Top 10 Skills from Camp Delicious!

by Leslie Bonci, Co-Director, Camp Delicious!

Nothing tastes better than a home-made meal, unless of course you can make it yourself. At Camp Delicious! young chefs, age 12 to 17, will gain hands-on experience with simple yet sophisticated recipes that they’ll be able to repeat at home. In this five-day camp, teens will explore essential cooking techniques, while developing important life-skills from professional chefs that are sure to have a long-lasting impact. Is your teen ready for the challenge? We've compiled a list of our top 10 reasons why your teen will love to create his/her own culinary masterpieces, make new friends and maybe even discover a new career path!

10:

All campers will learn knife skills to help them perfect their slice and dice.

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All campers will learn what it is like to be an active participant in the kitchen through chopping, stirring, mixing, rolling, kneading and NO sitting. Chefs are on their feet all day.

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The three T’s of food can put us in an eating mood. The world of taste is a cool one to discover. Not only the ones we know: sweet, salty, sour and bitter, but also the opportunity to do taste pairings and sharing. In addition, temperature and texture increase or decrease our preferences for certain foods.

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Being a conscious consumer is more than reading labels, it is also learning how to curb food waste. We will learn about how to minimize waste, what to do with what we don’t use and why it is so important to do so.

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Since 94% of the US population falls short of getting the recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies, Camp Delicious focuses on ways to increase and optimize produce consumption through what we pour, what we put on the plate, and how we snack.

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Hands on, hands in is the motto for Camp Delicious! We want our campers to be in the know about what grows, so into the garden we go. We will be literally from ground to table as we cultivate and appreciate the goodness of the garden into our recipes.

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Since cooking occurs with many different types of equipment, our campers will be proficient in using burners, blenders, electric skillets and cooking in a food truck. It is the skill that provides the thrill and an opportunity to educate that the way food is prepared to get to the plate can be a traditional stove, or a wok, or grill.

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Just as we all wear what we like and feels comfortable to us, the same is true with food. We need to customize the look, the taste and the combination of foods to fit our bodies, our palate and our wallet.

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Learning how to cook is a gift that keeps on giving. When we can prepare a meal for ourselves, we can also prepare for family members, friends and know how to nourish ourselves through college and as adults.

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Culinary aptitude can be turned into a career. Chefs can work all over the world, at restaurants, spas, for sports teams, for catering companies, for industry, at the White House, as private chefs, for supermarkets, universities, and sometimes on TV!

To learn more about Camp Delicious! or any of our other exciting, fun and unique Summer Camps for Teens, visit luminari.org, email us at luminari@luminari.org or call us at (412) 877 -1888.

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Leslie is the Owner of Active Eating Advice: be fit, fed and fearless. She works with individual clients, Carnegie Mellon University athletics, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She strives to help her clients, viewers and readers cultivate a love for food, appreciate what fueling well does for the body, and communicate the message of being a foodie instead of a feudie.