for my 3-year-old—she was really engaged the whole time,” Arreola explains, noting that Tatyana has grown more confident in the kitchen. “I think it’s given her a little too much confidence to think she’s a legitimate chef to be doing her own cooking and her own meals,” Arreola adds with a smile. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County holds cooking classes for middle and high school students in Salinas and Seaside, a program that started at the request of teens who would find themselves at home alone but lacking kitchen skills. During the pandemic, when there was limited indoor activity, BGCMC started offering online cooking classes. Nikki Daly Guichet, an online cooking instructor for BGCMC, says the classes are very popular and they now have a playlist on YouTube. The club relies on a team of instructors, both local and remote. “Ms. Heidi” is an online instructor from Boys & Girls Clubs DC. The club has also returned to in-person courses. Chantel Davis, a cooking instructor for BGCMC, leads the program in Seaside. Her classes have 25 to 30 students and they work together in small groups of five. Davis says desserts are the most popular recipes among students—not surprisingly—but that she makes sure students learn more substantial and healthy recipes, including salads, main courses and appetizers. Some lessons are surprisingly basic. Davis points out that both children and teens struggle using measuring cups. And they may inadvertently reach for the wrong ingredient. “The big thing with the boys is knowing the difference between salt and sugar,” Davis says with a chuckle. When a recipe calls for both, and the salt and sugar are in unmarked measuring cups, it can be confusing. “They always mix those two up.” Besides honing their measuring skills and ingredient identification abilities, at the BGCMC, students learn kitchen fundamentals such as the proper way to hold and use a knife, as well as food safety guidelines on cross contamination, the science of nutrition and more. Davis says before teens join the cooking portion of the class, they have to demonstrate they know basic food safety rules. In addition, though the Positive Sprouts Program, BGCMC has a garden where students learn how to grow vegetables. In the past, they’ve planted everything from a simple vegetable Top: After a day of cooking during Tiny Chefs, children are proud of their spaghetti and meatballs entrees. Bottom: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County hosts cooking classes for teenagers, both online and in person. COURTESY BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB COURTESY BRENDA ARREOLA 12 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® FAMILY 2024-2025 43 Fisherman’s Wharf Monterey 831-288-6218 montereybaycreamery.com HOMEMADE ICE CREAM, SHAKES & SUNDAES MTYBayCreamery_1-3v_ED22_gk.indd 1 3/21/24 9:58 AM
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