Organizers of the NWT’s Teen Chef Club say northern teens are still getting excited about cooking.
The Territorial Agrifood Association started the club, which was inspired by a culinary program in BC, to give teens living in the NWT an outlet to express themselves creatively and learn about cooking.
This year, in the second year of the program, 15 teens from Yellowknife are participating and coming up with new and exciting dishes.
“Something that’s really surprised me is the amount of creativity and unique things that these kids are making,” organizer En Rietdijk told Cabin Radio. “It’s not so much about unique ingredients, it’s more about unique concepts.”
Between June and September, participants in the program are given vouchers to the Yellowknife Farmers Market and Your Independent Grocer on the first Tuesday of every month to purchase ingredients to prepare a meal at home.
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“We give them as much free reign as we can with their cooking, because everyone has different cooking styles and different tastes.” Rietdijk said.
Rietdijk said she grew up with a passion for cooking, which is why she loves the club and the opportunities it provides to northern teens.
“It’s an important life skill to learn how to cook. I think that it’s an important program in that way, but it’s also an important program in that it fosters connection,” she said.
“A connection to where you are, instead of just a broad understanding of everything, is important because it really gives you a sense of identity in a world that’s so big and scary. The Teen Chef Club, I think, is really giving kids a lot more confidence in local cooking and and themselves.”
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Beyond learning how to cook, some program participants will get the chance to work alongside northern chefs during Yellowknife’s Culinary Festival, to get a feel for working in the culinary field.
Teens will also get to submit their own recipes for inclusion in the Tree of Peace youth program’s spring/summer cookbook.
Due to limited space, recipes included in the book will be chosen through a public vote. That will include anonymous polling at Tastes of the North and on social media and potentially at the culinary festival.
The club is anticipated to return for a third year and may continue beyond if enough interest is expressed.
