New Haven Independent

Yesira and 24 of her pals were in the kitchen Thursday with Denise Appel (pictured) of Zinc and four other top city chefs.

The makeshift kitchen in this instance Thursday morning was the TD Bank branch on Chapel Street at College. The bank is the founding sponsor of the city’s Restaurant Week (Nov. 8 to 13). The bankers wanted to have a first-time community oriented event, according to Anne Worcester of Market New Haven.

The humble yet healthful dish Yesira and the others began learning to prepare this morning was granola. The kids donned aprons and divided into groups, five for each chef.

Tables on which loan papers are more frequently prepared this morning turned into cooking stations.

The kids visited them to sample and add from labeled containers of ingredients, including cardamon, ginger, cocoa, soy oil, grapeseed, maple syrup, wheat germ, and agave.

Yesira’s verdict on the oats: “They tasted like the cereal I have at home with the little thingies in them.”

Chef Appel suggested Yesira add some flax to her oatmeal. The younger chef complied.

“I want some brown sugar,” said Yesira.

Appel said in effect, Go for it. Which Yesira did. Then, as other kids of the other chefs, pressed in on her, she shook in spices.

Whoa, said Appel. “She put enough ginger in there to feed an army.”

After adding apple juice to give the mixture softness, it was time for the oils and the sweeteners.

Yesira had never tasted agave before, but was game and licked a stick provided. It was well and good that agave had all these healthy properties that Claire Criscuolo (pictured), the event’s coordinator, said were good for her. Yesira preferred the maple syrup. She slathered another spoonful on top of the ginger and the cocoa.

As to the grape seed oil, Yesira said it didn’t smell like anything.

“But it’s good for you,” replied Chef Appel.

Back at their tables, there was more universal success with adding fruit. Apricots prevailed over cranberries in the kids’ popularity contest and Yesira called for six of them to be added to her granola. No more, no less.

When that happened, Yesira’s granola became a little chunky. She called for more of that grapeseed oil. Appel suggested it had no taste, as Yesira had earlier confirmed. Appel suggested more of the organic apple juice. Done.

When the concoction was finished, the box was closed. Yesira received a sheet with recipes on how to prepare other granolas and to bake them home.

During the demonstration, she had discovered agave and antioxidants. She appeared even more thrilled that she could take the apron home.

“Yes, I need an apron,” she declared as the kids lined up and thanked their chefs and hosts in a unanimous voice.

The blue rugs of the bank were speckled with a little more oatmeal and wheat bran than usual. Yet the event had been well worth it.

Besides Appel, the other game chefs attempting to educate and please these second grade palates were Bun Lai of Miya’s Sushi, Dave McCoart of Sage American Grill, and Jeff Ghazali of Bentara .

This year’s New Haven Restaurant Week, to begin on Monday, is shaping up to be the most successful yet, according to Worcester. She said 29 restaurants are participating this year, up 70 percent from when the event began in the fall of 2008. The last Restaurant Week, in April, brought 37,000 diners to downtown New Haven restaurants over a six-day period.

Wooster said she was pleased that the event had taught the kids about nutrition. “We hope they’ll [also] become future New Haven restaurant diners.”