John Hurzel teaches Celebrity Chef Cooking Class at Boys and Girls Club

John Hurzel, owner of A Catered Affaire, presented themes recent class in the series, Celebrity Chef Cooking Classes – A Healthy Lifestyles Program, at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, 1870 Russell Way, on Thursday.

The series features notable chefs from around Northern Nevada including Clint Jolly (Reno), David Stern of Battle Born Social (Carson City), Mark Estee of The Union Carson, Liberty Food and Wine Exchange and chez louie (Reno), Charlie Abowd of Café at Adele’s (Carson City) and Tommy Linnett of The Union Carson.

On Thursday, Hurzel prepared street tacos and invited the teens to make tortillas and guacamole from scratch, a departure from previous demonstrations where Club members watched the preparation.

"The kids were engaged, I think it went great," Hurzel said. "All of there bowls are empty so I’m sure they enjoyed it."

Hurzel said including kids in the kitchen is a way to bring families together and teach them valuable life skills.

“In this day and age of both parents working, kids need to know how to prepare simple and nutritious meals that they can put together themselves,” Hurzel said. “Given the opportunity, young people will make good choices in what they eat, particularly if they participate in the cooking process.”

The program is interactive and the participants not only learn how to cook, but also learn how to shop for quality ingredients, and how to compare products to choose the healthier and better quality choice. The teens will be holding a special dinner in culmination of this program, where they will cook a healthy meal at the Boys and Girls club for their parents.

Chef Hurzel has provided his recipes for homemade tortillas and guacamole below:

Tortillas
By John Hurzel

Tortilla Ingredients
Masa — ½ cup
Shortening — ½ tablespoon
Salt — pinch (to taste)
Water — ¼ cup

Tortilla Procedure
In a mixing bowl, combine the Masa, salt, and shortening.
Work with your fingers until the shortening is combined into a course meal.
Add the water and mix by hand until smooth dough is formed.
Cover the dough with plastic and allow to rest at room temperature for use (at least 15 minutes)

Preparing the tortillas
Heat a dry skillet on the stove.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into a ball.
Place each ball, one at a time into a tortilla press that has been lined with plastic wrap to avoid sticking.
Close the press and push the press firmly down to form a thin tortilla.
Cook the tortilla on the hot skillet, turning frequently until it is lightly crisp and cooked all the way through.
Hold in a covered container for service.

Guacamole
By John Hurzel

Guacamole Ingredients
Fresh Avocado — One half
Chopped Onion — 1 teaspoon
Diced Tomato — 1 teaspoon
Cilantro — ¼ teaspoon
Salt — To taste (approx. 2 pinches)
Lime Juice — ¼ fresh lime

Guacamole Procedure
Scoop out the half of fresh avocado into a small mixing bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the avocado.
Use a fork to smash the avocado and combine all of the ingredients.
Adjust the salt to taste as needed.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada serve some 2,500 youth in Carson City and Carson Valley, and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, having been a cornerstone of the community since opening its doors in 1993.

Serving over 400 youth per day, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada provides a safe, structured and positive environment for young people after school, during holidays and summer vacation in six locations around Carson City and Douglas County. For more information, please visit www.bgcwn.org.

For more recipes from the Celebrity Chef Cooking Classes – A Healthy Lifestyles Program, including “Bently Ranch Flat Iron Steak” by Tommy Linnett from The Union, and “Crunchy Chicken Thighs with Zucchini” by Charlie Abowd of Café at Adele’s — go here and here.