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Home > Blogs > Women's Life > Archives > 2009 > August > 18 > Entry
Budding chef only 9 years old
It makes sense that LaRashia Edwards would have an affinity for food.
Her mother, Culpatrice Foster was raised in a Dayton household where her mother and father used gardening to keep the family of three children strong and connected.
Foster said having her mother introduce her to such things helped her, so she’s passing that on to LaRashia in a slightly different way.
At age 9, LaRashia is a budding chef.
When she was 3, LaRashia used to help her mom crack eggs, put bacon on the platter, mix ingredients and pour drinks.
“She liked to help me in the kitchen,” she said. “She took a liking to it.”
So she went on to teach her a bit more over the years. And a chef was born.
“I’m just thankful God gave me a mother,” LaRashia said simply.
LaRashia has been a contestant in a national youth cooking contest, has given a cooking demonstration to kids at Second Street Public Market and hopes to design her own aprons and have a cable access cooking show.
LaRashia entered The Next Great Chef Contest baking a brownie recipe she created from scratch. It went through five different lists of ingredients and adjustments before it was just perfect.
“I just make my own,” she said. “I don’t get there with a recipe.”
Another hallmark of LaRashia’s cooking is health. She uses Florida crystals instead of refined white sugar, organic brown eggs and unsalted butter.
“I want my food to be healthy,” LaRashia said. “I don’t want them to say there is too much fat or too much carbs.”
She’s serious and careful. While making pizza, she put on gloves.
“If you don’t cook with gloves on, you’re touching someone else’s food,” she said.
She spooned tomato sauce onto dough, asked her guest if a pepperoni or plain pizza was requested. She also offered extra pepperoni.
She went back and forth, checking on her dish. And because she’s only 9, mom still helps her with the stove.
After a delicious pizza is eaten, “Then you clean up your mess,” she said.
LaRashia watches all the cooking shows from Rachel Ray to Ming Tsai. She doesn’t get so much from the celebrity cooks as far as technique, but she likes learning about new ingredients. Recently, she learned about cognac and fennel.
Cognac and fennel will have to wait. She plans to get some simpler ingredients soon when she plants a garden, just like her mother did when she was a child.
“I think that the gardens are fun,” she said.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: role models
Comments
By Michelle Smith
August 18, 2009 2:38 PM | Link to this
Congratulations. It was a pleasure reading about this little girl’s achievements. It is going to be interesting to watch her grow and bloom.
By Anon
August 18, 2009 4:10 PM | Link to this
“If you don’t cook with gloves on, you’re touching someone else’s food,” she said. AMEN! I wish more businesses were like that. They should have gloves, a mask, and a hairnet.
By Carla
August 18, 2009 4:40 PM | Link to this
Outstanding! I can’t wait for the TV show…keep us posted.
By nug
August 18, 2009 4:54 PM | Link to this
What an awesome little girl and a wonderful mom she has to pass cooking onto her. I wouldlove to see her cooking show on cable someday
By Karen
August 18, 2009 7:51 PM | Link to this
It is such a relief to hear something good on the news for a change. LaRashia, the world is yours for the taking you can achieve anything, shoot for the moon :)