Love of Teaching

I learned the coolest kitchen trick I’ve ever seen from one of my 7th grade students while teaching a cooking class. I was about to demonstrate my messy but effective hand method of separating an egg yolk from the whites when my student enthusiastically offered to share her no fail Chinese method, a “see it to believe it” trick. First, she cracked an egg into a bowl and then, after squeezing an empty water bottle, she placed the opening above the yolk and released the pressure, simply and beautifully removing the yolk from the white. Watch me demonstrate her trick.

This simple yet magical moment not only taught me a nifty trick, but it also illuminates how much we can learn from one another in the kitchen, regardless of age or experience. Today I’m excited to be teaching another semester of cooking to a new bunch of middle school kids at the Montclair Cooperative School. We’ll be making French Toast, flavoring, stuffing and topping it any way they please — with chocolate, bananas, cinnamon or blueberries! I’m thrilled to be sharing my knowledge but as excited to see what they will teach me.

French Toast

Simple, stuffed or slathered with toppings, there’s nothing like homemade French toast. The variations are endless as you can flavor and fill to your heart’s content. Whether you choose chocolate, cinnamon or butterscotch, cherry, strawberry or blueberry, you can create your own perfect piece of French toast. I like mine stuffed or topped with bananas and sometimes even with a little chocolate too. And don’t forget to drizzle some syrup — maple, blueberry or cherry — for the finishing touch.

4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 ½ inch slices of challah bread or other thick bread

Mix the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the sugar and salt. If filling the French toast, slice a slit in the bread and fill with chocolate chips, bananas or whatever you’d like. Let the bread soak for about 30 seconds.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on a griddle and cook toast approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with warm maple syrup.