Preteens learn about different countries along with cooking

By Robin Shepherd, Special to the Los Altos Town Crier

Former Los Altos elementary teacher Sharon Barkoff and student Stephanie Eyre serve up Asian stir-fry with rice and cinnamon honey buns, the creation of a student cooking class held in the teacher’s home.

One recent Saturday afternoon, I uncovered one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets. Children love to cook, and they are good at it, too.

It might have something to do with former Los Altos elementary school teacher Sharon Barkoff, whose love of cooking, and children, led her to create a home-based cooking class for preteens.

Barkoff’s inspiration goes beyond making a meal. She envisions a holistic cooking experience. “We look at recipes from around the world,” Barkoff said. “As we discuss ingredients and meal preparation, we explore the history and culture of the people who created the recipes.”

It was a cold afternoon when five young chefs arrived at Chez Barkoff in Los Altos Hills. The hostess had thought of everything. A cozy fire warmed the family room hearth and music from faraway lands filled the air.

Getting down to business, the young chefs donned their aprons and seated themselves around Barkoff’s kitchen table. They shared stories from their week at school, opened their cooking binders and inserted their new recipes, decorated with colorful artwork. Today they would prepare “flexible stir fry,” steamed rice and a special dessert called “caramel bubbles.”

Recipe steps were read aloud, with students taking turns. Barkoff brought out an atlas, and one student located Asia on a map. They discussed rice as a staple in the diet of millions of people. Barkoff explained that “flexible stir fry” meant the chefs could choose from an array of vegetables to create their own unique version of this popular dish.

“How do I cut the bell peppers?” one student asked.

“Julienne style,” replied Barkoff, demonstrating to the young chef the common cutting technique. One young chef noted that the vegetables presented “all the fall colors.”

After washing their hands, students preheated the oven, prepared a muffin tray and blended together ingredients for the dessert. Barkoff asked the young chefs to double the recipe so they’d have enough for everyone, so they recalculated measurements for each ingredient.

“If we don’t have enough batter to fill all the muffin cups, what should we do with the empty ones?” Barkoff asked. The students learned that empty cups in a tray would burn in the oven, so the cups needed to be filled with water. With the dessert in the oven, the students began preparing the main course.

Guiding her student chefs in the fine art of sauces, Barkoff asked, “What is cornstarch, and why do you think we’re using it here?” One student explained that cornstarch made sauces thicker, to which Barkoff added, “Make sure you start with a cold liquid, or your sauce will be very lumpy!” The young chefs giggled at the thought of lumpy stir-fry.

Students eagerly examined the oddly shaped ginger root and tasted the rice vinegar, but cutting the raw chicken made them squeamish. They washed their hands as soon as they’d finished. They liked the convenience of a rice cooker - loading it up, locking down the lid, and setting the timer.

The students were all smiles as they took the finished dessert out of the oven and the kitchen filled with the appetizing aroma of cinnamon.

The students heated up the wok, added the ingredients, and took turns stirring. While some chefs were stirring, others were conferring over a minor disagreement regarding place-setting etiquette. In the end, they compromised: napkin and fork on the left of the plate, knife and spoon on the right.

“Stir-fry should be al dente,” Barkoff suggested. “That means cooked firm, not too soft.”

“How do you know when the chicken’s done?” asked one young chef.

“It turns white,” answered another.

The rice was done, and Barkoff held up an ice cream scoop. “Is this only for ice cream?” she asked. No one was sure, so she said, “No, it’s perfect for serving rice too!” One student joked that the round scoops of rice reminded her of snowballs, and everyone laughed.

Once the meal was ready, the hungry group invited me to share in their feast - it was delicious.

While the students ate, they reviewed with Barkoff what they’d learned. As the young chefs donned their jackets and gave Barkoff a good-bye hug, she gave each student a cookbook, “Kids Get Cookin’,” filled with recipes contributed by well-known celebrities and athletes, including Tim Allen and Michele Kwan.

For information about upcoming classes with Sharon Barkoff, call 941-0444.