For a moment, the UCLA Teaching Kitchen is like the back of house of any fine restaurant. The sounds and smells of numerous courses coming together fill the orderly compact space.
Caramelized cranberries pop as they meld into a crimson confection atop a convection burner. Frying pans hiss as steam bursts from diced purple onions, on their way to becoming a light gravy infused with fresh herbs for smashed potatoes. The aroma of potatoes and turkey tenderloin, roasting atop a colorful array of freshly chopped vegetables, rises from the oven.
Orchestrating all of it is Julia Rhoton, a highly experienced chef who connects with students whose culinary skills rarely rise above microwave oven operation.
“Anybody can cook,” Rhoton said as she prepped cooking stations around a well-equipped island built for instruction. “We want to give everybody the skills they need for the confidence to cook anything they like.”
By the time students arrive, Rhoton has already done the shopping. Stations are stocked with ingredients, including the fresh celery, onions, carrots, fruit and herbs that will infuse dishes with a flavor rare in a world of takeout.
Knives are out, as the carrots, onions and celery are carefully and safely chopped into mirepoix. Rhoton demonstrates a safer cutting approach, a more deliberate and cautious technique compared to the fast and flashy styles more common to cooking shows.
Fresh herbs and olive oil are recruited to flavor the turkey tenderloins that center the meal. Once they’re in the oven, the crew moves on to potatoes. First boiled, they are then smashed into what the recipe calls a rustic, squished dish.
While they roast, there’s time to make a cranberry sauce that’s as fresh as it is simple.
“Put the berries in the pan low and slow,” Rhoton said, dropping one more safety tip into a day designed to avoid the burns, cuts and slips common to kitchen beginners.
While Rhoton sees cooking as a great way to get away from screens, there is a digital element. She calls out precise temperatures for the induction cooktops used at the teaching kitchen. Safe cooking temperatures, like 165 degrees for poultry, are also part of her vernacular.
For Rayana Ladd, a third-year student studying physiological science, cooking is still somewhat novel. She’s looking forward to building her skills as she adjusts to her first apartment.
“I’ve never had to manage so many things going on at once,” Ladd said. “I don’t see it as a chore, though. I find cooking relaxing when I have the time. Actually, it’s really fun and Chef Julia makes it easy.”
The Teaching Kitchen, which is part of UCLA Recreation, was developed with support from UCLA’s Healthy Campus Initiative, the campuswide network of faculty, staff and students dedicated to making UCLA the healthiest campus in America by integrating health and wellness into the university's culture.
The Teaching Kitchen trains students to prepare healthy, affordable and delicious meals, and hosts workshops including the popular Culinary Bootcamp and Bread for Beginners.
As roast turkey tenderloin and smashed potatoes roll out of the oven, there’s just time to put together a light gravy for a traditional touch. It’s a stovetop sauce that uses olive oil as a base. It teaches students how to make a roux, the foundation for gravies and many sauces.
“Learning about ingredients ant techniques opens people’s minds and maybe even their hearts to what’s possible out there,” Rhoton said. “It might take some time, but you are capable of learning the complexities of making any kind of food.”
Boiled & Smashed Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- About 1 pound small new potatoes, any color (can also use fingerlings or other small potato)
- Water
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spray the lined baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Wash the potatoes and remove any eyes or other imperfections, do not peel.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat slightly and cook the potatoes on a simmer until just tender, about 10 minutes. The best way to test if they are ready is to prick with a small knife, fork, or toothpick — if it enters without much pressure, the potato is soft enough.
- Drain the cooked potatoes carefully and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. Toss the potatoes in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil to start and salt & pepper to taste. Add more oil as needed to ensure the potatoes are well coated, but not swimming.
- Place the seasoned potatoes evenly spaced out on the prepared baking sheet and, using the flat bottom of a drinking glass, jar, or bowl, smash each potato into a rustic squished disc. Smash them enough that they split and open up but not so much that they break apart.
- Roast in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes (depending on size) until they are golden brown and crispy around the edges but still soft and steamy in the middle.
Notes
Add chopped herbs, dried spices, garlic, etc. for more flavor when seasoning the potatoes before roasting.
