The campers in Vetri Academy have been cooking up a storm this week making Italian dishes. When you walk in the room, there is so much activity going on that it mimics the hustle and bustle of a kitchen in any restaurant. They also had Italy inspired background music playing to create an immersive experience.

They started off the week with salads and rice dishes including a farro salad and risotto cakes. Even though they just started cooking, the campers already had their minds fixated on Friday. Darcy and Lila both said out of all the recipes they have planned they are most excited to make desserts on Friday.

The beginning of the week also included learning basic knife skills, which Mary Bullock from the Vetri Academy said is a hard skill to learn. “You have to let the knife do the work,” Mary said. She said it’s very important to instill some patience in the campers and have them take the recipe one step at a time.

Today was pasta day for the campers. The campers were divided into three groups and each group made their own pasta dish. The campers made the pasta dough from scratch and made each of the sauces from the fresh ingredients that were available for them to use. One group made a fettucini dish with a fresh tomato sauce. Another dish they cooked was canneloni with a filling of ricotta cheese, spinach and mushrooms and covered in alfredo sauce. The third dish was a ricotta and basil filled ravioli in a blush sauce.

Each group presented their dish and the ingredients used to make it. The campers used professional cooking equipment like immersion blenders and pasta machines to create their pasta dishes. They all tasted delicious! The campers are making pizza tomorrow and the week will end with dessert on Friday.