Stir the Pot Teaches Food and Fairness
Image provided by Catherine Lea
She wanted to teach kids how to chop fruit, sauté vegetables, and mix batter.
But she also wanted to teach about the imbalance of power for migrant workers, racial justice, the problem with diet culture, and inequality in the food system.
So Catherine Lea started Stir the Pot, a food program for kids that teaches cooking principles along with social issues. Her goal is to expand their knowledge of the food system, develop cooking skills, and encourage a positive relationship with food.
“I liked the cooking classes that were already available to kids, but I didn’t see any that were tackling the social issues connected to food,” Lea said.
She believes that is because many people don’t give kids enough credit for their willingness to have tough conversations.
“I figured there was a way I could do that in class that would be age appropriate,” she said. “It wouldn’t be a negative conversation.”
Classes are taught live on zoom. The kids are learning in their own kitchens, using their own tools as Lea works alongside them from her Missoula kitchen, guiding them through the different steps of making a dish and launching the conversation.
Photo provided by Catherine Lea
During one of Lea’s first classes, she introduced the concept of a food system. During another class, the group talked about community access to food and free little pantries. They continue building on these conversations week after week as they build their comfort with knives and stoves. At the end of each class they’ve made a dish to share. In between sessions, they marinate on a topic. She avoids heavy jargon, keeps the class sizes small, and works to ensure the topics are accessible for learners of all age groups.
She remembers one fifth grade student’s excitement as she taught a lesson about Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers Movement.
“We talked about how they deserved to be treated and how they fought for their rights. He got so excited because he had read a book called ‘Esperanza Rising’ and he had so many things pop into his head, he could hardly get the words out. It was cool to see him make the connection between what he was learning and what he already knew.”
When it comes to diet culture, a topic fraught with conflicting opinions, Lea opts to offer small, helpful, practical tips about the way we think about food. She tries to avoid framing discussions in binary terms and moralizing food choices.
“If we teach kids that all sugar is bad, they will be freaked out when they attend a birthday party and are offered cake.”
For parents, Lea suggests modeling a willingness to get things wrong and change your mind.
“There is an intense amount of pressure to get things right and teach the perfect values and be super consistent and never have any doubts. To me it’s important to model learning and changing your mind.”
Different classes are ideal for different age groups, but the range is 6-14. Lea’s class Vegetarian Family Dinner Crash Course is ideal for ages 10-14. Joyful Eating is geared toward ages 6-10. And Sunday Brunch is perfect for any age.
She never pressures kids to eat the food they make. One of her students even delivered meals after every class to his neighbors. But she finds the natural curiosity that develops as students make food — as they roll dough in their hands, as they chop and simmer, as they pull a dish out of the oven — compels them to try it.
Lea began her business during the pandemic, and she is looking forward to expanding what she can offer. Her dream is to teach students face-to-face in a classroom once the pandemic is over while still offering her courses virtually.
To learn more about Stir the Pot, visit stirthepotkitchen.com or @stirthepotkitchen on Instagram.