Growing New (James) Beards?

by C&RB Staff (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
June 2008
 

A "Little Chef’s Hour" proved to be a big hit at Pine Island Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., as children and young adults learned simple baking and cooking techniques, along with kitchen safety and health protocol.

Led by Amy O’Toole, the club’s Event Director, and Executive Chef Andreas Pico, the dish du jour was Make-Your-Own pizza. Pico covered the basics of scratch-made dough while an audience of 23 kids watched—and learned—with delight. As an added bonus, the little chefs had the unique opportunity to bake cupcakes with Pastry Chef Todd Howell after the pizzas were made.

"The kids decided they wanted to make blue cupcakes," says Larry Yount, General Manager. "So, [Howell] retreated to the kitchen for some blue food coloring, which they added to the batter."

There were squeals of delight from the kids when the blue cupcakes came out of the oven, he adds.

The event was a tremendous success for kids and parents alike, Yount says. "Interestingly, we saw a spike in dining room sales on the same evening," he reports, "as Moms and Dads indulged in a chance for a quiet dinner together."