Kids in the Kitchen

"TEACH A CHILD TO COOK AND THEY FEED THEMSELVES FOR LIFE"

By Gayle Cunningham

I went to meet with Latoya Panton chef and owner of Delicious Occasions Catering Services and Cooking Classes, because I am a mother of four kiddies who are biting at the bit to start cooking - but for my fear of them burning down the house. Damn you, Food Network for sparking the children’s interest in food.

I was unprepared for the tiny teenybopper who stood waiting on me. When I think of a cooking instructor, instantly images of a Julia Child-like woman pops into my head. I expected someone slightly eccentric; tallish, buxom and slightly round, with hair lightly dusted with flour. Suffice to say, Latoya totally blasted that theory to smithereens. Her calm, soft-spoken disposition makes it easy to understand just why her young students bond with her almost immediately.

A powerhouse of ideas, Latoya eats, sleeps and dreams food. When asked how long she has been into cooking, she immediately describes her early years growing up in the kitchen cooking with her mother and aunt. Her aunt would give her a pot and some stock and let her experiment with making her own soup. It was this freedom to explore and create that inspired and encouraged her on her journey to becoming a Chef. And it is this spirit that she encourages in her students, both young and old. “Cooking is an adventure which ought to be seen as a

creative journey, where lessons are learned . instead of mistakes made.”

With her chef hat properly earned at the Institutional and Catering Management at the University of Technology, Latoya started her catering business, Delicious Occasions. Her friends would ask her to teach them how she did this dish and that, so she would gather up a few of them and give them a lesson or two. Interest grew from friends, to friends of friends and progressed naturally to children.

TEACH A CHILD TO COOK AND THEY FEED THEMSELVES FOR LIFE

This is one of Latoya’s mantras and it is also why she starts teaching cooking to children as young as 4. For the past 10 years, Latoya has been inviting children who are passionate about food into her classroom kitchen for a summer of cooking and fun. Eventually, Young Chefs Cooking Club was started as an extension to the summer classes for those children who wanted to continue cooking beyond the summer holidays. The Cooking Club meets once per week for classes designed to not only teach children to cook and bake, but also to help build their confidence and self-reliance. Don’t Be Fearful, Be Careful Each student goes through a mandatory kitchen safety instruction, which includes how to handle knives. Yes, this includes the 4-year-olds. This session is designed to eliminate fear from both child and also the parents. Cook

What They Want To Eat

Latoya’s ultimate goal is to have her students appreciate good food. If you want to ease your child into cooking, here are three tips she shared to help your child get started in the kitchen. 1. Breakfast is the easiest meal that they can do. Start with eggs, either boiled or scrambled, with a side of toast. 2. As the parent, you should be involved, even if it's just to give them company. 3. Let them cook what they want to eat. This is one of the ‘tricks’ that Latoya uses with her little students. Start with what they love to eat – get them excited with the accomplishment and in no time, they will be much more inclined to try other dishes.

So, she teaches classes to students of all ages, she has a catering business, she is also a personal chef and has a cooking television show in the works. I had to ask how she balanced life as a working mother of two. “It’s hard!” Latoya said. ”But apart from cooking, my children and I love to read, so I make sure to read with them. That is our thing.”

Young Chefs classes start from June 19 - August 19 Delicious Occasions Catering Services and Cooking Classes deliciousoccasions@yahoo.com 876-509-0093 or 876-819-0959