Italian Cooking Lesson: Making Stamped Corzetti Pasta
Preschool
July 26, 2019
Following last year’s event, the Italian restaurant Primo once again helped us hold a pasta-making cooking lesson.
We also value interaction between different ages, so children from Jungle (age 3), Mountain (age 4) and Sky (age 5) worked in mixed-age groups.
To begin, the restaurant staff asked, “Does anyone have a food they don’t like?” Several children raised their hands. They listened seriously to a discussion about people who cannot get enough food and about food waste, even though some of the vocabulary was quite difficult for them.
Last year, the children rolled pasta into long strands. This time, they used cutters and stamps to make corzetti: flat, round pasta traditionally about 5–7 cm across, pressed with a special wooden stamp bearing a design such as a family crest. With help from Primo’s staff, the children used bear, heart and star cutters to make different shapes, then stamped them with the restaurant’s “Primo” design.
Once all the pasta was ready, the chef boiled it and tossed it with tomato sauce and zucchini. Although the aroma was delicious, some children were uneasy about the zucchini, which is not a favorite for everyone. As always, watching the chef toss pasta in a frying pan with one hand was a highlight. When teachers and children called, “Higher, please!”, the chef tossed it even higher, prompting delighted cheers.
Then it was time to taste. Saying the Italian word they had learned, “Buono!”, the children quickly finished their portions. Some even chose to eat the zucchini and proudly reported, “I could eat it!” We hope that trying unfamiliar or disliked foods in special experiences like this can help children overcome reluctance and build confidence.
Primo closed for lunch and brought its entire team to support this cooking lesson again this year. Beyond this event, they have received vegetables harvested by the children and served them in the restaurant, and have reserved the restaurant for our Italian dining experience. We are deeply grateful for their ongoing willingness to help the children.
Italian Restaurant PRIMO
GM Yokohama Bashamichi Building 1F, 5-72-1 Tokiwacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama
Chef Naoto Suwaki
Born in Kanagawa in 1976, Suwaki was inspired to become a chef by the carbonara he first tasted as a teenager. After university, he trained at popular Western-style restaurants in Yokohama and Tokyo, then went to Italy to study Italian cooking further. Returning to Japan several years later, he served as executive chef at Yokohama’s CAMBUSA for seven years from its opening, before establishing his own restaurant, PRIMO, in 2017. (Translated from the profile quoted from Hitosara in the original article.)
We also value interaction between different ages, so children from Jungle (age 3), Mountain (age 4) and Sky (age 5) worked in mixed-age groups.
To begin, the restaurant staff asked, “Does anyone have a food they don’t like?” Several children raised their hands. They listened seriously to a discussion about people who cannot get enough food and about food waste, even though some of the vocabulary was quite difficult for them.
Last year, the children rolled pasta into long strands. This time, they used cutters and stamps to make corzetti: flat, round pasta traditionally about 5–7 cm across, pressed with a special wooden stamp bearing a design such as a family crest. With help from Primo’s staff, the children used bear, heart and star cutters to make different shapes, then stamped them with the restaurant’s “Primo” design.
Once all the pasta was ready, the chef boiled it and tossed it with tomato sauce and zucchini. Although the aroma was delicious, some children were uneasy about the zucchini, which is not a favorite for everyone. As always, watching the chef toss pasta in a frying pan with one hand was a highlight. When teachers and children called, “Higher, please!”, the chef tossed it even higher, prompting delighted cheers.
Then it was time to taste. Saying the Italian word they had learned, “Buono!”, the children quickly finished their portions. Some even chose to eat the zucchini and proudly reported, “I could eat it!” We hope that trying unfamiliar or disliked foods in special experiences like this can help children overcome reluctance and build confidence.
Primo closed for lunch and brought its entire team to support this cooking lesson again this year. Beyond this event, they have received vegetables harvested by the children and served them in the restaurant, and have reserved the restaurant for our Italian dining experience. We are deeply grateful for their ongoing willingness to help the children.
Italian Restaurant PRIMO
GM Yokohama Bashamichi Building 1F, 5-72-1 Tokiwacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama
Chef Naoto Suwaki
Born in Kanagawa in 1976, Suwaki was inspired to become a chef by the carbonara he first tasted as a teenager. After university, he trained at popular Western-style restaurants in Yokohama and Tokyo, then went to Italy to study Italian cooking further. Returning to Japan several years later, he served as executive chef at Yokohama’s CAMBUSA for seven years from its opening, before establishing his own restaurant, PRIMO, in 2017. (Translated from the profile quoted from Hitosara in the original article.)
Author Profile
-
-
Reiko - Services and Community Coordinator (Japan)
Reiko joined CGK as an opening staff member after working in licensed nursery care in Japan and two international preschools, alongside volunteering at a daycare in Canada. These cross-cultural experiences shape her approach to supporting children. She values opportunities for learners to discover their interests and strengths, express themselves and broaden their possibilities through meaningful experiences.