Becoming a Community Chef (Post 2)

Apple Honey Challah Bread. Image courtesy of Baking and Books.com

The first two sessions of the Community Chef training program amounted to nearly 14 hours of discussion and activities with great meals in between (though not much in the dessert department). The 2009 chefs-in-training come from every borough and all walks of life, ranging from food pantry employees and graduate students in anthropology, to regular New York City residents like me. While we share the desire to become better food educators and cooks for our families and communities, this program is the first step toward a larger personal goal: to establish a cooking and food education program for children of low-income families in Brooklyn. Here, they will learn to prepare affordable, healthy, tasty meals and, of course, confections. There are already similar programs in New York and other major cities in the United States, but given the high levels of illness and obesity that continue to plague low income communities, partially due to lack of access to good food, there is still work to be done.

I didn't think that my work in museum education would be relevant in the Community Chef program, that is, not until the group began to discuss the limitations of didactic texts and recipes and the importance of hands-on experience. Participatory learning -- when audiences are given an active role in shaping the lesson, interpretation and/or experience -- seems natural in the context of cooking. (I wish more museums would embrace it wholeheartedly). I was struck when a fellow chef said, "You can't even assume that everyone can read." Her comment made me take a step back to question the reach of my own writing in and outside of museums. Food like art has the power to change lives; I suppose my life's work is to share the goodness of both with as many people as possible.

The Goodness of Honey

Just Food and food activists around the city are working to spread the word about the benefits of honeybees. They are also asking people to sign a petition to legalize beekeeping in New York City. Honeybees help gardens grow more fruit and vegetables and the sweet yellow liquid they produce is key in the following recipe:

Apple Honey Challah Bread

1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup of warm milk
2 eggs + 1 for the glaze
4 tablespoons of olive oil + 1 teaspoon for greasing the bowl and another for the glaze
3/4 tablespoon dark wildflower honey
1/2 cup diced organic dry apples

Get instructions (and some extra info about challah bread) at Baking and Books.