My name is Aidan Dunleavy and my mom is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Chappaqua - Pleasantville - Mt. Kisco. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to cook. I want to own my own restaurant some day. For kids who want to learn how to cook, there is a great new place that just opened in Mt. Kisco called Fiddleheads Cooking Studio. I had the address in my phone and my mom drove up to this place (right near Ben & Jerry's) that looked like a red barn. Inside was a really nice, brand new kitchen. I was excited to cook in it!
Chef Julia first had all the kids wash their hands and then we sat around a marble countertop waiting to find out what we were going to make today. She told us we were going to make pear galettes, which is like a little pie or tart. I was excited because while I cook a great deal, I don't bake a lot and I was glad to learn a new recipe. The first step was to roll out the dough. The class that was there the day before our class made our dough (and while our galettes were cooking, we were going to make the dough for the next class). Chef Julia explained why we could see chunks of butter in the dough (so the crust would be flaky) and asked the kids to make their own observations. I was older than the other kids and knew the answers to the questions she asked but I wanted to make sure the younger kids got the chance to answer her. Chef Julia was really patient with the kids and did a good job giving them each jobs to do to make the galettes.
After we rolled out the dough, she cut up pears and gave us the fruit to arrange in our pastry any way that we wanted. We sprinkled sugar over the fruit, grated a cinnamon stick on top, and then brushed cream around the pastry so it would have a nice shine on it. After the gallettes went into the oven, we started working on the dough for the next class. The dough was simple -- flour, sugar, salt, butter and water. The five kids each had a job to help make the dough, and then we each got to mix the batter with our hands which is always fun. Throughout the class, Chef Julia made sure to ask the kids questions and get their observations. We all learned a lot!
After the dough was made, the gallettes we had baked were ready to eat and they were delicious! I liked them so much that when I went home I made another batch this time using blackberries and peaches. I am glad to have a new recipe and I will definitely make it again!
Editor's Note
Fiddleheads Cooking Studio currently has seven classes per week in its brand new Mt. Kisco kitchen. Six of the classes are for children in grades K-6 and there is a teenage class for older kids as well. Classes are small and kids get personalized instruction in a safe and fun atmosphere. For more information, visit the Fiddleheads Cooking Studio website or call 646-853-6046.
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