A New Appreciation for Cooking as AP Launches a New Food Program

Theara, Rotha, Sreyphea and Navy at the market,

selecting the best vegetables for dinner.

Aziza’s Place is proud to announce the launch of the AP Food Program!  Facilitated by Chef Seaklim, the program teaches the kids all of the skills, techniques and hygienic practices required when preparing a meal from start to finish.  Commencing in early February, the program involves small teams of residents learning the gamut of skills necessary to prepare a meal under the tutelage and guidance of Chef Seaklim.
 

For the first month the program was held solely in the Aziza’s Place kitchen, allowing the kids to familiarize themselves with basic knife skills, food hygiene, and proper storage methods.  After those basic skills were mastered, the participants then stepped out of the kitchen and into the market! The participants now go on a shopping trip to the market early on the Friday morning they will be preparing the meal.  At the market they get first-hand experience in important life-skills such as identifying fresh produce, the process of bartering with a food vendor, and the importance of developing a healthy relationship with regular salespeople.
 

At the beginning of every month Chef Seaklim prepares recipes that the teams will use to follow along with during their lesson.  Chicken Curry with Noodles, Fried Rice With Pork, and Fried Beef with Vegetables are examples of dishes that have been prepared by teams thus far.  An added benefit to the program is the wide range of English cooking and food terminology that the AP kids now have in their extensive vocabularies.
 

The AP Food Program’s experiential teaching style is at the cornerstone of Aziza’s Place approach to learning.  Interactive, and engaging, the Food Program has created a deeper interest within the kids to become involved in one of the crucial everyday skills that will be required in their daily lives outside of AP.