored the store, and all the employees were so kind to us. Coming into the store, we had no expectations and were completely blown away. The kindness and generosity that every store member showed us, especially Alton, was astonishing. We plan to continue promoting Whole Foods to the youth 4-H reaches every day.
Our experience with ALIVE! was a fulfilling task. We learned all that they do for the community, and how our young participants can volunteer in the future. ALIVE! does outreach for the elderly and disabled, delivering their groceries and giving them much needed support. They package and ship food to schools to children in need, both during the week and the weekend. Our wonderful guide allowed the kids to volunteer by packing bags for families in need. We packed 30 bags full of food, and it was amazing to see the kids working together down the assembly line and enjoying their community and service work. Our guide told us how we can get involved in the future, and what types of donations they accept.
The next day, when giving thank you cards to ALIVE! and Whole Foods, the kids dropped off their donations to ALIVE! that they prepared after learning how they can support their community. I would like to say thank you to both ALIVE! and Whole Foods for being excellent role models for the participants.
In the kitchen, the kids prepared lunches for everyone and also food to take home. We went over knife skills, reading a recipe and hand washing etiquette to make sure everyone was prepared and safe before we started cooking. Dishes we prepared were broccoli and cheddar soup, apple grilled cheese, shrimp stir fry, and brownies. At the end of the week, we had a competition to test the groups to see how much they had learned, and how confident they were preparing a meal without help. Both teams came up with unique and delicious end products. One team created their own take on ramen and fried bread with chocolate ganache and raspberries. The other team created an excellent pasta carbonara with garlic bread and sugared berries.
The outcome of the camp was so positive, and all participants voiced their newfound love for cooking and new friendship. It was so great to be a part of these kids’ culinary journey, and I hope that they all continue to cook in their futures. Thank you so much to Reggie and Melina from Alexandria and for allowing me to volunteer at the camp, it was such a positive experience!
