Excerpted from a story about the RFS Chefs in Schools program by Isabel Cowles
For years, Houstonians have flocked to t'afia and Café Annie to enjoy the cuisine of award winning chefs Monica Pope and Robert Del Grande. Since 2006, many lucky 4th grade students have also enjoyed their culinary talents through the innovative, RFS Chefs in SchoolsTM. The initiative brings forty-seven high profile Houston chefs into 4th grade classrooms to teach the students healthy, delicious recipes that anyone can make. Chefs Advisory Board members share an essential element of human experience, according to Del Grande, "Cooking is a skill for life, and most kids today are not getting that at home."
When RFS founder, Gracie Cavnar first broached the subject with Monica Pope in the 1990s, she thought the idea to create cooking and gardening programs across HISD was idealistic--perhaps to a fault. "I thought, 'who would ever try to tackle food across Houston public schools?'" Pope explained, "You're dealing with thousands of kids who just want to eat McDonalds."
But when Cavnar eventually showed her a binder full of detailed research on the value and necessity of a program t
hat encourages healthy eating through cooking and gardening, Pope was convinced. She helped Cavnar recruit most of the other Chefs Advisory Board members and has taught in the program since its inception. Recently, one of Pope's first students brought her family to t'afia for dinner and thanked Pope for her inspiration. "It was amazing to see a food barrier broken," Pope explained. "Experiencing a simple recipe can reach and transform kids' eating for the rest of their lives."
For Robert Del Grande, the program has been equally convivial. The former college professor employs a unique approach to cooking with kids: "You've got to cajole them the way they cajole you," he explains. "I teach them that, if you like food, you should know how to cook it, and you should know how it grows." To pique the interest of a new class might mean starting with baked French fries and homemade ketchup, inspired by potatoes and tomatoes from the school garden.
Del Grande weaves in lessons he sees on classroom blackboards during class, like using fractions, talking about food origins and geography, or cutting quesadillas into geometrical shapes. Most importantly, he likes to instill a sense of achievement. "It's important to show kids that they can cook, which is both liberating and empowering. They get freedom to make their own food choices and freedom from processed foods. Creating something edible leaves kids with a great sense of accomplishment--I can really see that." by Isabel Cowles
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