Pancakes Galore!

Today’s class at the Youth Assistance Coalition brought out the creativity of the youth through pancakes! Everyone chose their own mixings, flipped, and enjoyed decorating their treat with fruit, chocolate, and whipped cream. Chef Lesa and Chef Violette laughed along with the youth while guiding them toward golden-brown perfection in their dessert.

#chefangelssd#chefworks #youthassistancecoalition #thehandmadechef

Gumbo with Chef Christina

Tonight, we made gumbo at Varsity Team House! Chef Christina guided the boys through the steps of meat/vegetable preparation and cooking, emphasizing the topics of food safety and culinary principles such as rice cooking and rue. The gumbo included chicken, ham, and sausage, as well as vegetables and plenty of spices. We enjoyed dinner with chicken over rice!

#chefangelssd #chefworks #varsityteam #chefchristina

Seafood (and Lobster) Risotto, What a Treat!

A first for tonight’s venue at Youth Assistance Coalition, we served lobster tails! Chef Jos and her assistant Chef Kev, grabbed a few youth from the audience to help them chop and prep, and then continuously stir a couple pots of delicious and creamy risotto. There were scallops, langoustine and crab meat. There were 8 lobster tails up for grabs, and the youth had to answer trivia questions to earn a tail on their plate, that was fun! Risotto was a first for many of the youth, as well as lobster and the other delicious seafood. Thanks Chefs!

#chefangelssd#chefworks #youthassistancecoalition #ChefJos

Promises2Kids LatinX Intro Class

For our third intro class for Promises2Kids we returned to the stunning Olivewood Gardens kitchen with the LatinX Guardian Scholars group of youth and their mentors. Olivewood Event Manager & Chef Ellyse stocked the kitchen for chef instructor Chef Lety with loads of freshly harvested produce from the gardens; loquats, beets, chilis, many fresh herbs and edible flowers. Chef Lety demonstrated tortilla making, with herbs and flowers pressed into the dough, all while regaling the youth with a history of masa. She got the youth organized into task groups, and quickly assembled several ceviches and salsas to go along with the freshly made blue corn tostadas. Yum!

#chefangelssd#chefworks #OlivewoodGardens #ChefLety #Promises2Kids

Veggie Loaded Spaghetti and Meatballs

Chef Jenn brought her veggie game hard to the Youth Assistance Coalition. She demonstrated to the youth a delicious and easy way to add a rainbow assortment of vegetables into their meals. She showed how easy it is to take a basic tomato pasta sauce, whether store bought or homemade, and add loads of veggies to it to make a nutritious meal. She also had the youth work on their onion and garlic chopping skills, always useful.

#chefangelssd#chefworks #YACofSD #chefjenn

A Second Intro Class for Promises2Kids

We held our second intro class for the African-American mentorship group of foster youth at the magnificent property that is Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center. The kitchen is located in a historic Victorian house, and we were fortunate to use produce picked for us fresh from their gardens. We welcomed close to 20 youth plus their mentors for a very hands-on cooking experience with renowned local chef Jocelyn Egleton. Chef Jos made the bold choice of serving fish, and it was loved by all! A great experience and fun was had by all who attended.

#chefangelssd#chefworks #OlivewoodGardens #ChefJos #Promises2Kids

Inaugural class with Promises2Kids

We launched a new series of classes in collaboration with Promises2Kids, benefitting transition aged foster youth. The Handmade Chef hosted us at their vibrant restaurant downtown San Diego, the class being lead by Chefs Lesa and Violette, with an assist by their friend Chef Julie. The youth learned how to make flatbreads from scratch, they skewered and grilled some marinated chicken, and finally assembled some tasty wraps. The youths’ mentors watched and learned and encouraged, and then everyone devoured the delicious food!

#chefangelssd#chefworks #promises2kids#thehandmadechef

Back to Basics with Chef Lena

It had been a while since our founder Chef Lena taught a class, and with so many new residents in house, she decided it was appropriate to bring back the first class taught. A review of kitchen basics started off the class, kitchen hygiene and communications were discussed. We discussed the use of staple ingredients such as garlic and onions. Knife skills were front and center, the boys working through a pile of onions to learn cutting techniques, tears were shed! Once the practice was complete, a simple dinner was whipped up by the eager students and dinner was served!

#chefangelssd#chefworks #varsityteam#cheflena

Miss Chef Shelly & Chili & Cornbread

The youth assisted Chef Shelly in getting a large pot of chili going pretty quickly. They chopped the veggies, got the meat browned, added beans, and tomatoes, and her magic blend of seasonings. While everything was simmering and making the facility smell delicious, the youth prepped the toppings. As soon as it was cooked to Chef Shelly’s approval, the youth dug in to bowlfuls of chili with their choice of toppings and fresh made cornbread.

#chefangelssd#chefworks #youthassistancecoalition #chefshelly

Chef Scott’s Drunken Noodles

And pork stir fried rice. The magic ingredient is an egg. It will coat the rice, add flavor, and protein. Chef Scott had the boys start off by prepping all the vegetables, chopping, mincing, slicing and dicing. Knife skills were a key component of todays class. The ingredients were quickly all wok-fried separately, then combined to make a delicious dish of pork fried rice, and another of drunken noodles.

#chefangelssd#chefworks #varsityteam #chefscott