Javea Grapevine Issue 173 - 2015 | Page 90

| Jávea Grapevine No.173 2015 Javea Amigos Update MERCATCHEF JUNIOR AIMS TO TEACH CHILDREN ABOUT HEALTHY COOKING WITH FRESH PRODUCE Registration has opened for initiative which will begin on Saturday 17th January. A new initiative for children has been launched for 2015 aimed at combining food, education and promotion of local products in Jávea. As explained by councillor Juan Luis Cardona (Economic Development) the cooking workshops - dubbed ‘Mercatchef Junior’ - are designed for children aged between 7 and 14 years who have a desire to learn and have fun. They will be held on Saturday morning in the central foyer of the Mercat Municipal in the historic centre of town and will be teaching the youngsters about the world of cooking with local fresh quality products that can be found in the indoor market area. Those wishing to take pa rt in Mercatchef Junior should register at the offices of the ‘Agencia de Desarrollo Local’ and CREAMA in Avenida Trenc d’Alba or by phone on 96 579 42 66. The workshops are limited to a maximum of 20 children to be practical and ensure that they learn from the experience so those interested should register as soon as possible. The workshops will be priced at around 12-15 euros which covers the cost of the products (which can be tasted by both the young chefs and their families afterwards) while the classes and the cooking appliances will be provided by the caterers who will be taking charges of the workshops. The classes will start with Tomas Franco as teacher, an owner of several renowned restaurants in Jávea, and will be staged with the collaboration of the ‘Asociación de Restauradores de Xàbia (ARX)’ and commercial associations such as ‘Xàbia Histórica’ & the stall-holders association of, who was represented at the launch by its president Rosi Caballero. Franco explained that the classes will begin with a tour of the market stalls to see the available products, discover seasonal availability and choose recipes that will make up both starters and main courses as well as the dessert. The children will work on simple menus whilst learning to eat healthier, quality products. They will also discover the work put in to create each dish as well as how much money it costs to produce them. The classes will begin as non-competitive events but the top students will later compete for a prize in a special competition.