Something’s Cooking at the White House

Some of America’s most creative junior chefs, ages 8–12, and their parents were flown to Washington, D.C. on July 18 to attend the third annual Kids’ State Dinner at the White House. Hosted by the First Lady Michelle Obama, in partnership with the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture, the young guests were the winners of the Epicurious Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a nationwide recipe challenge to encourage and implement healthy eating habits among the country’s youth.

In support of Let’s Move!, launched by the First Lady to help address the problem of childhood obesity, each recipe adhered to the guidance that supports USDA’s criteria for a healthy meal. “This event gives us the opportunity to showcase healthy creations from talented kid chefs from across our country,” said Michelle Obama in the press release issued by the White House. “We know so much more now about how nutrition and exercise impact our children’s ability to focus and succeed.”

More than 1,500 delicious lunchtime recipes were submitted this year featuring wholesome ingredients, including salmon, black beans, unusual vegetarian selections, fresh fruits, and ground turkey, instead of beef. Can you imagine these items on the lunch menu of your kids’ school cafeteria? You betcha!

The competition was tough and grueling, but the panel of distinguished judges selected one winning recipe from each U.S. state, three U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, with 54 young culinary ambassadors in total.

Each winner joined the First Lady for a tour of the White House kitchen garden with a festive dinner to follow. The winning chefs walked down the red carpet surrounded by giant balloon flowers into the State Dining Room.

And if this wasn’t fun enough, President Barack Obama joined the First Lady Michelle Obama on stage for a surprise visit during the Kids’ State Dinner.

Prepared to perfection by the White House culinary team, the winning recipes were served to the awe and enjoyment of the visiting families and honorary guests.

Ten year-old Genene Savall Wedd, California’s winning chef, is a Bay Area local, hailing from Menlo Park.

‘‘I love cooking with my mom. It is fun spending time with her and talking about my day,’’ says Genene. ‘‘This is one of my favorite recipes because it reminds me of Ethiopia, my birthplace, and is a very healthy meal for my body. We added our favorite traditional ingredients together to create this comfort food to suit our tastes. When we make this recipe, we love to serve it with injera, a type of breadlike sourdough that you can use to pick up the Ethiopian Kik Alitcha with your fingers.’’

Here’s her winning recipe:

Ethiopian Kik Alitcha

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups onions, peeled and chopped

1 cup diced carrots

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 cup dried yellow split peas, washed and soaked overnight

Lettuce leaves

Makes 6 servings

Preparation:

In a large pot over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic, and ginger and cook 2 minutes.

Add the turmeric, salt, ground pepper, and 3 ½ cups of water and turn heat to high.

Bring water to a boil, add the split peas, and reduce heat to medium-low. Place a lid partially on the pot, but leave a gap for steam to escape. Simmer for 40 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the yellow split peas are tender. Add more water if the water boils off too quickly.

When the peas are softened, remove from heat and mash them gently with a fork. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

253 calories; 4g fat; 38g carbohydrates; 14g protein

Congratulations to all the winners! All of the 54 winning recipes are available in a free downloadable and printable e-cookbook at LetsMove.gov.

Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, not the best of ‘‘balabostas’’ her beloved beautiful Mom, Dina, was hoping for. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out.

By Lina Broydo