Our friend Joy, of Oh Joy, teamed up with FEED Suppers to host an event with her friends and their children and asked if we’d like to cook. Of course! Our Chef Matt suggested making raviolis, so Joy brought in a low table and pretty pillows from Circa Rentals to accommodate the littles.
Also Moon Canyon came in to provide florals around the color palate of the pasta and agua fresca. I love how she created this fall setting by hanging bright leaves from our light fixture. It’s such an affordable way to add a merry centerpiece to a room. Additionally our steers got softened up with orange berries draped around their horns, and with these two installments, the more pricey floral arrangements could be kept to a minimum.
Joy wanted to have some welcome snacks as guests walked in so Matt made a grand, seasonal fruit and crudite platter with house-made crackers and dips. It was a play on our Crostini Stations, and served as an edible arrangement that played along with the color theme.
The children were very anxious to get started with the pasta making. Matt coached them to choose two sheets of pasta (see video recipe here) in whatever colors they were drawn to (orange from tomato paste, yellow from small farm raised chicken yolks, green from spinach, and maroon from beets). It was fun to see them choose two different colors, one for the top and one for the bottom of their raviolis. Each child was given a pastry bag filled with fresh ricotta (see recipe here) and herbs.
The children also wrestled with the decision of which shape to use, a circle or a square. The whole process held their attention for an impressive amount of time.
Matt cooked up all the raviolis together in butter and parmesan for a brilliant presentation.
I’ve said it before, I will say it again: children will eat what they have a hand in cooking themselves. They were all asking for seconds! My friend Elizabeth who was there with her two little girls said they both wanted to cook dinners with her afterwards. Engaging children in the cooking process embodies the possibilities for so much learning and bonding. Get ’em in there!
Photos: Casey Brodley for Oh Joy
