educación | education
Teaching Kids to Eat
Real Food
Enseñar a Los Niños a Comer Comida Saludable
T
by / POR: andrea sulsona
eaching children to eat real food is not an easy task, especially with the easily accessibly fast food, prepackaged, frozen and boxed foods they have grown to love. Luckily for Long Beach, married chefs Paul and Dana Buchanan have been working hard to change that in our community. After graduating with honors from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Paul honed his cooking skills in some of the best kitchens in Southern California, including Water Grill, Patina, Pascals and Campanile. At Patina, he executed large scale events like the Academy Awards, the Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Awards, gaining valuable experience in logistics as well as cooking. Dana grew up in a home where organic, natural foods were the norm. She refined her palate starting at a young age during the food renaissance of the early ‘80s by experiencing the food of nowillustrious chefs such as Joachim Spichel, Wolfgang Puck, John Sedlar, Thomas Keller, Ken Frank, Roy Yamaguchi and many others. Together, they created Primal Alchemy to share their passion for seasonal, sustainable, local cuisine. “Primal” means “first” or “premiere” while “alchemy” means “the transformation of something.” Cooking is the first science of man – in other words, the first transformation. The Buchanans’ commitment to excellence in their craft has attracted clients like the TED Conference for five years in Long Beach. The Buchanans have also become well-known for their Farm to Table dinners. In addition, they are passionate about teaching children about real food and do so through a two-day school based program called Days of Taste, which is in its 15th year. The event teaches fourth grade students about food, nutrition and how to read labels and includes a field trip to the Farmers Market and Organic Gardens. During Days of Taste, children are encouraged to eat meals together with their families, have manners, light candles, play soft music and engage in conversation with one another. Two years ago, United States Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited Fremont Elementary School, where she praised the school as a model for healthy eating and helped students dedicate a new salad bar. The visit promoted First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative to fight childhood obesity. Fremont students chanted “Salad! Salad! Salad!” before
24 Palacio de Long Beach
July / August 2013
cutting the ribbon to dedicate their new salad bar, courtesy of Long Beach Unified School District Nutrition Services and supportive parents like the Buchanans. In addition to the salad bar, the school has an organic garden and incorporates the ethos of Days of Taste to help students learn how to scrutinize food labels and make healthier choices. As part of the program, children learn about the history of food and visit local farmers markets and a community garden where they gather vegetables to make their own salads because the Buchannans believe children will eat what they grow. P
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nseñar a los niños a comer comida saludable no es una tarea fácil, sobre todo con la comida rápida, alimentos envasados, congelados y en caja que han aprendido a amar. Por suerte para Long Beach, el matrimonio e chefs Pablo y Dana Buchanan han estado trabajando duro para cambiar eso en nuestra comunidad. Después de graduarse con honores de la Academia Culinaria de California en San Francisco, Pablo perfeccionó sus habilidades en la cocina, en algunas de las mejores cocinas del sur de California, incluyendo Water Grill, Patina, Pascal y el Campanile. En Patina, ejecutó grandes eventos como los Oscar, los premios Emmy, Screen Actors Guild Awards, ganando una valiosa experiencia en la logística, así como para cocinar. Dana creció en un hogar donde los alimentos orgánicos naturales eran la norma. Se refinó su paladar a partir de una edad temprana durante el renacimiento de alimentos de los años 80 al experimentar la comida de los chefs ahora ilustres como Joaquín Spichel, Wolfgang Puck, John Sedlar, Thomas Keller, Ken Frank, Roy Yamaguchi y muchos otros. Juntos, crearon Alchemy Primal para compartir su pasión por la temporada, la cocina local sostenible. “Primal” significa “primero” o “estreno”, mientras que “alquimia” significa Cocinar es la primera ciencia del hombre “, la transformación de algo.” - En otras palabras, la primera transformación. El compromiso Buchanan ‘a la excelencia en su oficio ha atraído a clientes como la Conferencia TED durante cinco años en Long Beach. >>artículo continúa en la página 30