Summer kitchen camp for kids

MANILA, Philippines - Chef Maricel Manalo, culinary services manager at San Miguel Pure Foods Company Inc., says that getting kids interested in cooking can be a painless way of developing a love for food.

“Cooking introduces kids to new flavors and encourages them to think ‘healthy’ at a very young age. It also gives them a wonderful sense of accomplishment that they can build on as they grow,” she says. “Many kids are picky eaters. Asking them to help around the kitchen, with adult supervision, can be a first step in solving this dilemma. Given the right encouragement, they can develop a deeper appreciation for food and an openness to different flavors.”

For the past 15 years, SMPF’s culinary club, the San Miguel Great Food Club, has been organizing the San Miguel Great Food Club Kids’ Kitchen Camp. It is a summer workshop that hopes to instill a love for food in young children and further develop the skills of kids who already have an innate interest in cooking. According to chef Maricel, the most ideal is preschool age, or as early as six years old.

The three-day workshop features culinary specialists from the San Miguel Culinary Center who will teach kids the basics of cooking and baking. Kids will also be guided in making inventive eats like Frozen Turtle Ice Cream Pie, Hawaiian Chicken Kebab, Cheesy Floppy Dog Ears, Power French Toast, and Toad in the Hole, among other recipes.

The camp, open to kids aged six to 10, is held at the San Miguel Pure Foods Culinary Center at Legaspi corner Eagle Streets, Barrio Ugong, Pasig City. It will run from April 25 to 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 632-2000, 632-8558, 632-5453 or visit www.mygreatfood.com.