Words & Photos from Makena A., Emma H., Zephyr F. & Jo-Jo S.
Makena A. - Cohort AC
Our first day back in the kitchen for some cooking started on a Friday. As we had done in our previous experiential days, we headed to Fairways to acquire the groceries needed. The first task given to us was to cook up some yummy breakfast for ourselves. We tried to make a homemade version of Mcgriddles which turned out to be quite delicious. Two people worked at each station, one was cooking the eggs, another was the bacon and the last was cooking the actual pancake that would be placed on both the top and bottom. After stuffing ourselves with breakfast we planned out the next meal which was Poke Bowls, we shopped for toppings and dressings, as well as fish such as salmon and tuna that would pair well with the sushi rice we had purchased. These bowls were not super time consuming and resulted in a healthy yet appetizing lunch.
The second day was when things really started to heat up in the kitchen as it was the Iron Chef Competition. Each cooking group was given the challenge to make both a meat and veggie burger using only the items given to you on a list provided. There were a few exceptions however, one of which was being able to choose your own meat and cheese for the beef burger. We decided to play it more on the safe side and opt with a classic beef burger and some aged cheddar cheese to pair with it. Our veggie burger was Spanish inspired and had a black bean base and included our homemade chipotle mayo and guacamole. The surprise ingredient (jalapeño) was quiet the curveball, however, we quickly talked it through and decided that it would be best to put it in the patty of both burgers as it wouldn't overpower the meal that way. As the burger patties were being prepped, many group members were working hard on the homemade yam and potato wedges as well as the delicious coleslaw. Our best feature of our burger was easily the bun. We made the burgers from scratch and Kenzie taught us how to properly roll dough to get a smooth finish after it has baked. Thanks to the technique we used the burger buns looked so good!!
Overall, it was a fantastic way to end the experiential program (even though we didn't win the cooking competition), and for sure was something both me and the members in my group won't forget.
Emma H. - Cohort AC
Day 5 - the Nature Chef
At half past eight, Cooking and Nutrition Group BD piled onto a bus, and settled into their seats for the hour-long ride out to Sooke. When we exited the bus, we met the Nature Chef, Tom. Tom led us through a compact trail to get to our destination. Branches and bushes brushed up against us, even catching onto the fibres of our clothing. Thankfully, it was a short walk, and we spilled out before a clearing that had two wooden tables in the centre, a huge tree that we later learned was a Douglas Fir, the outdoor kitchen and a welcoming fire.
Tom prepared tea for us, adding fennel, lemon balm and spruce tips to a pot of water that he set by the fire. Tea is one of the best ways to bring out properties of plants. Tom talked about his roots in the Czech Republic, growing up living on top of his family’s deli, and how visiting Czechia inspired him to take over the deli and bring his culture’s food to Canada. This set him on the path to where he is now, and how he found and nurtured this connection to nature and wild foods.
We were introduced to different plants and trees, and Tom told us about what parts of the plant were good for what, how best to draw out its benefits and encouraged us to try them. We were taken to a garden, filled with different herbs, and even dandelions. Not the small, single buds we see spotting our lawns and fields, but towering, strong structures that reached our shoulders. We learnt that dandelions were a great food and medical source, as the leaves and the flowers could be eaten, and a dandelion’s roots have medicinal properties that benefit the liver. Just as we were introduced to the cedar tree, a neighbourhood cat appeared and distracted us for a few minutes.
Once the tour was over, we began preparing our meal for the day, with the wild ingredients we had just learned about, as well as a freshly caught rockfish. The fire was still going and even though it didn’t bother Tom, if the smoke was billowing in your direction, soon enough you’d be hurrying away, eyes tearing up.
There were sounds of delight when we were finally able to dig in at two o’clock. Josh had had his eye on the rockfish with a cornmeal crust for hours. Many of us went back for seconds and thirds, surprised at how delicious everything tasted. Today was a unique experience that left us with our eyes a bit more open to the world.
Day 6
The event of our last day in the Experiential Program was a cooking competition, inspired by Iron Chef. Kayla had hinted to us since Day 3 that we would have an unknown theme, as well as a mysterious ingredient that we would need to incorporate into the dish.
