Originally posted by member Lisa Martin.

Here are some Cooking Workshop "concepts" for how to use food in a lesson.

FOOD AS ART

Food that is shaped into the thing being talked about.

FOOD IN THE STORY

Make the food actually mentioned in the story. For example, Last Supper bread, Esau’s lentil pottage, Prodigal Son pig slop (fun!).

FOODS ASSOCIATED WITH A FESTIVAL

Cook some traditional foods for Purim (Esther), Passover (Exodus or Last Supper) Christmas or Easter.

CROSS-CULTURAL RECIPES

Make Greek or Turkish foods to celebrate the journeys of Paul, or spicy hot salsa to reinforce the flames of Pentecost and the gathering of the nations. 

INGREDIENTS THAT REPRESENT PARTS IN THE STORY

We made a giant hero sandwich (heroes = "he-rose" get it?) for a holy week rotation. The giant loaves of bread (laid in the shape of a cross) for the last supper, lettuce for the palm leaves, round sliced cheese for Judas’ coins, etc.) To do this we made a list of sandwich ingredients we wanted to use and a list of events from holy week and matched them together. A similar process for making a creation cake. Day 1 was white frosting, Day 3 green coconut, Day 6, animal crackers and gingerbread people. You get the idea.

THE COOKING PROCESS IS THE LESSON

For Martha and Mary we divided children into two groups with instructions to make the recipe as quickly as possible, then do a Bible activity sheet. One group made an easy recipe. One group made everything from scratch and didn’t have time to do their Bible lesson. Lead into a discussion of busyness and priorities. 

Taffy or other candymaking can make a point about conversion (Saul to Paul, Nicodemus) because the finished product looks nothing like the original, and yet is from the same ingredients.