Alis girls Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 YS came home with a scrumptious apple crumble yesterday. It was delish and the crumble with butter so an artery blocker. Only allowed one mouthful as dieting. Oh but it was gorgeus. Oh I remember the days of cooking at school. Rock cakes like weapons of mass destruction and a Queen of Puddings where the meringue stuck to the schools oven roof ES when he did it sold his cakes at school gate. Anyone remember the baskets with the covers made of floral plastic to keep it dry etc. Those were the days ..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I only disliked one teacher throughout all my schooling - my Home Economics teacher. I can't even remember why now, but she didn't like me and my best friend either. I can still remember being made to clean, gut and bone a mackeral in front of the whole class because I'd done it wrong. And who in their right mind makes puff pastry or choux pastry from scratch now I hated having to pack up a tin biscuit box (that's what we used rather than baskets) the night before because there would also be the worry that we didn't have ingredient X in the house (and of course I never alerted my Mum about what I needed until the very last minute possible) or that I'd forget my apron. No apron, no cooking. I think the whole family probably dreaded Wednesdays as they had to eat whatever I'd made However, we also did a lot of food 'science' - I am eternally grateful that I know about proteins, amino acids, vitamins etc, I found the make-up of food quite interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 And who in their right mind makes puff pastry or choux pastry from scratch now I make choux pastry from scratch - I am the queen of profiteroles! I can't be bothered with puff pastry though. Life's too short Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 This thread takes me back a bit. At least we were taught how to make all the different types of pastry and write the recipe down to take home. Now the children 'design a pizza' or a 'sandwich'. It is supposed to teach them how to make a healthy snack They do not bring recipes home so promptly forget how to make anything they have been taught That's progress for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I must admit my son's school is generally excellent, but even for them this topic highlights limitations of pupil reports. My son is 12, and can comfortably on his own make a bolognese sauce, a beef wellington, a pizza (including the dough), bread, pastry (and the various flans and tarts that gives access to), risotto, cakes of most kinds and pretty much anything he can find a recipe for. He understands the theory behind food and cooking, both in terms of food groups (the chemistry side) and in terms of interaction of flavours and techniques (the culinary side). In other words, cooking is not a mystery to him and he could be entirely self sufficient if given the opportunity. However, at school he and his peers are being asked to prepare such exotic marvels as fruit salad. Hardly pushing him, I'd say. Now I realise there's a very wide spectrum of abilities, since some of his year have never had to cook anything in their lives, but I'd have expected his mid-year assessment to have tell me his progress is more than just average. The only conclusion I can draw, therefore, is that the teacher is unable as yet to form an accurate opinion, and that this first report is only for formality's sake. Having said that, what comes home tastes good which is a big step up from what I managed at his age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 ES and his year (4) all 10 of them are off to Le Manoir Cookery school for a day next term. This is an annual event for year 4 s and OH is POSITIVLEY green I don't think ES realises quite how lucky he is! The boys both go to a tiny village school so cookery opportunities are limited tho they do have a baby Belling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 My son's DT (design technology)teacher tells me he knows his way round a kitchen. He should do hes always in mine rummaging for food Next is sweet n sour chicken. One portion of chicken wont feed 4 even me n OH who are weight watching. My biggest fear with him is knives as hes left handed - hope he wont take after me for cutting himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Cooking in most schools is woefully inadequate. At least my YD made a spaghetti bolognese, but that is about it and she could already do that. DS made a cheese and potato pie I think that was his highlight. We weren't much better, we did a beef stew and my mum didn't use Oxo cubes, she used Bisto and the teacher told me off for wanting to use cold water, insisted that I use hot like everyone else, guess what a slimy brown lump ensued followed by her trying to find me a spare Oxo cube I know that Bisto isn't exactly lovelingly made beef stock but I liked my mum's casseroles and we still use Bisto to this day because we don't like the taste of Oxo, we add beer too though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Mmmm yum My OH said the boys didnt cook in his school. I cant remember any boys in our lessons but girls did woodwork and metal work. I must have the only wooden dice that doesnt add up to 7 on all sides also a girl got her long hair caught in wheel thing in metal work ripping it off.Put me right off. We had 2 cookery teachers - one a plump homely Mary Berry type - the other a skinny Northern lass who shrieked at us. seriously scarey. YS was cross with me for giving him a pyrex dish with flowers on for his crumble - the other lads implied he was effeminate - honestly what are they like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Reading this thread I think we all need to move to Oxon Le Manoir - how fabulous, although I think as a teenager I would have been terrified At my school we all had to take one 'non-academic' O level, and we only had a couple of boys in our class, I guess the rest of them were taking design technology because thinking about it I don't think there were any other 'non-academic' O levels, what a ridiculous phrase that is, but that is how it was described Anyway, I remember one incident very well. We'd made some sort of casserole (cue lesson on collagen!) and the horrible teacher told us to put our creations away. Being of the scary ilk, she said 'Ralph, put your casserole in the tin'. So he did. Immediately. Literally. Without its container Poor Ralph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Y D does HE home economics and has to bring in just some of the ingredients,last week she made a bacon,leek and cheese pasta dish.OH ate it and said it was scrum my.I was rather put off by her having to bring in 2 slices of bacon.Which remained in her school bag until cooked.Then it all went in her bag until 4.30.Gastro enteritis in a bowl I say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Oh gosh, this brings back memories. I had the most lovely Home Economics teacher, she was called Miss Taylor and had short grey hair. I learnt all sorts from how to read gas and electricity meters, understanding tax, changing a fuse, washing labels and of course how to cook. I used to love doing the cooking lessons but sadly everything had an awful tang of school. No matter what I cooked it all came home with that taste. Such a shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I didn't enjoy home ec when I was at school. I do remember making raspberry buns, which rose too much and hid all the jam, rock cakes, taking the ingredients in to make liver and bacon casserole and then discovering there was no cooking that week, and making scrambled egg on toast and spending an age trying to make egg, well, scramble! To this day I have no idea why it stayed liquid. I pretended I liked my egg that runny My ED did food tech and doesn't really like cooking anyway. She made all sorts of things and they had to think more about various diets, cutting sugars etc replacing meat and lots of other things which am found quite interesting. Each time she cooked, we had to taste it and report back what we thought about taste, texture, smell amongst other things. YD loves cooking, but she gets frustrated by her cookery teacher. For one thing, they do not allow salt in the cooking! I don't use a lot of salt, but it is, in my eyes, essential to help boost flavour. Especially in bread. Nothing worse than a quick made bread with no salt. So very sad and bland My sons school has built a lovely cookery room, which the year below him got to use. He used to like cooking and loved making up recipes. I still have his recipe of a version of coleslaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 At my school we were seperated during practical lessons. The girls did domestic lessons, sometimes live babies were brought in for us to practice on. The boys did metal work and woodwork. I remember one boy was insistent that he should do cookery and the last I heard of him which was about 30yrs ago I admit, he was a chef. So, good for him. I enjoyed the cookery although I was a bit rubbish but hated the baby bits and sewing. I was often mocked for my messy, mucky efforts. I was allowed to move up to the Grammer School to do A levels with the 'posh' kids and there I got to do metalwork which I loved. Generally speaking though I was always happier surrounded by books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted April 6, 2014 Author Share Posted April 6, 2014 YS did sweet n sour chicken this week. Its in the freezer as he wont eat it and it has 2 talbespoons yes 2 of butter I have never put butter in my s n s sauce. Its destined for my dad as he living alone will eat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
