The following article was written by Andrew Dunbar, the General Manager and Chef at Ryan’s on York.
Anthony Bourdain once said “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” For almost twenty years of my life that has been my motto and credence. Food is something that brings people together. It helps you not only learn to about them, but it helps you understand them.
I started cooking when I was 14. My first job was preparing potatoes and chicken for frying. I would spend hours washing and hand cutting potatoes into wedges, marinating chicken, sifting flour, and adding the spice blends. It was horrible—I smelled of raw chicken and potatoes for the entire summer, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
When I was approached by Manitowoc Public Library (MPL) for a teen cooking program, it was a no-brainer—yes was my immediate answer. My teen years are when I got into cooking and to maybe help somebody else find that passion, well, I knew I was in.
The trick was to find out what was a good topic or subject. What was something to not only draw-in interest, but also make sure the Teens left being able to use the skills from the class at home? My mind thought of things like pickles, cakes, breads, and burgers. But, none of those transferred back home very well.
That was when I realized that I could use MPL’s fabulous collection of Cook Books to look for ideas. Imagine that—using a Library for research? Somebody should let the library know about this!
As I looked through the collection, I found a book. “Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook,” by Elisabeth Prueitt. Other than being a fantastic book, it was broken down in a way that made it easy to read. You had a section on breakfast, a section on Soups, and a section that really hit home for me: Basics. This basics section included lots of yummy, yummy sauces.
Andrew Dunbar
I realized that as a teen you don’t have a lot of control over what you eat. Maybe a request here or there or sliding one or two items on the weekly shopping trip, but most of what they consume is being cooked for them or is something they are making already that’s in the pantry or fridge. So, why not give them something they might be able to use? A lesson on sauces so that they have some control over that after-school sandwich. A way to boost their veggies and dip.
On September 16, during the After-Hours Lock-In program starting at 6:30 PM, we are going to learn to make Ranch Dressing from scratch and have a side-by-side-by-side tasting with fresh made, packet and mixed, and then bottled. We are also going to learn a few other easy to make sauces that go with just about anything.
And for the grand finale, we will have the teens use a mixture of items that can be found in any fridge. Things from sweet chili to mayo, from garlic paste to jams and jellies to mix their own sauce. We will then have everybody taste and vote on the winner of the coveted title of 2022 MPL SAUCE BOSS!!
For more details and to register (if you’re interested, don’t hesitate—spots are filling up fast!), call 920-686-3030 to speak with Teen Associate, Lisa D.!
