Dear Teacher, Welcome to our latest ChopChop curriculum, designed as a tool to teach cooking as an interdisciplinary subject. Using ChopChop in the classroom inspires children to cook and eat real food, and also supports learning in math, English, science, and social studies. You can adapt this curriculum to fit the needs of your classroom. To create the best learning experience for your students, be sure to: n Read the Teacher s Guide provided in order to prepare for each lesson. n Read and discuss the information provided with students in order to prepare them for class. n Uphold high sanitation and safety standards within the classroom. Keep it Clean! 1. Make sure your students (and you) practice good hand washing before and during class (as needed). Use warm water and soap. 2. Tie back long hair and remove nail polish before cooking, and wear closed-toed shoes while cooking. Remind students to keep their hands away from their mouth and face. 3. Keep cooktops, surfaces, utensils, and kitchen gear clean. Keep it Safe! 1. Wash all fruits and vegetables before use. 2. Keep all kitchen gear and ingredients off the floor. Refrigerate any produce that needs to be refrigerated (excluding onions, garlic, tomatoes, bananas, etc.) as well as perishable items. n Establish a set of classroom rules when cooking. For example: 1. Be careful with the equipment and be conscious of your surroundings. 2. You are going to try some new things and you may love them but maybe you won t: NO ewwww s. 3. Always wash your hands before you begin cooking. 4. Wear closed-toed shoes. 5. Every day we will sit down to eat together. Please wait until everyone has finished cooking and has sat down before you start eating. 6. Everyone will clean up his or her own mess. We appreciate and value your expertise and welcome any feedback regarding the curriculum. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us at teach@chopchopmag.org. Happy cooking! The ChopChop Team
Teacher Guide Cooking & Math: Math is one of the most important (and frequent) skills used in cooking. Math helps kids measure, convert recipes, and change the serving size. In this lesson, students will learn how to adjust a recipe s size. Student Worksheet n Adjusting a Recipe Cooking & English (ELA): Reading and writing are important parts of cooking. You can use recipes and mealtime conversation to teach vocabulary and enrich writing skills. Student Worksheets n Synonyms n Antonyms Kitchen Science: Cooking is all about science: which ingredients a recipe is composed of; how foods interact; and the microscopic parts of food that simply make food what it is! In these lessons, kids will learn about the chemistry behind making cheese. Student Worksheets n How Does Milk Turn Into Cheese? n Bonus Experiment: Lemon vs. Vinegar Cooking & History/Social Studies: Cooking is a great way to discuss history and culture. In these activities, students will study the history and geography of ricotta cheese. Student Worksheet n History and Geography of Ricotta
Homemade Ricotta Remember Little Miss Muffet? When you make ricotta cheese, you use acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to curdle the milk, which means you get the protein in milk to clump together into a mixture of curds and the watery leftovers, known as whey. It might take a little experimenting to get the hang of this recipe, but it s always edible, even if it doesn t come out perfectly. Try the ricotta spooned onto fresh bread with a drizzle of olive oil or honey, eat it with fresh strawberries and a sprinkle of sugar, or use it to make our Ricotta Pancakes or our Skillet Lasagna (/recipe/skillet-lasagna). ADULT: YES HANDS-ON TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR MAKES: 1½ 2 cups Photo: Carl Tremblay KITCHEN GEAR Cheesecloth or a clean dish towel Colander or strainer Large bowl Measuring spoons Large heavy pot Slotted spoon Pot holder INGREDIENTS 2 quarts (½ gallon) whole milk ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar or a combination (we have had the best results with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons vinegar) INSTRUCTIONS 1. Spread out the cheesecloth or dish towel in the colander or strainer, and put the colander over the bowl. 2. Pour the milk into the pot and add the salt. Put the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. 3. Bring the milk to a full, rolling boil, stirring it occasionally to make sure the milk isn t burning on the bottom of the pot, 15 to 30 minutes, depending upon your stove. 4. Add the lemon juice and/ or vinegar, then turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, 1 to 2 minutes (a). The mixture will separate into curds (the thick, cottage cheese-like part) and whey (the watery part). 5. Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours (b). 6. Using the slotted spoon, carefully remove the curds from the pot and put them in the colander (c). With the help of an adult, pour the remaining liquid into the colander. Let the curds drain for 15 to 20 minutes (d). The longer it drains, the thicker the ricotta will be. 7. Eat or use the ricotta right away, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. a c Whey to go! The liquid whey leftover from making ricotta is really healthy because it is a complete protein and contains essential amino acids. Cover and refrigerate it to use in breads, soups, and smoothies instead of milk or water. You can also use it instead of water when cooking pasta or rice. Or, if you re really adventurous, try drinking it plain (you ll make your great-grandma proud!). b d To subscribe to go to
