How Ann Butler Cooked Up Edible Education

A message from Chef Ann Butler, Founder and CEO
EdibleEdu.com • EdibleEducationTV.com

On my first day of teaching cooking in a public middle school, I asked the students to raise their hands if they knew how to cook dinner for their family. All hands shot up instantly.

“Wow, this is going to be a breeze! These kids are well-versed in the culinary arts,” I thought.

But upon additional questioning, I learned that “cooking dinner” to them meant ham-and-cheese sandwiches, cold cereal, or (my least favorite) Ramen noodles.

“And where do you enjoy your culinary creations?” I continued to query. “In our rooms watching TV, at the sofa watching TV, in the car on the way to practice.”

And so began my adventure to introduce kids (and adults) to real dinners — the kind with real food and real place settings and real conversation, at an actual table.

More than 20,000 students later, I am still amazed at how little our children know about food. And, perhaps even more amazed at how unadventurous they are with menu choices.

That’s where Edible Education comes in. We are not doctors or gourmet chefs. We use everyday kitchen equipment mixed with a lot of fun and a passion for eating what is good for us (without being all “organic-y” or health-nuts about food) to introduce students to fresh, home-cooked food.

Hands-on learning about fresh, seasonal food, prepared with the intention of sitting with our families and enjoying one of life’s greatest pleasures is what we are all about.

In a society where 35 percent of adolescents are overweight or obese, with an 80 percent chance of becoming obese adults, I knew I had to get more involved in making a difference outside of my school district, and so I started Edible Education.

“Don’t worry that children never listen to you. Worry that they are always watching you.” — Robert Fulghum, author of “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”

I hope you’ll join us at Edible Education, where hands-on lessons for all ages lead to a healthy life.

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