Summer camps usually include sports, swimming and other outdoor activities, but children at one camp are spending their summer in the kitchen. They’re learning from chefs at one of South Florida’s most iconic hotels. Heather Walker has today’s 7 Spotlight.
Nico: “Today we are making some tacos con carne asada.”
Carolina: “Right now, we’re making chicken empanadas.”
These kids are cooking up some summer fun!
Chef Thomas Russo: “We might have the next best chef up there.”
Chef Thomas Russo is the head chef at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. He’s also the man behind the hotel’s Culinary Academy, a summer camp where kids learn all about food.
Chef Thomas Russo: “They always wonder how Mom or Dad or somebody in their family made dinner for them. Their interest is piqued, and now they get to see how it’s all done.”
The kids spend a week preparing meals from around the world.
From Latin, Asian, to American cuisine, these young chefs are learning to cook new and unique dishes.
Chef Thomas Russo: “The heats, the sweets, the acids. Once they really get good at it, they’ll be able to put it all together to make a balanced flavor profile that is going to make the food taste well.”
Each day the kids are broken into teams and given a new menu with different recipes to follow.
Carolina: “We started off by sautéing some onions. Then we added in some garlic and chicken broth and some red peppers.”
Daniel: “They told me to mash it to make a paste. Instead of using a potato masher, I used a cup.”
The students not only get help from Chef Thomas, but also from other chefs like Yordelys Monteagudo. Chef Monteagudo says he learns just as much from the campers as they learn from him.
Chef Yordelys: “Every day is like this, you know? Something different, but this is special.”
When the meals are ready, the kids get to dig in.
Andi: “At the end, you know that you made it and that it feels really good.”
And if this summer’s culinary academy inspired any of the kids to consider a career in cooking, they already have a recipe for success.
Heather Walker, 7News.
If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.
Read MoreWSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
