Training the next Emeril

A children’s cooking class earlier this week at the Central Library yielded more than just brownies, corn bread and chicken.

Even if a child said they didn’t like a particular food, chefs from the Gourmet Child urged them to try each item on the menu once.

One girl was surprised to find she liked Brussels sprouts, despite a pronounced dislike.

Her mother and grandmother were even more surprised by the result; the latter said the class was worth whatever it cost, just because it expanded her granddaughter’s palate.

The Gourmet Child worked with seven children ages 7 to 13 at the library’s Winter Holiday Camp.

The kids spent Monday morning preparing courses like frittata bites, chicken Paillard and an apple galette.

On Tuesday, they prepared roasted tomato and basil soup with meatballs, black-eyed pea corn bread, and black and white brownies.

Both days’ meals featured a vegetable accompaniment. The recipes were adapted from sources like “Saveur” and Emeril Lagasse.

After enjoying the fruits, vegetables and main dishes of their labors, the kids took leftovers home to share with their families, along with laminated recipe sheets.

For some kids, it was their first time working in a kitchen. For others, like AJ Rello, the techniques learned added to their already-established repertoire.

“He loves to cook,” Gourmet Child founder Susan Derrick said. “He made chicken Parmesan for his sister and her friends’ birthday party last week.”

And in addition to food preparation, the kids learned table manners, how to clean up a kitchen and safety methods.

The Gourmet Child offers hands-on cooking classes for children ages 6 through 17. It also conducts gourmet party packages, where a personal chef teaches tips, techniques and kitchen safety, and menus that can include Italian, Asian and American cuisine.

For Derrick, the company was a natural extension of a lifetime as a flight attendant, where she traveled around the world and learned about a variety of cuisines.

A lifelong cook, Derrick first observed how much children loved to cook while she was babysitting, and the germ of an idea was born.

Derrick began by teaching children’s classes and hosting parties, and is now working on a DVD cooking series.

Her company also is about to begin operations in its first class space in Costa Mesa.

Derrick’s head chef is Jessica Van Roo, who was born and raised in Taiwan, where she received a cooking degree.

She then received a culinary management degree from the Arts Institute in Costa Mesa.

Van Roo also runs a catering business, and recently wrapped up a stint as the assistant culinary director at Sur La Table in Newport Beach.

The Gourmet Child also has a medical consultant, education consultant and nutritionist on hand to develop curricula.

For more information on the Gourmet Child, call (714) 849-9164 or visit thegourmetchild.com.

CANDICE BAKER can be reached at (714) 966-4631 or at [email protected].