Meet Abishai Powers-
On November 23, I attended a Taste of Home Cooking School Show with Chef Michelle Robberts. She was great, but it was another attendee, chef-in-training, Abishai Powers who stole my heart. Nine year old Abishai wants to be a chef and is not wasting any time preparing for his career choice. Attendance at the Show (with his Mom, Korrene) was a part of his Christmas gift this year, along with a stylish red chef coat (complete with monogramming) and a set of business cards touting him as the culinary extraordinaire he is (at least at heart)–Abishai’s Food Lab. He already has a blog and agreed to share one of his recipes with my readers. His Dad is David Powers, pastor of The Pilgrimage in the Surfside area of Myrtle Beach SC
Top Photo–Michelle Roberts and Me!
Photo two–Michelle and Abishai
Photo Three-Michelle, Korrene and Abishai
We did this interview between Thanksgiving and Christmas and Abishai and his family were busy making cookies and taking them around to others as gifts–to military recruiters, shut-ins and others who might need remembering with something sweet. It seems that Korrene and David Powers are also teaching Abishai how to serve others with his talent. Many good lessons
Abishai has a goal and the support of his family and agreed to be interviewed for this blog. If you haven’t heard of him yet, you will.
http://abishaipowers.wordpress.com/
Joan, Q:When did you first decide you wanted to be a chef?
Abishai,a: A few years ago When I saw my mom cooking . I think I was 7 years old. –when did the blog start–about that time–
Q.Who teaches you cooking? I know you told me you learn from Mom and Grandma and from classes they’ve taken–but please tell me again, and in more detail.
A.My mom teaches me all she can. She is the one that has taken some classes, and she comes back and tells me what she learned.
Q.What classes are you taking that help you most in your cooking?
A.My mom uses math class a lot to teach the measuring with cooking. I have also written one of my own recipe creations down in a Language Arts class that has been put into a cookbook. The cookbook is for my Mamaw’s church. –the meat-a -zacki (see recipe below!)
Q.Do you do any online or TV/video training?
A.I like watching some of the cooking shows.
Q.Which Television chef shows are your favorites?
A.Master Chef Jr. – It’s a new show and I get to watch it as a school project. I also like watching Gordon Ramsey and Guy Fieri
(Note: Abishai noted that there is a junior chef contest on a show offered on the Hulu channel that he might enter.)
Q Do you have a favorite cookbook?
A.The Campbell soup recipe card box
Q.What do you like about that?
A.I like being able to take the cards out and look at them while I cook.
Abishai told us that he works to develop his own recipes as well. Pizza is one of his favorite things and he told me that he is working on a book of “secret” pizza recipes with his Dad who also helps him with inspiration by cutting out pictures for him for the book.
My dad and I have been putting it together for a while and continue to add to it as we find new pizza recipes. It’s more kind of a like a secret pizza journal, says Abishai.
Do you read any food magazines? Which ones do you like best?
No, I don’t read any. All my reading is focused on the Magic Tree House books right now.
Are you aiming for the children’s top chef contest?
That’s what I am shooting for
What made you want to go to the taste of home show?
It was a Christmas Present from my mom and dad. They gave me the tickets and my new chef coat at the same time.
Q.Have you ever invented your own recipe? What was it; will you share with my readers? What did your family think of it?
A.Meat-A-Zaire Sandwich: Bagel Thins, Teriyaki Sauce, Spinach, Turkey (meat of your choice)
What is your favorite food?
Pizza.
Q.Do you look at healthy eating for your family?
A.Yes we try to put vegetables and other healthy things in our meals
Q.What is your favorite veggie?
A.I think spinach on pizza
I usually cook spinach on pizza for my family
Q.Do you cook for the family sometimes?
A.As much as I can. I make most lunches and breakfasts
Q.What kind of a chef do you want to be (restaurant, working for a company, etc?)?
A.I want to have my own Gourmet Pizza Reteraunt
Q.What training do you intend to take to become a professional chef?
A.Classes and Learning from other famous Chef’s
Q.What are your other interests and hobbies? What subjects do you like best? What grade level are you working at now?
A.Collecting knives and a being a survivalist. My favorite subject is math. I am in 4th grade
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The Meatazaki Sandwich from Abishai’s Foodlab
Ingredients: (for each sandwhich)
Thin bagel
Teriyaki sauce
Sliced turkey
Fresh spinach
Cheese
Instructions:
Open up your thin bagel. The thick ones overpower the sandwich, and, let’s be honest, most of you don’t need the extra carbs.
Give a couple healthy squirts of teriyaki sauce. The amount is up to you and depends on how much you like to hit the sauce. Put this down first so it can soak into the bread.
Add the sliced turkey to the bread. Put as much as you’d like. I usually go with 2 slices, but you can pile it up as much as you like.
Add the spinach. I like fresh spinach instead of the frozen or canned stuff because that stuff is nasty. I’d recommend at least 10 leaves. Any less is not healthy enough, but more is good.
Add the cheese. Use your favorite kind of cheese. It can be grated or sliced. Don’t use that nasty cheese product stuff that comes in slices though. My dad says it’s not really cheese and just pretends to be real cheese. I like using the grated cheddar my mom keeps in the fridge.
Slap the bread on top and enjoy.
Time to prepare: 5 minutes
Time to eat: Depends on how hungry you are
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What Editors Want You to Know 