Kids need Kitchen Smarts!

Mirella Portenoy

Street Smarts to kitchen smarts!


*The JCC’s Street Smarts Program caters to youth in grades 5-10, offering practical, interactive and hands-on experience navigating the world around them. This blog post was written by Mirella Portenoy, the JCC’s Children & Youth Coordinator.


During the Winter, I decided to revisit our Street Smarts program curriculum and ended up implementing some changes and adding some fun activities that would make it an even better program. The plan was to release it in May with our Spring Session, and I was so excited about that!

Well… unfortunately we will have to wait a little longer to become street smarts. In our current situation, the smart thing to do is NOT to be on the streets right now, correct?

That got me thinking... if we can't learn to be street smart now and since we are spending so much time at home, what can we actually learn and become smart at in the meantime?

So today we will learn How to Become Kitchen Smart!

I'm pretty sure you've spent more time in the kitchen in these past weeks than ever before. After all, this is a great time to test some easy recipes or to get more involved with cooking. Here are 10 basic things you need to know before exploring your kitchen:

  1. Wash your hands - by now you must be tired of hearing those three words, but washing your hands not only prevents us from getting sick, it ensures we are not eating anything dirty. This should be the first step before touching any food or appliance. Can you remember what you have been touching? Do you want that in your food? Yeah, I didn't think so!
  2. If you have long hair, don't forget to tie it back - no one likes to find hair in their food! And make sure you don't have any dangling jewelry and always wear shoes in the kitchen - we don't want to risk getting burned with hot food or cut with knives - ouch!
  3. Read through the whole recipe before you start - you want to make sure you understand all the steps and that you have all ingredients necessary. Always begin by gathering ingredients, utensils and appliances you will need.
  4. Be careful with knives - as you know, knives need to be sharp in order to cut our food. Before using one, ask your parents or any adult around to show you how to hold the knife and how to position your fingers to avoid a cut. When walking with a knife, always hold it by its grip and face the blade away from yourself - and be aware of people in your surroundings! And finally, when placing the knife somewhere, do it point side down!
  5. Never taste uncooked food - no matter how yummy that spoon covered with cookie dough looks, raw food can contain pathogenic bacteria that makes us sick. And be aware when tasting hot food - let it sit for a few minutes before trying it - you don't want to get your mouth burned!
  6. When cooking with a pot on the stovetop, make sure the handle never faces the front of the stove. That will make it easier for the hot content of the pot to be knocked onto the floor, which can make a huge mess and get you badly hurt! Remember to always hold the pot handle with one hand while stirring with the other.
  7. If a fire starts, call an adult immediately! Don't ever put water on a fire - as obvious as it sounds. If the fire is in a pan, you can ask an adult to put the lid on the pan. Don't forget to call 911 and leave the house if needed.
  8. Never stick your hand down the garburator or blender if something falls inside it! - safety is our number one priority here, so don't forget to turn off all your appliances before touching it. Our goal is to keep all our fingers by the end of this recipe!
  9. When you're done cooking and before you proudly invite your family to taste your dish, clean the kitchen - I know that part might not be super exciting, but it is part of the process, right? - Wipe up spills, put ingredients away, do the dishes or place them in the dishwasher. Make sure all appliances are turned off and clean and voilá! Now your parents are fully proud of you!
  10. Did this all sound a bit too much for you? That's ok - ask your parents or a responsible adult to work with you at first until you're confident enough to let them stand back and be "tortellini" impressed!

Now that you're kitchen smart... happy cooking!