Delicious UK – (10)October 2019

YOU R delicious.

STAREMAIL

FROM:CLAIREBURR

Asa foodteacherof 22 years,I’m

proudofourroleinpromotingfood

toyoungpeople.MsRobinsonhas

takenisolatedpointsandmistakenly

appliedthemasfactacrossthe

country.Teachershavetoconsidera

numberoffactorsregardingrecipes:

1)Lessontime:someschoolshave

reducedlessontimesignificantly,

soteachershavetosimplifyrecipes

tofocusona specificskill.Being

askedtobringintinnedfruitfora

crumblemayhavemeantthefocus

ofthelessonwasteachinghow

torubin.Ina 50-minutelesson,

moststudentswouldnotbeable

toweighout,rubin,preparefruit,

cook,clearupandbereadyfor

theirnextclass;hencetheuseof

preparedfruit.

2)Over-relianceona specific

ingredient:weneedtoconsiderthe

homecircumstancesofourstudents,

andtheaffordabilityandavailability

ofaningredienttoallofthem.

3)Useofunseasonalingredients:

foodis taughtinrotation,meaning

studentswillhavea blockoflessons

atsomepointintheyear.To

providea balancedcurriculum,

recipesareusedallyearround.

Chronicunderfundingcaused

manyschoolstomakecuts,which

havenegativelyimpactedfood

teaching.EveryfoodteacherI know

regularlyraidstheirowncupboards

orcallsintoTescoat7amonthe

waytoworktoplugshortfallsin

theclassroom.

I suggestMsRobinsonoffers

encouragementtoherdaughter’s

foodteacher.A quickchatmay

explainthe‘whybehindthewhat’.

PollyRobinson’sfeatureonherexperienceofcookeryandnutritionteachingatherchildren’s

school[Sep,p130]prompteda bigresponse:

POLLYROBINSONREPLIES:

Mypieceruffleda lotof feathers,forwhichI’msorry.I haveenormousrespectforteachers:I’vespokentomanybeforeand

sincewritingthepieceandappreciatethechallengestheyface.Myexamplesweregiventomebychildrenandparents

fromacrossthecountry,andalthoughthere’sa greatdealof positiveworkgoingoninschools,sadlyit seemsit’sstill

patchy.I usedthewords‘we’and‘teach’ina broadsense– ultimately,parentsandcarersareresponsibleforequipping

childrenwiththelifeskillstheyneedtofeedthemselves.Equally,governmenthasa responsibilitytofundandprioritise

foodeducation.There’sa lotof energyandpassionforfoodeducationfromindividualteachers,volunteers,campaigners

andorganisations.I hopewecanallpulltogethertoinspirechildrenfromallbackgroundstoenjoycooking– andlovefood. ILLUSTRATIONS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES. PH

OTOGRAPHS: GARETH MORGANS, MAJA SMEND, KA

TE WHITAKER. *A FULL

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Tahini, brown butter

and sea salt blondies

A controversial topic

SUBJECT: A FAR CRY FROM SEMOLINA

FROM: KIRSTEN

I’d previously failed to persuade my husband that polenta was nothing like

his schoolboy memories of ‘frogspawn’ semolina puddings, but Gill Meller’s

roast tomatoes and aubergines with wet polenta [Aug, p42] did the trick. It

was made with heritage tomatoes from our ‘local’ greengrocer (eight miles

from home in rural Wales). He asked: “When are we having it again?”