Mattison's Forty-One holds basic and advanced week-long summer chef camps.
By
Whitney Elfstrom
| 12:01 p.m. June 28, 2019
Sarasota
Neighbors
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Sarasota's newest pastry chefs are young, innovative and summer campers.
Mattison's Forty-One hosts four chef camps each summer ranging from beginning chef and pastry to advanced chef and pastry that teach aspiring chefs the ins and outs of the restaurant world.
Lead by Chef Alex Vasquez, the one-week camps introduce a new recipe for the campers to master each day while also teaching them food safety, food-handling techniques and dining room training. At the end of the week a graduation is held where the students serve their creations to friends and family.
The June 24 camp was all about baking as 14 kids ages 10-13 attended the beginning pastry camp.
That week, learning how to bake the gooey chocolate chip cookies, intricately decorated brownies and classic blueberry muffins took center stage. But, the little chefs also got a chance to make crème brûlée, focaccia bread and mini cheesecakes.
Chef May Cavazos taught the campers that baking is a science, but imagination is key –– which is how the campers found themselves making s'mores focaccia bread.
But when asked what the little chefs' favorite part of the camp was, they all yelled out, "Eating!"
Emma Elfenbein, Brynn DeJongh and Sienna Steiner plate the s'mores focaccia bread.
Patrick Van Eyck carries out the blueberry muffins that he covered in powdered sugar.
Chef May Cavazos shows the kids how to use a culinary torch to make crème brûlée.
Brownies are one of the recipes the chef camp learned to make.
Brynn DeJongh, Sienna Steiner and Emma Elfenbein plate the brownies they made.
Chef Alex Vasquez cuts the s'mores focaccia bread made by the campers.
Sarah Gray pipes whipped cream on personal cheesecakes.
The little chefs put the finishing touches on the buffet table.
Zaira Barlow, Emma Elfenbein, Spencer Schurawel, Sienna Stiner, Brynn DeJongh, Sofia Della Vedova and Freya Melbourne
Blueberry muffins baked by the little chefs.
Sofia Della Vedova and Sarah Gray take turns pipping whipped cream on cheesecake.
Liam Dalton prepares cookie sheets with chocolate chip cookie dough.
Family and campers line up to grab food from the buffet line.
Personal cheesecakes and blueberry muffins are two of the recipes the campers learned.
Patrick Van Eyck shows off the blueberry muffins that he just dusted with powder sugar.
Spaghetti focaccia bread is one of the three breads to be made by the little chefs.
Desmond Pizzo and Sarah Gray prepare blueberry muffins.
Sofia Della Vedova
Spencer Schurawell cuts focaccia bread.
Timothy Nesanelis, Zaira Barlow and Miranda Nodeen
