Stirrin' Blog

The Second (almost an epistle) 2nd September 2006
A long day but somehow on days like this, the energy in you is slow to die so here we go bloggers.

A long time ago (13 hours, ago) we started four interactive children’s cookery demos at Dundee Flower and Food festival. We were organised and so Fi managed a quick peruse of the marquees. Fi recognised a Nairns cookery school apron on a lady, clutching the hand of a pretty nine year old. It was nice to put a face to the lovely Nadine who fronts up Nick Nairns cookery school, five years of emailing and now the face. Nadine’s daughter was jolly tolerant too, as grown ups did the stuff that they are known to do, especially after all that cyber messaging. Jhonti (2nd of 6) had already met Nadine. at an AVA strawberry PR day at the cookery school, so had the advantage over Ma. Xander, (number one of six, final year at Cambridge) joined us in Dundee after an overnight bus from London – Give me match sticks I can’t do coffee’. He was flying for www.infoodwetrust.com just outside the food tent, with a good uptake. Folk really care about where their food is coming from.
Dundee was fun; it poured and poured with rain but children returned to the Stirrin’Stuff kitchen area and one mother even turned up early, as her children had been turned away the year before. A very elegant mum and daughter team, clad in coordinating pinks, came for the third consecutive year and we were dead chuffed to hear that Stirrin’Stuff is the first place that they hunt down. Alana (daughter) helped to make the ‘treats’. Chocolate is Ok for a treat. We stirred up the five and the children answered the question that wasn’t even asked! A pear was held up and another child put a hand up – ‘Give me five’, shouted a small wee boy. ‘Hands up, if you really, do grab five’ - hands down, four left up. Theory needs helpful encouragement and so we steam rolled into recipes. Before we go much further a quick shout from the tree tops, we love George Potts, who heads up the children’s marquee, every year – go visit him at Camperdown Park.

Two days down, and one to go – if we had the stamina we’d run five interactive demos a day, every day, children just love cooking.
Jhonti and Xander set into the last Dundee demo with the help of a lovely Jordanian cook who is married to a PhD student. Fi drove quickly to Glamis Castle for the first of two demonstrations over this weekend, at the Scottish Countryside Fair. This has been chosen as the venue, for the launch of Scottish food fortnight. Nicola Chalmers Watson and Wendy Hamilton have worked hard – its going to be a fun fortnight. The Scottish Food Guide publisher and chef Wendy Barrie was packing up as we arrived, as was a lovely chap called Craig McAlpine, who we suspect, is rather good at anything he cooks – game on this occasion.
Lili (number three child) had spent the day ‘flying’ at Glamis for the partner of Stirrin’Stuff’s mate Ysanne (www.organicfood.co.uk).
The chairman of the Scottish Countryside Alliance,( Tony Andrews) came and said’ hello’ during our fun, which was kindly sponsored by Hamlyns Oats. Tony Andrews was hands on too, showing children how to squish the juice out of an orange. The lovely Lili will report on the yummy recipes that used local ingredients (one fair trade recipe excluded), she’s getting rather good - hmmm better than the Ma. She refused to enter the ingredients of her last recipe for our Mother and Daughter column, in order of use,’Do you think teenagers cook, never mind bother about this, you pedant’. Am I am buvthered? Well, yes, actually. Cooking is FUN, this the Stirrin’ message, but recipes must be tried and tested, otherwise less competent cooks will not get going. The fun that you can have experimenting in the kitchen comes with confidence, but it’s best to begin with a parent or grandparent who knows the stuff – or a good recipe book.
I’d like to thank Ma for having a go at me, she never ceases to try and encourage me to be ‘a more enthusiastic cook’. My legs hurt after walking around handing out the flyers, however hopefully the people I gave them to will start visiting the site, and perhaps order some of the organic food that is on offer.
Back to demo, particular thanks is needed for Jordan and Holly, our very keen chefs who not only encouraged children to come and watch our demonstration, but were excited by all of the recipes that we made, they tasted everything too – the toasted oatmeal was a hit. Our demonstration was a great success among the children, and they were all keen to have a go at squeezing oranges. We had shouts of ‘pick me’ and numerous hands up when we asked our prize-winning questions and every child left having tried something – even if some of them said ‘yuck!’ As Ma always says you can give a child something to try, but if they don’t like it, they’ll tell you.