The theme was burgers: we needed to make a meat burger, a veggie burger, a salad, a side, and for bonus points, a dessert. We were split into pairs, chose one aspect of the dish to focus on, and were tasked with finding a recipe. Then we were told the secret ingredient was jalapeño peppers. Lizzy and Josh were in charge of the buns, and creatively came up with potato buns for the veggie burger; Jerry and Jason on the meat patty; Jessica and Michelle on the salad, and later, the apple cake dessert; Sophie and Josefina were on the vegetable patty and Maya and I were on the potato side. Kayla helped us greatly during the process, giving us ideas and teaching us how to make the dish better.
At 13:56, we trooped out of the Timmis/Bolton common room, carrying eight artfully plated plates, half of them burgers and half dessert. We were the first contenders to arrive, and the judges, Ms. Gardiner, Ms. Beare, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Primrose, tasted our dishes first. It was nail-biting when the judges were deliberating the verdict. It was close, but we came out on top thanks to our dessert. No other group had managed to incorporate the jalapeños into the dessert, but we had by making a butterscotch sauce infused with it.
We are extremely grateful for this opportunity to be under Kayla’s tutelage for six days. It was amazing, fun and instructive and it is disappointing that it has reached its conclusion. We, Sophie, Maya, Jerry, Josie, Josie, Josh, Lizzy, Hugo, Jason, Michelle, Jessica and I, thank Mr. Daly, Ms. Gardiner and Kayla for organising this experience for us and making it so enjoyable. It is truly one of the highlights of Grade 10.
Zephyr F. - Cohort AC
As fifth term finally came to an end, preparations began for the final two days of experientials. Our friday started as it usually did, with outlining was we planned to make for the day.
First, we started with the cheesecake, because of its extended cooling time. We heated the cream cheese and made the breadcrumb crust. After pouring the batter in the pan, we put it in the oven and started on the dough and filling for ravioli. A highlight was learning how to make pasta using a rolling machine. We rolled it out into strips and fed it through the wheels by pumping the leaver. Then we added filling in the centre before putting the top back on and crimping the edges. We then boiled them and began making gnocchi, starting with cutting the potatoes. Once we had added the potato to the dough, we learned how to make the lined shape using a fork.
Midway through our foosball break in the morning, the fire alarm interrupted. Though we found it funny at first, we eventually filed out into the yard and joined the crowd that had begun to form. The alarm triggered the fire department and we watched (feeling incredibly guilty) as the fire truck came blaring up the road. They assisted us in turning off the alarm and we were finally allowed back inside to check on our cooking.
We found that the ravioli had boiled too long due to the alarm, and was doubled in size. Fortunately, we had yet to prepare the pizza. After learning a simple pizza dough recipe, we began to cut and prepare the vegetables. We rolled the dough and cut it into pieces, allowing each person to decorate their own slice. As the pizza cooked, we cut the cheesecake and ripped lettuce for the salad. Making a simple caesar dressing, we added croutons and capers as toppings. Finally, we compiled a plate with all of our food and sat to eat. Though the ravioli was a bit thick, everything tasted incredible.
To end the day, we sat together and planned what we would make for the baking competition on Monday.
Monday began with high tension. Each group received the same ingredients, all planning to make similar dishes for the judges. We were told to prepare a hamburger lunch that included jalapeno and extra points were added if we made a desert. We could not add our own ingredients, so one challenge was learning to make burger buns without milk. Our group made a veggie “walnut and bean” burger, braised pork belly sandwich, chips, apple slaw, cheesy fries and a tomato tower. For desert we prepared an apple strudel that was praised highly by the judges.
As we arrived for judging, we noted that the competition was fierce, as the prize was a Howard’s cafe gift card. The oppositions food included lemonade, blue plates, potato buns and a jalapeno desert.
At 2 pm, the groups competed for the favour of four judges: Mr. Primrose, Mr. Anderson, Ms. Biere and Ms. Gardiner. Unfortunately, our group did not receive the Howard’s cafe discount and we accepted a losing place graciously.
Despite the crushing loss of the competition, preparing food and learning different ways to cook was one of the best experiences of tenth grade. Each experiential session was something to look forward to and a break between terms. Many students brought home the recipes they learned and prepared new meals for their families. We were all grateful for the opportunity to learn new life skills that we would carry with us for years to come.