To think that food tech in highschool should teach more than

[loopylou6]

How to cook a cheese toasty?

[pointydug]

If that is among the first few things they covered, I wouldn't be bothered.

I'd need to know the full context, the progression. As would anyone.

[loopylou6]

Well last week was a banana smoothie, then this week the cheese thing.
I think its utterly ridiculous tbh.

[bubblewrapped]

I am sure they cook more, but it is only going to be basic stuff, or they get complaints that the ingredients are too expensive..

We did apple pies, spag bol, pizza, and shepherds pie... but that was 20 years ago.. lol!!

[Honeybee79]

YANBU. Neither of them constitute proper food in my view and I don't get why anyone would need to be told at school how to make a toasted sarnie. A spag bol/lasagne/own soup would be much more useful.

[pointydug]

Has the cooking just started? Is it Yr 7? Sound sok as a start to me. Ask for the full progremme though.

[TheVisitor]

Mine have moved on from the toasted cheese sarnie. They're on a run of making soup; ministrone, then pea and mint, and this week, chicken. I'm hoping they move on to something else next week!

[Memoo]

DD is in year 7 and today she made apple crumble, next week they are making pizza.

[Sirzy]

If they are in year 7 and only just starting cooking then I think its fine. A lot of the early cooking will be getting children used to being in a kitchen as I bet a lot of them have no idea about even the basics.

That said 10 years ago I did food tech to GCSE level and the only recipe I learnt there which I use now was for leek and potato soup! I love to cook now but wouldn't put much of that down to food tech!

[IAmTheCookieMonster]

my sister did a whole project on cheesecake! yum! we all got a bit fat :-D

[kayah]

in y8 my dd looked at healthy options, planning menu, balancing meals - so is all on curriculum :)

[loopylou6]

Lol yes I remember making onion soup. twas yummy

Yup pointy he is in year 7, but still... I was at the smoothie, but at the cheese thing.

Ds is a chief omelette maker

[loopylou6]

True sirzi, ds said almost nobody knew hoe to work the grills etc.

tbh tho i would of expected memoos dc's menu.

[Mahraih]

If year 7, then no.

I took food tech at GCSE and it was very scientific. We were looking at amino acids and molecules and all sorts of stuff like that. Loathed it I did my final project on food for convalescents in hospital: had to keep to specific nutritional requirements and a real NHS budget. So it DOES get more interesting.

But yep, we started out with smoothies and toasties. A lot of 10/11 year olds can't even make toast, let alone add cheese!

[trixie123]

as others have said, you need to give more info about how old your DD is and how many lessons they are going to have. I teach 18 year olds to cook and some of them have never done the most basic thing. I also spent a week at a residential trip with y7 and was horrified at how many of them could not butter bread and put together a sandwich neatly so the two slices of bread lined up so maybe its not such a bad thing. Also there are huge logistical issues about ingredients, equipment and lesson timings which can constrain what can be taught, not to mention H&S and allergy concerns...

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

If this is the first term they've done any cookery, then that's fine. They have to start somewhere, and as you say many of the kids can't even turn on a grill.

Casting my mind back to the depths of time, I have a feeling we made something stupidly easy to begin with. Possibly a crumble with tinned fruit - which is hardly a giant leap from making a toastie really. Or bread and butter pudding.

[bb99]

Some kids don't have the opportunity to cook or see cooking done at home, so would need some really basic things to get going with.

It may also give the teacher a chance to assess how much they know if it's a Y7 starter course IYSWIM.

I know what you mean about wanting them to do proper cooking - I used to dispair at some of the things dd used to do in her coooking type lessons, but then some of her friends couldn't even make a sandwich, whereas I'd made her cook simple meals and help out at home, so she could do/know a bit more.

There could be a simple explanation, other than the teachers are not doing what's right for the co-hort.

[theywillgrowup]

well my sons school is extreme i think

1st lesson cookies fine basic start

next week chicken breast stuffed with peppers,garlic,bacon etc with fine beans and new potatoes

im all for them learning to cook but cover the basics first,and chicken breasts are bladdy expensive in my opinion

and ive two in the same year

basic cooking needs to be taught,shepherds pies,crumble,bolognese i think,oh and to wash up propally

[5Foot5]

I took 'O' Level cookery years and years ago. However, when we were in the first year (equivalent of todays Y7) we did do fairly simple basic stuff. I recall learning how to arrange a tea tray with a tray cloth and everything and then making tea and/or coffee. I also remember doing a jacket potato!

But we certainly got on to "proper" stuff evetually. I will never forget the full cooked breakfast that we did in the 2nd year. It had to be consumed on the premises because it wasn't the sort of thing to take home in a cookery basket. I had cookery last lesson of the day so after eating it I had to run for the bus to get me home to where my Mum had tea waiting [queasy face]

Cheese toatsies sounds OK to me

[TheEvilDead2]

DO you need a class to learn how to make a smoothie?

[johnthepong]

Im a food tech teacher. Our year 7s do bruschetta (posh cheese on toast) as their first practical. Takes an hour to get them to make that and wash up. Over half of them dont know how to use the grill.
Start at the basics then build up.

[BuzzLightBeer]

You're a food tech teacher and you're telling them bruschetta is posh cheese on toast?

bread, garlic, oil, tomatoes and herbs.

[pointydug]

lol @ the posh areas doing bruschetta.

When I did home eccy (oo about 30 years ago) one of the first things we made was hawaiian toast. Piece of bread with pineapple ring and grated cheese on top, toasted.

I've never eatne hawaiian toast since. But it was a fine thing to make. WE moved on to liver. All those tubes. Bleurgh.

[pointydug]

oh buzz, lightne up. Did she say she told her pupils it was posh cheese on toast?

[bubblewrapped]

I would think learning to make a smoothie is also about using the appliance, cleaning it, not poking your fingers into it...

Smoothies are also healthy and nutritious.

Not bad for a first lesson.

[kayah]

I think they learn about hygiene, safety when using equipment etc