After the ABCs and DVDs it's time to boil an egg

A new cooking programme has been launched in intermediate schools following research that shows students know more about installing software than boiling an egg.

Health Minister Annette King and food maker Watties launched "Project Cook" yesterday in the hope that more children would be encouraged into the kitchen by the smells of fresh muffins and cheesy macaroni.

Project Cook will be incorporated into the technology curriculum at 1600 intermediate schools around the country. It includes five recipes designed to teach students a range of cooking skills from kneading dough to marinating meat.

A teachers' resource book offers advice on healthy eating and activities such as designing a new product for Watties and adapting recipes.

Watties senior nutritionist Julie Dick said Project Cook was put together following a survey last year of 249 adults and 439 children (aged 8-14) that found most children could not cook. "Our research shows there are only two cooking activities that kids regularly do on their own - cooking toast and making a sandwich," she said.

"In fact, the children surveyed were more confident in installing software on a computer, playing a DVD or sending a text message than cooking a meal from a recipe book."

Ms Dick said the one positive message from the survey was that 94 per cent of the children were keen to learn about cooking and 99 per cent of their parents felt a combination of school and home-based education was the best way for it to happen.

In launching Project Cook at South Wellington Intermediate, Health Minister Annette King said cooking was a fun activity which she had learned as a child from her mother, grandmother and school.

The project is supported by the New Zealand Dietetic Association and was developed in part by the Home Economic and Technology Teachers Association of NZ, food writers and dietitians.

Project Cook

What students are expected to learn:

Cinnamon Apple Muffins: Browning baked food & sifting dry ingredients.

Macaroni Cheese: Gelatinisation, calcium & making cheese sauces.

Ham and Pineapple Pizza: Yeast, kneading dough & healthy toppings.

Spaghetti Bolognese: Making pasta sauces, cooking and browning meat.

Stir-fry Chicken and Veges: Cooking rice, vegetables & marinating.