Adjusting a Recipe Recipes are usually written to make a specific amount. The Homemade Ricotta recipe makes 1 ½ to 2 cups, but can change depending on the acidity of the lemon or vinegar used. For this activity, we will say that this recipe makes about 2 cups. Sometimes you will need to adjust, or change, a recipe so that it can make a larger amount (to feed more people or use in a recipe that requires a larger amount). You can use your math skills to change a recipe so that it will work better for what you need. You can halve a recipe (making only ½ of it) by dividing all the ingredient amounts by 2 or you can double the recipe by multiplying all the ingredient amounts by 2. In this activity, you will double the recipe, halve the recipe, and triple the recipe. Sometimes you need to change the cooking time when you increase or decrease a recipe, but sometimes you don t. Since this recipe starts with a cold liquid, you will need to increase the cooking time: because this can vary, it s best to keep your eye on the milk to be sure it doesn t burn or boil over. Practice changing the ricotta recipe for different numbers of servings: Original Recipe Double the recipe Halve the recipe Triple the recipe 2 quarts whole milk ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar Do you multiply or divide? multiply By what number? 2 Do you multiply or divide? By what number? Do you multiply or divide? By what number? Makes: 2 cups Result 4 quarts whole milk 8% 1 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar Makes: 4 cups Show your work 2 x 2 = 4 ½ x 2 = 1 3 x 2 = 6 2 x 2 = 4 Cooking & Math 1/1
Synonyms In this recipe, one of the leftover products of making ricotta is called whey. You can use the whey instead of water when cooking pasta or rice this is called a substitution. When cooking, there are often times when you might want to substitute an ingredient for something else. For example, if you are allergic to peanuts, you swap out (substitute) the peanuts for another ingredient that is very similar, like almonds! There is a similar idea to substitutions in the English language: synonyms. Synonyms are words that have almost the same or similar meanings. We use synonyms when we want to use the same word without repeating ourselves. Examples: Make sure you close the refrigerator. Make sure you shut the refrigerator. Find the synonyms. For this activity, draw a line to match the word in the left column with its synonym in the right column. Photo: Carl Tremblay 1. chew 2. curdle 3. extras 4. make 5. fast 6. stir 7. save 8. enjoy 9. cool 10. crispy 1. chilly 2. quick 3. mix 4. thicken, congeal 5. crunchy 6. leftovers 7. like 8. create 9. bite 10. keep Cooking & English 1/2
Antonyms Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of each other. Examples: Right/wrong Close/open Happy/sad For this activity, write the antonym next to the word. 1. Hot 2. Hungry 3. Liquid 4. Wet 5. Raw 6. Soft 7. Multiply 8. Same 9. On 10. Increase cold Bonus Challenge: Choose 3 words and write a synonym and antonym for that word. Word Synonym Antonym 1. Right Correct Wrong 2. 3. 4. Cooking & English (ELA) 2/2
How Does Milk Turn into Cheese? By Vayu Maini Rekdal While you probably know what cheese tastes and looks like, you might not be aware of the fascinating science that goes into producing it. Look at ricotta cheese, for example. How can lemon juice transform the white liquid milk into a solid cheese and watery whey? Milk is made up of water, fat globules, lactose (a natural sugar found in milk), and a variety of proteins. Casein is the most abundant of these proteins. In the liquid milk, casein molecules form small roundish clusters called micelles. These micelles have negatively charged tails, which make them repel each other if they come in contact in the liquid milk. However, when you add lemon juice or any acid to milk, things change. Acids contain positively charged particles called protons (this is what makes acids sour). These positive charges neutralize the negative charges on the micelles, removing the barrier that prevents them from sticking together. Vinegar is more acidic and has more protons than lemon juice, so this acid will cause the micelles to clump together even more than the lemon juice. Now, all the micelles can stick together and form a clump. This is the curd, or the ricotta cheese. The liquid that s left behind is the whey. Who knew chemistry could be so tasty? Using the Homemade Ricotta recipe, draw your observations below. Mixture before heating: Curdled mixture: Strained mixture: Kitchen Science 1/2
