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Any given day at Clare’s Café in Houma, owner Clare Reding serves up creative cuisine sans the traditional rules of cooking.
The fare ranges from Latin American to Jamaican, European and Cajun Creole dishes. Her blend of international and southern cuisines can be attributed to her education at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, followed by an internship at Sea Island Resort in Georgia.
“They were big on international foods,” she said. “We still made American foods, but we would always add a little international flavors to the dish. Sea Island was such a huge place, student cooks could learn a variety of things. We didn’t just have our hands in one thing.”
From week to week at Clare’s, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Reding will serve next.
“My creativity kicks in when it’s time to prepare dishes,” she said. “I like trying new flavors because I can be creative in the presentation and the taste.”
This summer, Reding is sharing her talents with aspiring young chefs, offering lessons on the art of cooking at her restaurant.
The cooking camp is divided into two week-long sessions. The first is for younger children ages 5 to 11, and is set for June 15 to 19. Teens, ages 12 to 17, have their turn to cook beginning July 13 and ending on July 17.
Reding said the cooking camp is a fun way to get children out of the house and into something fun, if only for a short while.
“I don’t want it to seem like they are in school because I’ll lose their attention,” she said. “I want it to be about teaching them how to be creative when they cooking, rather than following a recipe to the letter.”
The older group will be really hands-on in the kitchen. They will learn proper knife skills and use a variety of cooking methods. They’ll also dabble in cuisines from five cultures including Italy, Jamaica, Thailand, Mexico and their very own Cajun Country.
“Students will discover the cuisines of the world right here at Clare’s Café,” she said.
The younger bunch will cook with everyone’s favorite ingredient: chocolate.
“They will get a chance to play with chocolate,” she said. “Make desserts, breakfast, a nice dinner from start to finish.”
Reding’s youth cooking camp is the first of its kind at her café. She has conducted adult cooking classes, but nothing with the younger set.
She got the idea from some of her adult participants who expressed interest in having their children take cooking lessons.
“You would think that teenagers would know how to cook already,” Reding said.
But she has since learned that many teenagers and youngsters do not know their way around a kitchen. They rely on their parents for meals or dine out frequently. In Reding’s opinion, no one should be “green” in the kitchen.
Depending on the type of response Reding gets from this first go-around, she hopes the event will become an annual activity. But, for now, she only has the two sessions scheduled.
The deadline to sign up for each session is the Wednesday prior to the beginning of the classes.
For the younger children, the deadline is June 10. For teens, the deadline is July 8. Space is limited.
The summer cooking camp only has room for 12 participants each session.
In the event that the sessions have not reached capacity by deadline, Reding will still allow parents to register their children for the cooking camp.
Each session costs $210 per child. For parents signing up more than one child, the fee is $200 per child.
The registration fee must be paid in full by cash or check and is non-refundable.
All classes are held from 3 to 6 p.m. at Clare’s Café’s 531 Liberty St. address.
Campers must be dressed comfortably but with safety in mind. No open shoes or jewelry are allowed. Hair clips and bands can be worn.
For more information, call Reding at (985) 223-2233 or email her at clarescafe@aol.com.
Six-year-old Jaci Breaux is ready for cooking school. The Bayou Blue Elementary student said she loves to barbecue at home.