Bonus Experiment: Lemon vs. Vinegar Compare and contrast the two batches. Make two batches of Homemade Ricotta: one batch using lemon juice, and the other batch using vinegar. Compare: How are they the same? Contrast: How are they different? Kitchen Science 2 /2
History and Geography of Ricotta Italy Ricotta is estimated to have been made first in Sicily during the Bronze Age, which was more than 4,000 years ago. Ricotta was depicted in ancient illustrations and historical writings that mention and show the process of making the tender cheese. One famous story tells of a king and his hunting party who came across the hut of a dairy farmer making ricotta. The group was hungry and asked for some to eat. The farmer served them hot ricotta on slices of bread and were advised to cu non mancia ccu I Sicily so cucchiaru lassa tutto o zammataru (Those who don t eat with a spoon will leave all their ricotta behind). Ricotta is technically not a cheese but rather a creamy curd. The word ricotta means re-cooked. The leftover hot whey can be reheated (re-cooked) to make more cheese. For this activity, brainstorm some types of cheeses that you enjoy eating. Choose your favorite type of cheese and research its history. 1. What is the cheese called? 2. Does its name mean anything? 3. Where does it come from in the world? Can you identify this location on a map? 4. Is it made in a special way? Cooking & History 1/1
Adjusting a Recipe Recipes are usually written to make a specific amount. The Homemade Ricotta recipe makes 1 ½ to 2 cups, but can change depending on the acidity of the lemon or vinegar used. For this activity, we will say that this recipe makes about 2 cups. Sometimes you will need to adjust, or change, a recipe so that it can make a larger amount (to feed more people or use in a recipe that requires a larger amount). You can use your math skills to change a recipe so that it will work better for what you need. You can halve a recipe (making only ½ of it) by dividing all the ingredient amounts by 2 or you can double the recipe by multiplying all the ingredient amounts by 2. In this activity, you will double the recipe, halve the recipe, and triple the recipe. Sometimes you need to change the cooking time when you increase or decrease a recipe, but sometimes you don t. Since this recipe starts with a cold liquid, you will need to increase the cooking time: because this can vary, it s best to keep your eye on the milk to be sure it doesn t burn or boil over. Practice changing the ricotta recipe for different numbers of servings: Original Recipe Double the recipe Halve the recipe Triple the recipe 2 quarts whole milk ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar Do you multiply or divide? multiply By what number? 2 Do you multiply or divide? divide By what number? 2 Do you multiply or divide? multiply By what number? 3 Makes: 2 cups Result 6 quarts whole milk 8% 4 quarts whole milk 1 quart whole milk 1½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon salt 9 tablespoons fresh lemon 6 tablespoons fresh lemon 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar juice or white vinegar juice or white vinegar Makes: 4 cups Makes: 1 cups Makes: 6 cups Show your work 2 x 2 = 4 ½ x 2 = 1 3 x 2 = 6 2 x 2 = 4 2 2 = 1 ½ 2 = ¼ 3 2 = 1 ½ 2 2 = 1 2 x 3 = 6 ½ x 3 = 1 ½ 3 x 3 = 9 2 x 3 = 6 Cooking & Math 1/1
Synonyms In this recipe, one of the leftover products of making ricotta is called whey. You can use the whey instead of water when cooking pasta or rice this is called a substitution. When cooking, there are often times when you might want to substitute an ingredient for something else. For example, if you are allergic to peanuts, you swap out (substitute) the peanuts for another ingredient that is very similar, like almonds! There is a similar idea to substitutions in the English language: synonyms. Synonyms are words that have almost the same or similar meanings. We use synonyms when we want to use the same word without repeating ourselves. Examples: Make sure you close the refrigerator. Make sure you shut the refrigerator. Find the synonyms. For this activity, draw a line to match the word in the left column with its synonym in the right column. Photo: Carl Tremblay 1. chew 2. curdle 3. extras 4. make 5. fast 6. stir 7. save 8. enjoy 9. cool 10. crispy 1. chilly 2. quick 3. mix 4. thicken, congeal 5. crunchy 6. leftovers 7. like 8. create 9. bite 10. keep Cooking & English 1/2
Antonyms Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of each other. Examples: Right/wrong Close/open Happy/sad For this activity, write the antonym next to the word. 1. Hot 2. Hungry 3. Liquid 4. Wet 5. Raw 6. Soft 7. Multiply 8. Same 9. On 10. Increase cold full solid dry cooked hard divide different off decrease Bonus Challenge: Choose 3 words and write a synonym and antonym for that word. Word Synonym Antonym 1. Right Correct Wrong 2. 3. 4. Cooking & English (ELA) 2/2